The two published ranges
| Source | Propane furnace, installed |
|---|---|
| Fixr, January 2026 | $3,000 to $8,000, average $4,800 |
| Bob Vila, January 2024 | $3,700 to $14,200 |
$6,200 between the two top ends, our subtraction. The bottoms are within $700 of each other, so the disagreement is entirely about how expensive this can get.
Our reading, marked as ours. A gap that appears only at the top usually means one publisher is counting work the other leaves out. Fixr's own page names what that work is, and it is on the next section of this page. We would plan from Fixr's $4,800 for a like-for-like replacement, and treat Bob Vila's $14,200 as the number to expect if any of the extras below apply.
The costs the headline leaves out
This is the part that makes propane different from gas or electric, and Fixr names all three:
The tank. If there is no propane tank on the property, one has to be installed, and a whole-home tank costs $600 to $2,500. No furnace guide includes that in its headline range.
The lines. Fixr lists replacing propane lines as a factor that raises the price, alongside tight utility closets with little room to work.
The conversion. Changing from one fuel source to another is named as its own cost driver.
Our arithmetic, marked as ours. Take Fixr's $4,800 average and add a tank at the middle of its band, about $1,550, and you are at roughly $6,350 before any line work. Add line replacement and a conversion and Bob Vila's $14,200 stops looking like a different market and starts looking like the same job with the preparation included.
What size, and the rule hiding in the table
| Home size | Furnace size (BTUs) | Average cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | 30,000 to 60,000 | $2,000 to $4,500 |
| 1,500 sq ft | 45,000 to 90,000 | $2,500 to $5,500 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 60,000 to 120,000 | $3,500 to $7,500 |
| 2,500 sq ft | 75,000 to 150,000 | $4,000 to $8,500 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 90,000 to 180,000 | $4,500 to $9,500 |
Our arithmetic, marked as ours. The BTU column is 30 to 60 BTU per square foot in every row, so that half of the table is one rule with the multiplication already done. It is the fourth time we have found this pattern, after the radiant floor, furnace and electric furnace pages.
It is also a very wide rule. A 2,000 square foot house is told it needs somewhere between 60,000 and 120,000 BTU, a factor of two. Our reading: a table that doubles its own answer is not a sizing method, it is a bracket, and the real figure comes from a heat-loss calculation. Our sizing page sets out what that calculation is on the cooling side and why the rules of thumb drift.
One small thing on the same table: the 3,000 square foot row prints a dollar sign in front of its upper BTU figure, in a column that is not money. A typo rather than a price, and we mention it only because we read these tables closely enough to notice.
Efficiency and type
| AFUE rating | Replacement cost |
|---|---|
| 80 to 90% | $2,000 to $6,000 |
| Above 90% | $3,000 to $8,000 |
| Furnace type | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Single-stage | $2,000 to $4,600 |
| Two-stage | $3,500 to $6,500 |
| Multi-stage | $4,500 to $9,000 |
Our arithmetic. Moving from the lower efficiency band to the higher one adds about $1,000 to $2,000 at either end. Whether that pays back depends on your propane price and how long you keep the house, and neither source gives you a figure for it. Our gas furnace page makes the same point about the equivalent decision on natural gas.
Where propane sits among the fuels
Bob Vila's table, from the same guide:
| Fuel | Installed range |
|---|---|
| Electric | $2,000 to $7,000 |
| Propane | $3,700 to $14,200 |
| Natural gas | $3,800 to $10,000 |
| Oil | $6,750 to $10,000 |
Something worth noticing. On Bob Vila's own numbers, propane has the highest top end of any fuel. This Old House, on a different guide, calls oil the most expensive. The two publishers do not agree on which fuel costs most, because they are describing different ends of the distribution: oil has the highest floor, propane the highest ceiling.
Our conclusion, marked as ours. Propane is the fuel with the widest spread, and the spread is almost entirely about infrastructure. If the tank and the lines are already there, it prices like natural gas. If they are not, it is the most expensive heating fuel to start from scratch. Our oil furnace page, gas furnace page and electric furnace page cover the alternatives, and our furnace page has the overall picture.
Before you get quotes
- Ask whether a tank is included. At $600 to $2,500 it is the single biggest thing missing from the published ranges.
- Ask whether the existing propane lines are being reused. Replacement is named as a cost driver on Fixr's own page.
- If you are converting from another fuel, say so when you ask for a price. It is a different job from a replacement.
- Get the heat-loss calculation, not the square-footage bracket. The published table allows a factor of two in BTU for the same house.
- Ask for the AFUE figure and the price at both bands. About $1,000 to $2,000 separates them.
Sources
- Fixr, How Much Does Propane Furnace Installation Cost?, updated January 12, 2026 (the $3,000 to $8,000 range and $4,800 average, the tables by house size, AFUE rating and furnace type, the tank cost, and the notes on line replacement and fuel conversion)
- Bob Vila, How Much Does Furnace Replacement Cost?, updated January 31, 2024 (the $3,700 to $14,200 propane range and the full fuel comparison table)
Price figures are national US ranges from the sources above as of the date shown. Your local price depends on labor rates, permits and site conditions. Read how we get our numbers.