Heating Installation
Anyone dealt with a new heating system coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations in Chicago?
Asked by Monica Reidin Chicago, Illinois· 4/6/2026· 2273 views
I'm in Chicago, Illinois and dealing with a 13-year-old new heating system in our older detached house. Over the last month, it has been coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations and we're now noticing the upstairs stays noticeably worse than the main floor.
One contractor quoted $681 for repair, while another jumped straight to a $6,417 replacement because of the age. The weather here has been dealing us cold morning startup, so I do not want to wait too long, but I also do not want to approve the wrong scope.
If you were comparing bids on this, what would you want checked first? I especially want to know how much weight you would give to load calculation, venting requirements, duct sizing, and equipment staging.
replacementquotessizing
3 Answers
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The price range alone does not tell you enough. Ask what was tested, what failed, and which assumptions are built into the quote. For a new heating system that is coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations, the first things I would ask for are load calculation, venting requirements, duct sizing, and equipment staging. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Chicago, Illinois, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
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What helped us most was breaking the quote into labour, parts, warranty, and optional upgrades. The expensive bid looked very different once it was itemized. We had a related issue with our new heating system in Chicago. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Ruby Patel·4/6/2026
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I would compare how clearly each contractor explains the diagnosis, not just the price. The clearer company ended up being the better hire for us. We had a related issue with our new heating system in Chicago. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Aria Thompson·4/6/2026