Normally included
- Heat loss and heat gain calculation for sizing
- Equipment supply and installation
- Venting and combustion air
- Duct modification and balancing
- Condensate management
- Thermostat and controls
- Permit and gas inspection where required
Mechanical & electrical
Heating, cooling & ventilation
Equipment gets replaced; ductwork almost never does. That is why a correctly sized system in a poorly designed duct layout still leaves the second floor hot in August — and why 'we'll just put in a bigger furnace' is usually the wrong answer.
Also called: Furnace · Heat pump · Air conditioning · Ductwork
Licensed work
TSSA-certified for fuel-burning appliances
Work on gas-fired equipment in Ontario requires a technician certified by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority — G1, G2 or G3 depending on scope — working for a registered contractor. Refrigerant handling requires separate certification. Ask which certification covers the specific work being done.
Scope
What the work is—and what it isn’t.
Most disputes begin with an exclusion nobody read. Confirm both columns against any quote you receive before comparing prices.
Normally excluded
- Full duct redesign, unless stated
- Electrical service upgrades for a heat pump
- Insulation and air sealing
What moves the price
Why two quotes for the same room differ.
These are the decisions and conditions that actually drive cost on this trade. Understand them and a wide spread between quotes usually explains itself.
- 01
Whether a proper heat loss and heat gain calculation is done, or the new unit is simply matched to the old one's size.
- 02
Fuel and system type — furnace, air conditioner, cold-climate heat pump, or a hybrid of gas and heat pump.
- 03
Duct condition and capacity. Adding cooling to ducts designed only for heating often needs return air added.
- 04
Venting route for a high-efficiency unit, which vents through the wall rather than the chimney.
- 05
Electrical capacity, which frequently limits heat pump options in older homes.
- 06
Whether ventilation — an HRV or ERV — is included, which matters more in a tightly sealed house.
Cost ranges
What it costs in Halton.
Cost ranges for this trade have not been published yet.
Rather than repeat a national average that means nothing in Halton, this table stays empty until the figures are ones I have priced myself. The cost drivers above are the part that matters most anyway—they explain why the numbers vary.
If you want a real number for your property, that is what the walkthrough is for.
Book a free walkthrough →Before you sign
What the quote must contain.
If any of these is missing, ask for it in writing before you compare prices. A quote that cannot answer these questions is not a quote—it is an estimate wearing a suit.
- A heat loss and heat gain calculation, provided as a document
- Equipment make, model and efficiency rating
- TSSA registration and the technician's certification level
- What duct modifications are included
- Whether a permit is being pulled
- Available manufacturer or utility incentives, and who applies
- Warranty terms — parts, labour and their separate durations
Walk away
Red flags on this trade.
None of these are matters of taste. Each one has a specific consequence, and each is visible before you commit any money.
- Sizing by rule of thumb or by matching the old unit
- No mention of return air when adding cooling
- Chimney re-used for a high-efficiency appliance
- No combustion or venting inspection
- Quoting a heat pump without checking the electrical panel
Before the final payment
- Commissioning report with measured airflow and temperature rise
- Gas permit closed and inspection passed
- Every register checked for actual airflow, not just for being open
- Condensate draining properly, with no standing water
- Filter size and change interval written down
If you are selling
What this does to a sale.
Age and service records matter more than brand. A ten-year-old furnace with annual service records is an easier conversation than a five-year-old one with none.
Ready to hire
I’ll give you one or two names, not a directory.
Contractors on the bench supply current WSIB, liability insurance and licence documentation, and I have walked their finished work. No referral fee is accepted from any of them.
A straightforward first conversation
Thinking about heating, cooling & ventilation?
Tell me where you are in the process. We’ll discuss the property, the market, and the questions that matter most to you.