Upgrading your current heating system to a high efficiency condensing boiler can save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Use the Condensing Boiler Calculator to estimate the cost of upgrading from a traditional to a modulating condensing boiler.
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How Much Does A Condensing Boiler Cost?
On average, homeowners report spending $6,500 to install a condensing boiler that will heat a 2,000 sq.ft. home. This cost estimate includes all materials and professional installation for a 90K BTU condensing boiler with 95% AFUE (boiler efficiency).
On the low-end of the price spectrum, a 90K BTU condensing boiler costs $5,680, while the same boiler can also cost as much as $8,730 to install in a 2,000 sq.ft. home.
High-efficiency condensing boilers costs vary based on your climate zone, the boiler brand, complexity of installation as well as local HVAC labor rates.
High Efficiency Boiler Cost Based On Climate Zone
The size of your condensing boiler, and consequently its costs will depend on the climate zone you live in.
For example, in warm states like Florida, Louisiana, Georgia and Texas, you only need a 60K BTU condensing boiler to heat a 2,000 sq.ft. house. Therefore the cost of this boiler will be lower than the national average: $5,150-7,910
By contrast, if you live in one of the cold states, like Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc, you will need a 110K BTU boiler that will cost $5,970 – 9,160.
Our Condensing Boiler Calculator takes into account the climate zone you live in, to provide you with the most accurate cost as well as boiler BTU size that you will need to heat your house.
Cost To Install Radiators
If you also need to install new radiators along with replacing your old boiler, your total boiler installation cost will increase.
PRO TIP: New radiators should be sized based on HEAT LOAD and heat loss of each room, and in accordance with Boiler’s max BTU/Heat output, using Manual-J or similar method.
Avoid plumbers / heating contractors who size new boilers / radiators based on what you “HAD THERE BEFORE”. In most cases the insulation and windows in your home improve (get upgraded) over time, which reduces the heat loss.If you have an oversized boiler / radiator system installed, it will result in efficiency loss, extra gas consumption, and boiler short-cycling, and will ultimately reduce boilers life span from expected 15 years, to as low as 7-10 years!
Installing baseboard radiators along with a condensing boiler in a 2,000 sq.ft. house costs about $11,910 – 18,280. Thus, baseboard radiators add anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 to the total boiler system cost.
Wall Radiators are a more expensive option. For a 2,000 sq.ft. house installing wall radiators together with a condensing boiler costs $14,340 to $22,010.
The most costly option is the installing steam radiators. With a condensing boiler, steam radiators cost $16,440 – $25,340
How Much Does It Cost To Heat Your Home With A Condensing Boiler?
Most condensing boiler run on Natural Gas, and some models can run on Propane (LP gas). Very few models of condensing boilers can run on heating oil, and those are usually larger commercial units.
As such, we will consider only Gas and Propane as fuels for operating costs comparison. We will use US average cost of Natural Gas at $1.69 / Therm and US average Propane cost of $2.70 / Gallon.
- Natural Gas has a heat content of 99976 BTUs/Therm or $16.904 per 1,000,000 BTUs
- Propane has a heat content of 91502 BTUs/Gallon or $29.507 per 1,000,000 BTUs
As we can see, generally Propane is about 57% more expensive than Natural Gas for the same amount of heat it can produce. However, there are many places in US where propane is much cheaper, and natural gas is not available.
Now let’s look at how much it would cost your to heat your home for the entire heating season based on home size. We will once again use US average Gas and Propane cost, and estimate provide heating cost for a hypothetical house with average level of insulation (13R in walls and 30R in the attic) with average amount of mid-grade double pane windows, and is located in Climate Region #3 – New Jersey/Maryland/Kentucky/Missouri/Kansas or similar climate.
| Home Size | Natural Gas | Propane / LP |
|---|---|---|
| 1500 s.f. | $1,181 | $2,060 |
| 1750 s.f. | $1,377 | $2,403 |
| 2000 s.f. | $1,573 | $2,749 |
| 2250 s.f. | $1,771 | $3,092 |
| 2500 s.f. | $1,967 | $3,434 |
| 2750 s.f. | $2,165 | $3,777 |
| 3000 s.f. | $2,361 | $4,120 |
| 3250 s.f. | $2,557 | $4,466 |
| 3500 s.f. | $2,755 | $4,809 |
It would cost about $262/mo (6-months heating season) an average 2000 square foot home with Natural Gas, and $458/mo with Propane.
While heating with propane is a LOT more expensive than natural gas – keep in mind that in the mid-west, propane is fairly “not as expensive” and US average (Nebraska / Oklahoma, etc). Also – most homeowners use propane out of necessity – lack of any other heating fuels readily available or reasonably priced.
Also if you are currently heating with propane, and your electricity costs $0.15-0.17/kWh or less, you should seriously consider switching to high efficiency ductless or central** heat pump, for heating of your whole house.
Same house with High Efficiency Ductless Heat Pump would cost only $1,488 to heat with a $0.17/kWh electricity rate. This is even cheaper than natural gas!
Is A Condensing Boiler Better Than A Combi Boiler?
Combi Boiler is essentially a Condensing Boiler + On Demand Water Heater in one unit. Most (but not all) Condensing Boilers are Combi Boilers.
In addition to providing heat, a Combi Boiler can also provide hot water on demand (like a tankless water heater). If this is something your house needs, than a combi boiler is a better option that a condensing boiler.
In terms of efficiency and energy savings, a combi boiler is just as efficient as a condensing boiler.
However – only one of these features can run at the same time, which could be a problem if you have extreme cold temperatures outside, and like to take very long showers. What happens is – as hot water production begins, home heating “pauses”. If you take an hour long shower – your home is not heated for a whole hour!
If you prefer to not have an on-demand hot water (e.g. you already have a hot water heater, or want to have a separate indirect hot water storage tank), it is best to pick a model without On Demand Water Heater, which is simpler and less likely to break.
Is A Condensing Boiler Worth It?
You may be wondering if its worth it to invest over a $1,500+ more into a condensing boiler compared to the cost of a traditional boiler.
For most homeowners who live in cold climates and spend a lot of money on heating costs, installing a condensing boiler is definitely a worthwhile upgrade.
If your current boiler is over 10 years old, you can be saving up to 20% on heating costs when you switch to a high efficiency condensing boiler. For a very old boiler that functions only at 50% efficiency, switching to a high-efficiency boiler can mean a 50% increase in monthly savings on heating costs.
Moreover, a condensing boiler is a lot more environmentally friendly compared to a conventional boiler. This is because a condensing boiler is designed to recapture most of the heat that is released as carbon dioxide by a conventional boiler. Consequently, running a condensing boiler is a lot less harmful to the environment.
