Furnace installation in Tiburon usually means a replacement: the old furnace sits in a garage, an attic, a closet or under the house, and the question is what should take its place. With fog and breezes off the water keeping houses cool most evenings, the furnace logs a lot of hours here, so efficiency, quiet operation and even heat in every room pay off for years. The cottages near the downtown shops and the large homes on the hills raise different questions, and we plan each installation around the house it goes into.
80% or 95%: the venting decides as much as the budget
A standard 80% AFUE furnace vents through a metal flue, often the same one the old furnace used. A condensing furnace at 95% or more is more efficient, but it vents through plastic pipe, which can run out a side wall, and it produces condensate water that needs a drain. In a garage or a crawlspace that is usually simple. In a closet in the middle of a two-story house it can mean a long vent route, and that changes the price and sometimes the choice.
One detail that catches people out: when a furnace and a gas water heater share a flue and the furnace switches to plastic venting, the water heater can be left on a flue that is now too large for it. We check for this and include the fix in the quote, so the water heater keeps venting safely.
Large homes: blowers, long duct runs and zoning
Big hillside and waterfront houses often have long duct runs, several levels and rooms that warm up at different rates. A furnace with a variable-speed blower moves air gently and quietly for long periods instead of in loud bursts, which helps the far rooms catch up and keeps bedrooms quiet at night. Where one thermostat cannot keep every level comfortable, zoning with motorized dampers lets each area call for heat on its own. Some homes are better off with two smaller furnaces than with one large one; the load calculation tells us which.
Radiant floors and mixed systems
Some Tiburon homes have hydronic radiant floors in part of the house, heated by a boiler, and forced air in the rest. A furnace replacement in that kind of home covers the forced-air side, while the radiant system keeps its own boiler and controls. If you are rethinking the whole heating setup, a heat pump is worth comparing, especially if central air is also on the wish list.
What the price depends on
Furnace installation typically costs $3,500–10,000. Standard 80% AFUE furnaces start around $3,500–5,000, and high-efficiency 95%+ models run $5,000–10,000. Within those ranges, the main factors are the efficiency level, the venting route, the location (an attic or crawlspace takes more labor than a garage), duct changes and zoning. Financing is available with approved credit.
How the installation runs
- Home assessment: the current furnace, venting, gas line, ducts and a load calculation.
- Recommendation: furnace options that fit the house and your budget.
- Detailed quote: complete pricing, with no hidden costs.
- Installation: removal of the old furnace, new venting and drain where needed, and connection to the existing ducts.
- Safety testing: gas pressure, combustion, temperature rise, venting and a carbon monoxide check before we leave.
If your current furnace might still be repairable, start with heating repair in Tiburon. For equipment and efficiency details, see our furnace installation page; the Tiburon service area page covers the rest of our work on the peninsula.