- #furnace-companies
- #choosing-a-contractor
- #gas-permit
- #door-to-door-sales
- #furnace-rental
- #edmonton
Quick answer: Choose a furnace company in Edmonton that sends a certified gasfitter, pulls the gas permit on every replacement, sizes the furnace from a heat loss calculation, and gives you a written quote with model numbers and everything included before any work starts. Avoid anyone who knocks on your door, pressures you to sign that day, or skips the permit.
Edmonton has a lot of furnace companies, and most of them do honest work. The problem is that a furnace is something most people buy two or three times in their lives, usually in a hurry, often in the cold. This guide is the checklist a technician would give a friend.
Start with the trades: who is allowed to do the work
In Alberta, gasfitter is a compulsory certified trade. Gas work on a furnace, a hot water tank or a gas line has to be done by a certified gasfitter, or by an apprentice working under one. Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic is also a compulsory certified trade, so anyone charging, recovering or repairing refrigerant on an AC or heat pump must hold that certification.
That gives you your first two questions for any company:
- Who will actually be doing the work in my house, and what trade certification do they hold?
- If it’s an AC or heat pump job, who handles the refrigerant side?
A straight answer is a good sign. Vague answers about “our guys” are not.
The gas permit is not optional
A furnace or hot water tank replacement in Edmonton needs a gas permit. The contractor pulls it through the City of Edmonton, or through the surrounding municipality or its accredited agency if you live outside the city, and the work is inspected. Places like St. Albert have their own permit office, so a contractor working there should know the local process. New ductwork or a new system may also need an HVAC or mechanical permit, and an AC or heat pump install typically needs electrical work under a permit. The contractor pulls the permits the job needs.
Why it matters to you: the inspection is an independent check on the venting, the gas piping and the installation. Skipping it also leaves you without a record that the work was inspected. If a company offers a lower price to “skip the permit”, you’ve learned what you need to know about them.
What a written quote should include
Every quote should be in writing, and the price confirmed before any work starts. For a replacement, compare quotes line by line:
| Item | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Furnace make and model | The actual model number, not “high-efficiency furnace” |
| Size and efficiency | Output (BTU) and AFUE; all new gas furnaces sold in Canada are at least 90% |
| Single-stage, two-stage or modulating | Affects comfort, noise and price |
| How it was sized | Based on a heat loss calculation, not the old furnace’s label |
| Venting | New PVC intake and exhaust, termination location, clearances |
| Orphaned water heater | Chimney liner, power-vent tank or re-vent if the furnace leaves the chimney |
| Gas permit and inspection | Named on the quote |
| Thermostat | Included or not, and which model |
| Condensate drain | Where it goes, and how it’s protected from freezing |
| Removal and disposal | Old furnace hauled away |
| Warranty terms | Manufacturer’s parts warranty and the contractor’s labour terms, written out |
| Payment terms | Deposit, balance, any financing terms |
Typical Edmonton ranges for 2026: a single-stage 95–96% AFUE furnace installed as a straight swap runs $4,800–$7,500, two-stage or modulating 96–98% runs $6,500–$11,000, and the venting conversion extras for an orphaned tank run $400–$1,500. Your price is confirmed in writing before any work starts. The full list is on the pricing page, and how much a new furnace costs in Edmonton walks through each line.
Sizing: ask how they got the number
The most common installation mistake is an oversized furnace. A furnace that’s too big heats the house in short bursts, short-cycles, runs louder, wears out faster and leaves rooms uneven. The typical service life of a furnace here is 15 to 20 years, shorter if it was oversized and short-cycled.
The old furnace’s size is not a good guide. Many Edmonton homes have had new windows, added insulation or a finished basement since the original furnace went in. A proper quote is based on a heat loss calculation for the house as it is now: the walls, windows, insulation, air tightness and the rooms being heated. Ask whether one was done. If the answer is “same size as the old one”, ask why.
The orphaned water heater question
If you live in a 1950s to 1980s home with a chimney-vented furnace and a natural-draft hot water tank, this matters. A new high-efficiency furnace vents through PVC pipes in the side wall, which can leave the hot water tank alone in a chimney that’s now too big for it, where it may not draft properly. The fix is a chimney liner, a power-vent tank or re-venting. A good quote deals with it. A cheap quote that ignores it isn’t cheaper once the fix gets added.
Red flags
These are the signs to walk away:
- Someone at your door selling a furnace. Since 1 March 2019, Alberta has banned door-to-door sales of energy-related home products, including furnaces, air conditioners and hot water tanks. Anyone knocking to sell you one, or offering a “free inspection” at the door that ends in a contract, is breaking the rule. Don’t let them in, and don’t sign anything at the door.
- Pressure to sign today, with a price that only lasts until they leave.
- Scare tactics without evidence. A cracked heat exchanger is a real and serious finding, and it usually does mean replacement, but you should be shown where it is: a photo, a camera image, or the crack itself. Ask for a second opinion if it’s not clear.
- No written quote, or a one-line quote with no model number.
- No permit, or an offer to skip it.
- A replacement pitch for a small repair. A $300 igniter on a 12-year-old furnace is a repair, not a reason for a new furnace. See repair or replace your furnace for how to tell the difference.
- Large cash deposits before any equipment is ordered.
Rental and lease contracts: read every page
Some homeowners rent or lease a furnace or hot water tank instead of buying one. The contract is what decides whether that works out, so read it before you sign, not years later. Before you sign a rental or lease, get answers in writing:
- What is the total you’ll pay over the full term, including any increases?
- What is the buyout price, and how does it change over time?
- What happens when you sell the house? Does the buyer have to take over the contract?
- Does the contract register anything against your property title?
- Who pays for repairs and maintenance, and what’s excluded?
- Can you cancel, and at what cost?
Compare the total against buying outright or financing a purchase. If the salesperson won’t leave you a copy to read at the kitchen table, don’t sign.
Reading reviews critically
Online reviews help, but read them with some care:
- Detailed reviews that describe a specific job, a named problem and how it was handled carry more weight than a star rating.
- Read the negative reviews, and how the company replied. A calm, specific reply is a good sign.
- A sudden burst of short five-star reviews in a few weeks is worth noticing.
- Reviews tell you about communication and service. They don’t tell you whether the permit was pulled or the furnace was sized properly. That’s what the quote is for.
For repairs, not just replacements
Most of these rules apply to repair calls too. A good repair visit starts with a diagnostic fee you know in advance, typically $129–$199 in Edmonton during regular hours, and $199–$349 for an after-hours, weekend or holiday no-heat call. The technician should tell you what failed, show you the part, and give you the price before fixing it. The emergency furnace repair and furnace replacement pages lay out what that looks like, and a yearly furnace tune-up is a low-stakes way to see how a company works before you need them in January.
What to do next
When you’re comparing companies, ask the same questions of each one and hold them to the same written quote. If you’d like us to be one of the quotes, request a visit. Replacement quotes are free and written, with the model, sizing, venting, permit and warranty terms spelled out, and the honest answer if your furnace is worth one more repair instead.
