What home projects cost in your state
Typical installed prices from public data, with labor at your state's wages.
- Water heaterGas tank, 50 gallons$2,250$1,800 to $3,150
- Heat pumpDucted, 3 tons, SEER 16$15,700$8,800 to $22,500
- Gas furnace80,000 BTU/h, 96% AFUE$4,500$4,150 to $5,350
- Central AC3 tons, SEER 16$7,600$4,550 to $10,600
- Solar panels7.4 kW system, before incentives$34,200$26,000 to $44,700
How each estimate is built
Each calculator starts from the equipment price in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's cost database, which fits real retail and installation prices to the size and efficiency you choose. The labor part is then scaled to the median wage for that trade in your state, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and everything is converted to today's dollars with the Consumer Price Index.
Solar uses Berkeley Lab's prices for installed home systems, NREL's output model for your state and EIA's power prices. The methodology shows every formula and source.
What the estimates are not
They are not quotes. A contractor who sees your house can price what a database cannot: old venting, a full electrical panel, tight access or local permit rules. Use the estimate to know what is normal, then get two or three written quotes for the same equipment.