Boiler replacement is one call away from a licensed local contractor. The call routes to a licensed pro in your area for an in-home sizing and a written quote — steam, hot-water, or combi.
The boiler is sized to your home's heat load and matched to your radiator or baseboard loop.
The system is filled, bled, and pressure-tested before the boiler is fired and balanced.
You get a price before any work — decided in your home, not over the phone.
One call routes to a licensed local contractor. You describe the boiler and radiator system you have now.
The pro sizes the boiler to your home's heat load and confirms the radiator or baseboard loop.
You get an itemised, fixed price before any work — equipment, venting, labour, and warranty.
Removal, new boiler tied to the loop, flue and gas to code, fill, bleed, pressure-test, warranty registered.
Enter your ZIP and we'll route your call to a licensed pro in your area for an in-home sizing and a written quote. Calling is free, 24/7.
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Four signals point to replacement: the boiler is toward the top of its 15–35 year life, repairs are stacking up with rising bills, there are persistent leaks or corrosion, or kettling returns after descaling. Because boilers last so long, the repair-or-replace math matters more here than with any other system.
Boilers last a long time, so age alone isn't the trigger — but toward the top of that range, efficiency and reliability fall off.
When fixes stack up and the heating bill climbs each winter, a modern high-efficiency boiler usually pays back the difference.
A boiler that keeps leaking, or shows rust and corrosion at the seams, is near the end of its service life.
A rumble that comes back after the heat exchanger is descaled points to scale damage that a replacement resolves.
If the boiler is fixable, a repair is often the better call given how long boilers last — start at boiler repair, or run the numbers on repair or replace.
There are four boiler types a contractor will price — hot-water (hydronic), steam, combi, and high-efficiency condensing. Identifying which you have is the first step, because each is replaced differently. Not sure? The boiler guide helps you tell them apart.
Baseboard or radiator heat circulated as hot water by a pump. The most common replacement today, and usually the simplest swap.
The oldest systems — one-pipe radiators fed by steam. A like-for-like steam replacement is a specialized job.
A single unit that provides both heat and on-demand hot water, saving space by dropping the separate water-heater tank.
A 90%+ AFUE boiler with a second heat exchanger — more up front, lower gas bills over a long boiler life.
A proper boiler replacement is four jobs, not one: sizing to the heat load, removing the old boiler, tying the new one into the existing radiator or baseboard loop with flue and gas to code, then filling, bleeding and pressure-testing before it fires.
| Step | What it is | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Heat-load sizing | The boiler is sized to the home's heat load and matched to the radiator or baseboard loop | 1Before the quote |
| Drain & remove | The system is drained and the old boiler removed and disposed of | 2Removal |
| Set & tie into loop | The new boiler is set and connected to the existing loop, with flue and gas reconnected to code | 3New system |
| Fill, bleed, test | The system is refilled, bled of air, pressure-tested, fired, and the warranty registered | 4Commissioning |
A boiler is only as good as its connection to the radiator or baseboard loop. Air left in the loop, an unbalanced system, or a flue mismatch on a condensing unit shows up as cold rooms, noise, or a boiler that short-cycles. The fill-bleed-pressure-test step is where a proper install separates itself from a fast one.
Because a boiler can run 15 to 35 years, the sizing and efficiency choices you make at install ride with you for decades. Size to the load, then decide how much efficiency to buy.
Correct capacity comes from a heat-load calculation, not a match to the old boiler's rating — decades of insulation and window upgrades often mean the house needs less boiler than it once did. An oversized boiler short-cycles and wears its controls early.
A standard cast-iron boiler runs at its rated AFUE; a 90%+ condensing boiler adds a second heat exchanger to pull more heat from the same gas — more up front, less every winter. Over a long boiler life the efficiency premium usually pays back.
You buy efficiency once and pay for it every winter for decades.
Enter your ZIP — we'll connect you to a licensed local contractor for an in-home sizing and a written quote. The call is free, 24/7.
Licensed contractors serve . One call routes you to one for .
☏ Call (888) 810-2291Availability is subject to provider participation, location, technician availability, and demand.
Boiler replacement runs roughly $4,290 to $10,070 installed on Carrier's 2026 guide, with Runwise putting the typical range at $3,500 to $8,500 and the average near $6,000. High-efficiency and larger models sit higher.
A like-for-like standard hot-water swap sits near the bottom of the range; a high-efficiency condensing boiler, a combi conversion, or a large home sits near the top. Carrier's 2026 guide spans $4,290 to $10,070, and Runwise puts the typical range at $3,500 to $8,500 with an average near $6,000. Type, efficiency, and venting move it within that band, and financing is widely offered.
| What moves the number | Lower end | Higher end |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (AFUE) | Standard cast-iron boiler | 90%+ condensing boiler |
| Boiler type | Like-for-like hot-water swap | Combi or steam-system conversion |
| Size | Smaller home, lower BTU | Large home, high BTU load |
| Venting & gas | Existing flue is adequate | New direct-vent or gas line |
The itemised breakdown is on new system cost, and the only figure that counts is the written quote — actual prices come from the contractor after they see the house.
A like-for-like boiler swap is usually a one-to-two-day job, and it runs in four stages: drain and remove, set and tie into the loop, fill, bleed and pressure-test, then fire, balance and register.
The crew shuts off power, gas, and water, drains the system, and removes the old boiler.
The new boiler is set and connected to the existing radiator or baseboard loop, with flue and gas to code.
The system is refilled, air is bled from the loop, and the boiler is pressure-tested for leaks.
The boiler is fired, the loop is balanced for even heat, and the warranty is registered and permit closed at inspection.
Three things decided around install day quietly determine what the system is worth to you later: the manufacturer warranty (only valid if registered), the gas permit and inspection, and any state or utility rebates tied to a high-efficiency boiler.
Manufacturers cover parts for around ten years, and some cover the heat exchanger longer — but only with registration, usually within 60–90 days. Labour is a separate warranty from the contractor. Ask what each covers.
A boiler swap needs a permit and a gas and venting inspection in most areas — especially for a condensing unit's direct vent. The contractor pulls it; an unpermitted gas install is a safety and resale problem.
High-efficiency boiler credit — expired Dec 31, 2025 (per ENERGY STAR / IRS). No longer applies.
State energy-office and local utility rebates still run for high-AFUE condensing boilers and vary by ZIP code. A local contractor knows which programs are active in your area — worth asking before you pick the efficiency tier. Financing is widely available to spread the cost.
The price gap between two quotes usually hides in this checklist. A licensed installer does all six of the following; the low bid is low because it drops one or two of them.
Still weighing it? Given how long boilers last, run the numbers on repair or replace, or start at boiler repair.
Calls route to licensed local contractors across the United States. Enter a ZIP in the coverage check above and we'll confirm the nearest routed pro; if your exact area isn't matched, the call still connects nationwide.
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Boiler replacement runs $4,290–$10,070 installed per Carrier's 2026 guide, with Runwise putting the typical range at $3,500–$8,500 and the average near $6,000. High-efficiency and larger models sit higher. The exact figure is a quote from the contractor after they size your system.
Boilers are long-lived — commonly 15 to 35 years, longer than a furnace or heat pump. Because of that lifespan, a repair on a boiler in its twenties can still be worth it, which is why the repair-or-replace math matters more here than with other systems.
A steam boiler heats water to steam that rises through one-pipe radiators; a hot-water (hydronic) boiler circulates hot water through baseboards or radiators with a pump. They're replaced differently, so identifying which you have is the first step — our boiler guide walks through it.
Sometimes, but it's a bigger project — a boiler heats with water and a furnace or heat pump heats with air, so a switch means new ductwork. For most radiator homes, a like-for-like boiler replacement is simpler and lower-cost. A contractor can price both.
A straightforward like-for-like swap is usually one to two days. Converting boiler types, moving the unit, or upgrading to high-efficiency venting can extend it, plus the permit inspection.