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Furnace and heat strip repair in the Tampa Bay outer ring

We cannot price a furnace or heat strip repair from our data, but we can show that 91 percent of ring homes heat with electricity.

36-second explainer. Safe checks before calling about no heat, and what stays with a licensed pro.Stock footage via Pexels. Music: “Summer84” by Neon NiteClub (Jamendo, CC BY-SA). All credits.
Gloved hand using a wrench on metal ducting
Stock photo, not our work. Photo by AR Abnoy via Pexels.

At a glance

Reported price
Not pricedtoo few reports to quote one
Licensed businesses
820in 14 Tampa Bay cities
DIY checks to try first
2troubleshooting guides
Utility rebate programs
2that apply to this job

Licenses: FL DBPR construction licensee extract (CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv), retrieved 2026-10-05.

What it costs

Homeowner-reported prices related to furnace and heat strip repair
  1. Furnace replacement, all U.S. reports (not Florida, not a repair) N = 58
    $7,320 $5,400–$11,000
    Furnace replacement, all U.S. reports (not Florida, not a repair): median $7,320, middle half $5,400 to $11,000, 58 reports

Reported price, U.S. dollars

Source for every price on this page: HVACPro analysis of homeowner-reported quotes and invoices in public Reddit posts, 2025-01-01 to 2026-09-29. Repair figures are U.S.-wide; only rows marked Florida are Florida. The posts do not always say what a price included, and people who post are not a random sample. N is the number of quotes behind each figure.

This row is the price of replacing a furnace nationwide, not a repair, and it is not limited to Florida. We have no repair reports for furnaces or heat strips, so there are too few reports to price either one.

HVACPro analysis of 58 homeowner-reported quotes and invoices in public Reddit posts, 2025-01-01 to 2026-09-29 (first row).

Show the prices as a table
Homeowner-reported prices related to furnace and heat strip repair
JobMedianMiddle halfReports (N)
Furnace replacement, all U.S. reports (not Florida, not a repair)$7,320$5,400 to $11,00058

What the job is and when you need it

Stock photo, not our work. Photo by Bingqian Li via Pexels.

Most ring homes are heated by electricity, not gas. The Census ACS counts 91 percent as heated with electricity, 6 percent with utility gas and 1 percent with propane (Census ACS). The Census does not say whether electric heat is a heat pump or electric resistance strips, but Duke Energy Florida pays a rebate specifically for replacing strip heat with a heat pump, so strips are common enough to have their own utility program.

If you have a gas furnace, the safety issue is carbon monoxide. The EPA recommends having fuel-burning appliances inspected by a trained professional at the beginning of every heating season, and says a CO alarm is not a replacement for proper maintenance (EPA carbon monoxide).

ENERGY STAR's heating checklist adds gas connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and the heat exchanger (ENERGY STAR checklist). ENERGY STAR's replacement age for a furnace is more than 15 years (ENERGY STAR replacement guide).

If you have strips inside an air handler, heat is an electric load: a strip fails by not heating, and the breaker may trip when it does. Heating degree days in the ring are only 434 to 676 a year (NOAA normals), so ask a technician to test the heat before the first cold night, not after it.

Detailed view of a glowing electric heating element with a coiled structure emitting heat
Stock photo, not our work. Photo by Zulfugar Karimov via Pexels.
Close-up of an outdoor thermometer against a frosty winter backdrop
Stock photo, not our work. Photo by Ivan Babydov via Pexels.

Where this job sits in the system

Furnace and heat strip repair: the parts this job touches
Furnace and heat strip repair: the parts this job touchesA cross-section of a house. Indoors: a wall thermostat, an indoor unit in a closet with an air filter, blower and evaporator coil, supply ducts in the attic with ceiling vents, a condensate drain line that exits through the wall, and a breaker panel. Outdoors: the condenser unit on a pad, joined to the indoor unit by two refrigerant lines and fed through a disconnect box. Highlighted on this page: Indoor unit: blower and evaporator coil; Breaker panel and outdoor disconnect.
  1. ThermostatThe wall control. It tells the system when to run.
  2. Air filterCatches dust before the air reaches the blower and coil.
  3. Indoor unit: blower and evaporator coil on this pageThe blower moves the air; the cold coil cools it.
  4. Ducts and ventsCarry cooled air to the rooms and bring return air back.
  5. Condensate drain line, pan and float switchCarries off the water the coil pulls out of the air.
  6. Outdoor unit: compressor, fan and condenser coilMoves the heat from your house to the outdoors.
  7. Breaker panel and outdoor disconnect on this pageThe power feed to the system, and its local shut-off.
  8. Refrigerant linesTwo copper lines that link the indoor coil to the outdoor unit.

Simplified drawing, not to scale. Real systems vary: the indoor unit can sit in an attic or closet, the ducts can run in the attic or under the floor. Electric heat strips sit inside the indoor unit. Original illustration, not a photo.

Doing the math

Furnace replacement reported a national median $7,320 (58 reports; middle half $5,400 to $11,000), but that is not a Florida figure. Heat pump replacement reported $13,450, which includes the cooling side. If your electric heat is strips and your AC is aging, price a heat pump: one outdoor unit and one air handler cover both.

Check these yourself first

For an electric system, the free checks are the thermostat mode and batteries and the breaker for the air handler. For a gas furnace, check the thermostat and the breaker or switch at the furnace, and stop there.

High-quality image showcasing a close-up view of three alkaline batteries on a white surface
Stock photo, not our work. Photo by mohamed abdelghaffar via Pexels.

Local: Tampa Bay outer ring

Stock photo, not our work. Photo by HUUM │sauna heaters via Pexels.

Find a licensed HVAC pro in the Tampa Bay outer ring

Open

Featured pro slot open for the Tampa Bay outer ring

Need a licensed HVAC pro in the Tampa Bay outer ring? Call and we'll connect you with a licensed local contractor.

Call (813) 851-3418

HVACPro is a free referral service for homeowners, not an HVAC company. We don't do the work, and we may be paid by the contractor. Check any contractor's license on the state's lookup before you hire.

Pick your city

Every city below has an A-to-Z list of the businesses with an active Florida HVAC license there. The number on each chip is that count.

Before you hire

Counts: businesses with an active license and a city address in the Tampa Bay outer ring, from FL DBPR construction licensee extract (CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv), retrieved 2026-10-05. A license says the state permits the work, not that the work is good.

Licensed HVAC businesses

A business with offices in two cities counts in each city's list. The city chips above open each A-to-Z list.

Art Deco architecture with vibrant bougainvillea in a sunny garden setting
Stock photo, not our work and not a photo of a business on this list. Photo by Sarah O'Shea via Pexels.

Source: FL DBPR construction licensee extract (CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv), retrieved 2026-10-05. A license says the state permits the work; it says nothing about quality. Check any license on the state's live lookup before you hire. No ratings, rankings or reviews.

Utility rebates

Duke Energy Florida pays $600 or $1,000 to replace strip heat with a qualifying heat pump, depending on efficiency. The programs require a Home Energy Check and a licensed, insured AC contractor, per the rebate rows we recorded.

Utility programs that apply to furnace and heat strip repair, as recorded 2026-09-30
ProgramUtilityAmountEquipment
Home Energy Improvement: strip-heat replacement (high efficiency)Duke Energy Florida$600Heat pump replacing strip heat, min 16.0 SEER/9.0 HSPF or 15.2 SEER2/7.5 HSPF2
Home Energy Improvement: strip-heat replacement (higher efficiency)Duke Energy Florida$1,000Heat pump replacing strip heat, min 16.8 SEER/9.0 HSPF or 16 SEER2/7.5 HSPF2

Cities we map to each utility:

Get a licensed pro

Need a licensed HVAC pro in the Tampa Bay outer ring? Call and we'll connect you with a licensed local contractor.

Call (813) 851-3418

HVACPro is a free referral service for homeowners, not an HVAC company. We don't do the work, and we may be paid by the contractor. Check any contractor's license on the state's lookup before you hire.

Questions people ask

Stock photo, not our work. Photo by Yusuf Çelik via Pexels.

Can I replace heat strips with a heat pump?

Yes, and Duke Energy Florida pays a rebate for it: $600 or $1,000 depending on efficiency, with a Home Energy Check and a licensed AC contractor. Confirm current terms on the program page.

Does my Florida home have a furnace or heat strips?

Probably not a gas furnace. 91 percent of ring homes heat with electricity and 6 percent with utility gas (Census ACS). Check the air handler's data plate or ask a technician whether it has electric heat strips or a heat pump.

Why is there no heat when my thermostat is set to heat?

Check the thermostat mode, batteries and the breaker for the air handler. If the fan runs and the air is cold, a tripped limit switch, a failed strip or a heat pump fault is possible, and each needs a technician.

Is a gas furnace safe if it has been off all summer?

The EPA recommends a professional inspection of fuel-burning appliances at the beginning of every heating season (EPA carbon monoxide). A CO alarm is not a substitute for that inspection.

These questions come from the topic clusters below in our research on 2,095 mined questions (Won't turn on / no power / tripped breaker: 47; Heat pump problems (aux heat, defrost, not heating): 66; Furnace / heat not working (igniter, pilot, no heat): 13). The wording and answers are ours; we do not republish anyone's post.

820

HVAC businesses with an active Florida license in the Tampa Bay outer ring

Source: FL DBPR construction licensee extract (CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv), retrieved 2026-10-05.

Related

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