Fix the unit you have, or replace it?

Chosen when: Do you smell gas, or is a carbon monoxide alarm sounding: Yes, or I am not sure

If you smell gas or a carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, get everyone outside into fresh air now and call 911 from outside. For a gas smell, then call your utility: the DTE gas leak hotline is (800) 947-5000, Consumers Energy is 800-477-5050, SEMCO is 888-427-1427 and Michigan Gas Utilities is 800-401-6451. Do not look for the leak, and do not use switches, phones or flames inside. Do not go back in until responders or the utility say it is safe. The number (800) 477-4747 is DTE's electric and customer service line, not its gas emergency line.

Try first: Leave first. The repair question can wait until you are outside and safe.

Stop and call someone if: Anyone feels dizzy, has a headache or feels sick while an alarm is sounding: tell the 911 call-taker.

Emergency HVAC · Carbon monoxide alarms and your furnace: what Michigan sources advise

Chosen when: What is the equipment: Heat pump

ENERGY STAR says that if your HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old or not keeping the house comfortable, you should have it evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor. The line applies to heat pumps like everything else, and it is no lifespan. In Michigan the cold adds a question: ENERGY STAR cold-climate heat pumps are tested down to 5 F, and the agency advises pairing a heat pump with a backup heat source at lower temperatures. If yours struggles in a cold snap, ask the evaluator whether the trouble is the unit, its size or the backup heat before you pay for a major repair. A heat pump replacement is not on LARA's permit exemption list, so it likely needs a permit; ask who will pull it.

Try first: Note the outdoor temperature when it struggles, and tell the contractor.

Stop and call someone if: A repair quote for a major component arrives with no diagnosis of why it failed.

Heat pump installation · Heat pumps in Michigan winters: what the sources say about cold

Chosen when: What does the repair quote cover: I have no quote yet

With nothing to weigh yet, the useful step is a diagnosis. Ask the contractor what failed, whether the fix is a part or a major component, and to write both down. For anything past a simple part, ask for the replacement option on the same visit, so you compare two numbers from one person. ENERGY STAR's age line applies either way: equipment more than 10 years old or not keeping the house comfortable should be evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor. Come back to this tool when you have the quote in hand, and ask to see the failed part if it was removed.

Try first: Ask what failed, in writing, before any work starts.

Stop and call someone if: You are asked to approve a major repair on the phone with no written description.

Furnace repair · What furnace repair costs in Michigan, and what we can and cannot tell you

Chosen when: How old is it: 10 years or more; What does the repair quote cover: A major component

ENERGY STAR's age line says equipment more than 10 years old should be evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor, and a major component on such a unit is the moment to ask for a replacement price on the same visit. The trade's age-times-quote rule of thumb: multiply the unit's age in years by the repair quote in dollars; a total above 5,000 is where many contractors start to talk about replacing. It is a rule of thumb, not a standard; we found no government or manufacturer source for it. Worked example with made-up numbers: a 15 year old unit and a quote of $900 gives 15 x 900 = 13,500, well above 5,000, while the same quote on a 5 year old unit gives 4,500, below it. A replacement in Michigan involves a permit: LARA's exemption list names portable equipment, window air conditioners of not more than 1.5 hp and a few others, and furnaces, central air conditioners and heat pumps are not on it, so we infer a permit applies; ask who will pull it, and ask for the contractor's license number to check on the LARA lookup. On efficiency, the federal floor for a new gas furnace is 80% AFUE (10 CFR 430.32), while ENERGY STAR requires 97% or more for a furnace in the northern states, which includes Michigan; ENERGY STAR gas boilers are 90% AFUE, and a new split central air conditioner must meet 13.4 SEER2 and a split heat pump 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2. Rebates exist but change: DTE and Consumers Energy list amounts by efficiency tier, and DTE shows a Limited Funds Available banner (checked Oct 19, 2026). The federal credit ended for 2026 installs per the IRS. The rebate and tax-credit finder has each program with its date.

Try first: Ask for the repair price and the replacement price in writing from the same contractor.

Stop and call someone if: A replacement is pushed with no diagnosis and no written repair option.

Furnace replacement · What a new furnace costs in Michigan, and what we can and cannot tell you

Chosen when: How old is it: 10 years or more; What does the repair quote cover: A part and a visit

A part and a visit is the kind of repair that can be reasonable on older equipment. The age line from ENERGY STAR still applies: equipment more than 10 years old should be evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor, so use the visit to ask them to look over the rest of the system and to say what else they see wearing. The trade's age-times-quote rule of thumb: multiply the unit's age in years by the repair quote in dollars; a total above 5,000 is where many contractors start to talk about replacing. It is a rule of thumb, not a standard; we found no government or manufacturer source for it. Use your own numbers. Worked example with made-up numbers: a 12 year old unit and a quote of $400 gives 12 x 400 = 4,800, below 5,000, so the rule would not yet point to replacement. If the same fault comes back, or a second part fails, move to the second-opinion path and ask for a replacement price. ENERGY STAR also recommends annual pre-season check-ups, heating in fall and cooling in spring, so ask whether the visit can double as one.

Try first: Ask the contractor to name the part and list the labor separately.

Stop and call someone if: The part is replaced and the same symptom returns within the season.

Furnace repair · What furnace repair costs in Michigan, and what we can and cannot tell you

Chosen when: How old is it: Under 10 years; What does the repair quote cover: A major component

Equipment under 10 years old is below the age at which ENERGY STAR suggests an evaluation, so a quote for a major component on it deserves a second look before anyone talks about replacing. Ask a second company to diagnose the problem independently. Wording that works: "I have a quote to replace the major component. Could you diagnose it yourself and write down what failed, what you would do and why? I am not asking you to match anyone's price." Ask each company to name the failed part and to show it to you, and read any warranty on the unit and the part yourself before agreeing to pay. The trade's age-times-quote rule of thumb: multiply the unit's age in years by the repair quote in dollars; a total above 5,000 is where many contractors start to talk about replacing. It is a rule of thumb, not a standard; we found no government or manufacturer source for it. With a young unit the product is usually small, which is one reason the rule is not a reason to replace by itself.

Try first: Ask the first contractor for the written diagnosis, then send it to a second company.

Stop and call someone if: The first contractor will not put the diagnosis in writing or will not name the failed part.

Furnace repair · What furnace repair costs in Michigan, and what we can and cannot tell you

Chosen when: How old is it: Under 10 years; What does the repair quote cover: A part and a visit

A part and a visit on equipment under 10 years old gives no age reason to look further, so repair is the straightforward path. Ask the contractor to name the part, to list parts and labor on separate lines, and whether any warranty on the unit or the part still applies. ENERGY STAR recommends annual pre-season check-ups, heating in fall and cooling in spring, and a heating check includes the gas connections, burner combustion and heat exchanger, so a repair visit is a good time to ask about one. If the same fault returns, treat it as a new question and come back with the next quote.

Try first: Ask for the part name and a written description of the fault.

Stop and call someone if: The same fault returns, or the quote grows into a major component.

Furnace repair · What furnace repair costs in Michigan, and what we can and cannot tell you

Chosen when: Any other answers

Everything here turns on the age, so find it first. The data plate on the unit often shows a date or a serial number, and the contractor can read it for you. ENERGY STAR says equipment more than 10 years old or not keeping the house comfortable should be evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor, so a major repair quote on a unit of unknown age is a reason to pause. The trade's age-times-quote rule of thumb: multiply the unit's age in years by the repair quote in dollars; a total above 5,000 is where many contractors start to talk about replacing. It is a rule of thumb, not a standard; we found no government or manufacturer source for it. It needs the age, so it cannot be used until you have it. Ask for the repair price and the replacement price in writing, and ask who will pull the permit if the job becomes a replacement.

Try first: Photograph the data plate and send it to the contractor.

Stop and call someone if: No one can find the age and a major repair is pushed anyway.

Furnace replacement · What a new furnace costs in Michigan, and what we can and cannot tell you