Before you approve the repair
Repair it or replace it?
Put your repair quote beside the cost of replacing the equipment. See what looks worth considering and what to ask your contractor next.
Have a photo of your quote? Try the reader · Beta
Read a printed English quote from a JPG, PNG or WebP photo. Check the extracted text before choosing an amount. PDFs, handwriting and complex layouts are not supported in this pilot.
Your photo is processed in this browser. The first read downloads recognition software from jsDelivr; it can take a minute. No photo is sent to FrugalWatt or an AI service.
Check what was found
These are text matches, not a diagnosis or a judgment about the price. OCR can miss or misread words and numbers.
FrugalWatt · Your repair comparison
- Your repair quote
Fix the existing equipment
What the numbers tell you
Age context: ENERGY STAR’s signs to discuss with a contractor. This is a review prompt, not an expiration date.
What still needs checking
Three questions for your contractor
Choose “Save as PDF” in your browser’s print dialog, download notes, or copy the full report.
Age and price cannot tell us what failed, how safe the equipment is, or how long a repair will last. This is not a substitute for a diagnosis or a safety inspection.
Prepared from your inputs. Price bands are FrugalWatt editorial rules, not an expert assessment. Method: frugalwatt.com/repair-or-replace/#repair-method
Next: rebates and running costs
Check federal rebate availability next. Your state does not change the comparison above.
Browse the federal rebate board →For running costs, try the home energy savings calculator.
How we calculate this
The arithmetic: repair quote ÷ replacement quote × 100 gives the repair’s share of replacement cost. That percentage does not predict savings, reliability, or the cheapest option over time.
The interpretation: the 15% and 45% cutoffs below are FrugalWatt’s editorial rules of thumb. They are not an industry standard, an ENERGY STAR recommendation, or a professionally validated model.
- Below 15% of replacement cost, the repair looks small enough to investigate first—even on older equipment.
- At 45% or more, collect replacement quotes before deciding.
- Between those points, compare the scope of both quotes and ask about repair reliability and warranties.
- Age adds context only. It never changes the price-based suggestion or predicts how long your equipment will last.
- Without a replacement quote, we show an example comparison and suggest getting a quote. We do not recommend repair or replacement from an invented price.
Example prices: the amounts below are round-number scenarios, not measured national averages or local estimates. They are only used when a replacement quote is missing. Installation scope and location can change real prices substantially.
- Furnace
- $7,000 example
- Boiler
- $10,000 example
- Central AC
- $7,500 example
- Heat pump
- $12,500 example
- Water heater
- $2,500 example
Worked example, not a customer story: a $1,875 repair quote divided by a $7,500 replacement quote is 25%. That puts the example in our “compare both” band. It does not tell you which option will last longer.
A low-cost repair can still be poor value if it does not resolve the underlying fault. This comparison does not include future failures, warranties, running costs, financing, or rebates.
What you can check for yourself
The guidance
ENERGY STAR: when to consider replacement
Age, frequent repairs and comfort problems are reasons to talk with a contractor—not a diagnosis of your equipment.
Get written estimates with the work and price spelled out. A low bid alone is not enough to compare jobs.
The boundaries
Published by FrugalWatt. The arithmetic runs locally; this tool does not send or save your quote inputs.
These sources support the general guidance, not our example prices or percentage cutoffs. Their links do not imply endorsement.
No professional review is claimed for this calculation. It cannot diagnose a fault or certify that equipment is safe.
Page updated September 10, 2026. Source links checked September 9 with AI assistance. These are editorial dates, not an equipment inspection or a human expert verification.
Before you approve the work
Check what the repair covers and what to ask about a replacement.
Safety comes first: if there is a suspected gas leak, carbon-monoxide risk or electrical hazard, follow emergency guidance and get a qualified assessment before using a cost comparison.