SaveBricks
SaveBricks
What HVAC, roofing, window, and water heater projects cost — the range, what moves it, and the questions to ask — so you can tell a fair quote from a padded one.
Free · Reader-supported · No sales calls
Sample reading
Roof · 1,800 sq ft
$9,200–$15,400
Typical lands near $12,000.
What moves it: tear-off vs. layover, shingle tier, roof pitch and access, and local labor rates.
Try it with your numbers$5,000–$12,500 typical range
Repair or replace? Central AC, furnaces, and heat pumps.
$9,200–$15,400 typical range
Tear-off, shingle tier, pitch, and access drive the number.
$5,500–$14,000 typical range
Full-frame vs. pocket, material, and how many openings.
$900–$1,900 typical range
Tank swap or tankless? Fuel type and code catch-ups set the price.
A low-to-high estimate built from typical project costs. A single exact number would be made up — so we don't give you one.
We show exactly what pushes a quote up or down, so nothing on a contractor's bid catches you off guard.
Leave with the questions to ask and the red flags to watch for before you sign anything.
Typical range
$140–$230
The whole kit, bought new and name-brand — mid-2026 big-box prices
maintenance
Twelve tools, bought once, no 200-piece kit. What each one is actually for, what it should cost, and the three things everyone buys that you should skip.
Read the full guideTypical range
$450–$6,500
What restricted airflow ends up costing — blower motor to heat exchanger
maintenance
A clogged furnace filter doesn't just mean dusty air. It's the starting point of the most expensive failure chain in HVAC — dead blower motors, frozen coils, cracked heat exchangers. The fix costs less than a pizza per quarter.
Read articleTypical range
$900–$1,900
The installed replacement bill this one part postpones
maintenance
Every tank water heater ships with a sacrificial anode rod that quietly rusts away so the tank doesn't. Check it once by year five and you can push a 10-year tank toward 15–20. Skip it and the tank's fate is already scheduled.
Read articleTypical range
$900–$1,900
40–50 gallon tank, installed
water heaters
Real installed prices for gas, electric, tankless, and heat pump water heaters — plus the code-upgrade line items that quietly add $200 to $800.
Read articleTypical range
$2,500–$4,500
Gas tankless, installed
water heaters
Tankless costs $1,500–$2,500 more installed. Whether you ever get that back depends on three things most sales pitches skip — run the 10-year math first.
Read article
water heaters
A leak from a fitting is a $150 fix. A leak from the tank body is a replacement, today. How to tell the difference in five minutes, before you call.
Read articleTypical range
$9,200–$15,400
Asphalt tear-off, 1,800 sq ft
roofing
What each line on a roofing quote means, which numbers are negotiable, and the three places padding hides. Bring this to the kitchen table with the bid.
Read articleThe cost guide
A monthly breakdown of real project cost ranges, contractor red flags, and money-saving tips — straight to your inbox.
No spam. Unsubscribe any time. Read our privacy policy.
SaveBricks is reader-supported and free to use. Support us on Patreon to help keep it that way.