Three situations, three different first calls
A gas smell goes to the gas utility. DTE says to leave the area, call 911 from a safe place and then call its gas leak hotline, and not to look for the leak or use appliances, doorbells, switches or phones inside. Consumers Energy gives the same order, 911 first, then 800-477-5050. A carbon monoxide alarm goes to 911, as DTE, Consumers Energy and Michigan Gas Utilities all say. Only the third case, no heat with no smell and no alarm, is a call to a heating company.
What emergency HVAC repair costs in Michigan
Our estimate for this job in Michigan is $120 to $285 per hour of labor, before any call-out fee. It is a model, not a quote, built from one national published cost range, widened by 15 percent each side, and adjusted by Michigan's wage ratio to the US (1.00).
The prices Michigan heating and cooling companies post on their own sites are what we are gathering, and they will show up here, with a company count and a read date, once there are enough. The table meanwhile shows technician wages, which are pay, not prices. The furnace repair cost guide explains what moves a bill.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $120 to $285 per hour of labor, before any call-out fee | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan HVAC technician wage ratio (1.00). |
| Technician wage, Michigan mean | $31.01 an hour | Technician pay (BLS, May 2025), not a price. |
| Technician wage, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn mean | $32.06 an hour | Technician pay, not a price. |
| Technician wage, Grand Rapids-Kentwood mean | $30.86 an hour | Technician pay, not a price. |
| Furnace replacement permit, Grand Rapids | $21 plus a $52 application | If the repair becomes a replacement. Effective July 1, 2026. |
How we estimate costs: the figures here are estimates, not quotes, built from BLS wages, published city permit fees and federal energy-cost evidence. We are collecting the prices Michigan heating and cooling companies publish; we have not yet collected quotes from them, and we will say how many and from when once we do. Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Michigan's HVAC technician wage ratio to the US (1.00, BLS May 2025), plus the local permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. We have too few Michigan company prices yet to show a range. Full method. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
Gas emergency numbers for Michigan's utilities
DTE's gas leak hotline is (800) 947-5000. Consumers Energy is 800-477-5050, SEMCO is 888-427-1427 (its page does not mention 911 first, so call both) and Michigan Gas Utilities is 800-401-6451. Your gas bill names your utility. In Detroit the MPSC territory data points mostly to DTE Gas, though the utility maps are sampled and border streets need an address check.
When the carbon monoxide alarm sounds
Get everyone into fresh air, call 911, and stay out until first responders or the utility say it is safe. SEMCO lists headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness as symptoms, which resemble the flu without a fever. Michigan's Bureau of Fire Services advises a working carbon monoxide alarm on every level, which is advice, not code text. In a power outage, Consumers Energy says never to run a generator, grill or camp stove inside a home, basement or garage or near a window. See the carbon monoxide guide.
No heat, no smell, no alarm
Run the checks in the list below, then call a company and ask for its license number and class; Michigan requires a mechanical contractor's license to service heating equipment, and you can check it on the LARA license lookup. Our furnace repair page covers what a visit involves, and the cold snap guide covers the first night. If you are away from the house in winter, the State of Michigan advises keeping the thermostat at 55 degrees or higher, and says pipes in crawl spaces and attics freeze first.
If the gas or electric has been shut off for unpaid bills, the MPSC runs winter protections: a plan for income-qualified customers and one for customers 65 and older cover November 1 to March 31, and medical protections give a 21-day hold. Read the winter shutoff guide before you assume the heat is gone for good.
Signing a repair contract under pressure
Under Michigan's Home Solicitation Sales Act, a buyer may cancel a sale solicited and agreed at home until midnight of the third business day. There is no cancellation right when you ask for the work to begin without delay because of an emergency and the statute's conditions are met. Our reading is that the act covers sales a seller solicits at your door, not a company you phoned yourself. Whatever the case, ask for the price in writing first.
What counts as an emergency
- You smell gas: leave, call 911 and your gas utility from outside.
- A carbon monoxide alarm sounds or several people feel flu-like without a fever.
- No heat but the house is not yet cold, with no smell and no alarm: check the thermostat and filter, then book a visit.
- A noisy furnace that still heats.
Answer these before anything else. They take about ten seconds.
- Do you smell gas, or is a carbon monoxide alarm sounding? Leave the house, then call 911, then your gas utility's emergency number printed on your bill; our state pages list the numbers.
- Is there no heat while it is below freezing outside, or is an older person or an infant at home?
- Is there no cooling during a heat advisory?
- Is water leaking around the unit, or does a breaker keep tripping?
- Is there a burning or electrical smell from the vents or the unit?
Yes to the first question: leave the house and call 911 and then your gas utility from outside. Yes to any of questions 2 to 5: use the form with Emergency ticked, and switch off the unit if you smell burning.
Checks while you wait
- Set the thermostat to heat, above the room temperature, with fresh batteries if it takes them.
- Change or clean the filter; ENERGY STAR says monthly.
- Note any light pattern or code on the furnace and stop; do not remove panels or relight after any gas smell.
Permits when the repair becomes a replacement
LARA's permit rule excepts replacement of minor parts, so an emergency part swap generally needs none. Replacing the furnace does, and the contractor secures it: see furnace replacement and the mechanical permit guide. Our reading of LARA's exemption list is that a furnace is not on it.
Ask for the license number and check it with your state's licensing board before any work starts. Our state pages link the lookup.
- Grand Rapids mechanical permit fee schedule Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MCL 339.5809 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA: Find / Verify a Licensed Professional or Business Read Oct 19, 2026. Our reading of the source, not something it states outright. Confirm before you rely on it.
- LARA BCC: Mechanical Permit Information Read Oct 19, 2026.
A tool for this job
Repair or replace, by age and quote
If you smell gas or a carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, leave first. Otherwise four taps give a direction based on the one age fact we could source: ENERGY STAR says equipment more than 10 years old, or not keeping the house comfortable, should be evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor. It marks when to get an evaluation and gives no lifespan, and the tool asks for and prints no prices.
Open the toolQuestions people ask
What counts as an emergency HVAC repair?
Those go to 911 and your gas utility first. A furnace that has stopped in freezing weather is urgent but is a call to a heating company once you are sure there is no smell and no alarm.
What should I do if I smell gas near my furnace?
DTE and Consumers Energy both say 911 first. Do not look for the source or use switches, appliances or phones inside, and stay out until responders or the utility say it is safe.
Can I cancel a repair contract signed during an emergency?
Michigan law lets a buyer cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day, but not when you request the work without delay because of an emergency and the conditions are met. It covers sales solicited at your home, which is our reading of the statute.
Will the utility shut off my heat in winter?
The MPSC lists a plan for income-qualified customers and protection for customers 65 and older, plus medical and critical care holds. Contact your utility to confirm eligibility. See the winter shutoff guide.
Should every floor have a carbon monoxide alarm?
The Bureau of Fire Services advises a working carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home. That is advice, not a code citation; we found no Michigan statute for existing homes. Ann Arbor does require carbon monoxide detection in rental properties.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers (SOC 49-9021), Michigan statewide Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DTE Energy: Natural Gas Emergency Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Consumers Energy: Emergencies Read Oct 19, 2026.
- SEMCO Energy Gas: Gas Leaks and Emergencies Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Michigan Gas Utilities: Emergencies Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DTE Energy: Home Safety (gas) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Consumers Energy: Carbon Monoxide Read Oct 19, 2026.
- SEMCO Energy Gas: Carbon Monoxide Information Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA BFS: Fire Safe Michigander Resources Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MPSC Natural Gas Utility Service Areas feature layer (State of Michigan) + City and Township Boundaries layer Read Oct 19, 2026. Our reading of the source, not something it states outright. Confirm before you rely on it.
- MPSC: Help for Utility Customers Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MiReady: Preventing Frozen Pipes (michigan.gov) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MCL 445.112 and 445.111 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- ENERGY STAR: Maintenance Checklist Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Rental Housing | City of Ann Arbor Read Oct 19, 2026.
- HVACMatch: how we estimate costs (editorial policy) Read Oct 19, 2026.