How much a new furnace really costs in Bridgeport, and why quotes differ

The published ranges, and what they include

Statewide cost guides published in 2026 put a gas furnace replacement in Connecticut at roughly $3,500 to $8,000 installed. Another Connecticut contractor's guide puts the typical range at $4,500 to $8,000. Oil furnaces run higher, roughly $3,800 to $10,000 in national figures, because the burner and venting cost more.

Those numbers usually include the furnace, standard labor, connecting to existing ducts and gas, removal of the old unit and a permit. They usually do not include duct changes, a chimney liner, electrical upgrades or a new air conditioning coil, which is where most of the gap between two quotes comes from.

Efficiency: 80 percent or 96 percent

An 80 percent furnace vents into the existing chimney and costs less to buy. A 96 percent condensing furnace needs two PVC pipes through the sidewall and a condensate drain, but burns noticeably less gas each winter. In a Bridgeport heating season that runs from fall into spring, the higher-efficiency unit usually pays back over its life, though not always in a small or well-insulated house.

There is also a knock-on cost. If a water heater shares the chimney with the old furnace, moving the furnace to sidewall venting can leave the water heater alone in a flue that is now too large, and it may need a liner. A good quote checks that on the first visit rather than after.

Size is decided by a load calculation, not the old unit

Many furnaces coming out of older Bridgeport houses are oversized. A quote that simply matches the old nameplate repeats that mistake, and an oversized furnace short cycles, wears out sooner and heats unevenly. Ask whether the contractor ran a room-by-room load calculation. If the answer is no, the size on the quote is a guess.

Ducts: the biggest variable

Connecticut homes built before 1975 often have ducts that are undersized or leaking, and published guides put the cost of fixing that during a system replacement at $1,500 to $5,000. Smaller changes, such as adding a return or resizing a trunk, often run $500 to $2,000. A contractor who measures static pressure can tell you whether your ducts need work. One who does not measure is either skipping it or will find out on install day.

You do not always need duct work. Plenty of Bridgeport houses have ducts that are fine for a new furnace. The point is to know before you sign.

Permits, access and timing

Furnace installs in Connecticut towns need a permit and an inspection. In Milford, for example, permit fees usually run $100 to $300. Access matters too: a furnace at the bottom of steep, narrow basement stairs takes longer to remove and set. And timing affects the experience more than the price. Replacing a furnace in spring or early fall means no one is waiting in a cold house while you compare quotes.