Standard gas furnace replacement (like-for-like)
$4,500–$6,500 installed, itemized — equipment, labor, haul-away, permit as separate lines
Actual EVS work
Bay Area HVAC service
Furnace Installation in Palo Alto, CA — Fixed-Price Quote, CPAU Rebates Mapped
EVS Mechanical replaces furnaces across Palo Alto — Eichler tracts in Greenmeadow and Fairmeadow, Victorian-era homes in Professorville and Crescent Park, foothill properties above Foothill Park. Written quote itemized to the line, City of Palo Alto permit handled, and an honest read on the gas-vs-heat-pump math. Family-run, 5.0-star rated.
CA Lic #1089826Licensed · Insured · BondedFree in-home estimatePermits & inspection handled
Furnace installation in Palo Alto, CA — EVS Mechanical replaces gas furnaces and converts radiant-heat Eichlers in Greenmeadow, Fairmeadow, Midtown, and Professorville, with City of Palo Alto Utilities rebate guidance and permit handling included. Fixed-price written quote. CA Lic #1089826. Call (408) 300-8254.
Fall: Palo Alto's permit desk adds calendar time other cities don't — quoting a furnace replacement in October means the install happens before the first cold front instead of during it.
What Is Furnace Installation in Palo Alto?
Furnace installation in Palo Alto splits into three different jobs. The Eichler tracts — Greenmeadow, Fairmeadow, Green Gables, and the Midtown-adjacent streets — mostly have no furnace at all: hydronic radiant slabs off a gas boiler, so "replacement" usually means a conversion decision. The Victorians and Craftsman homes of Professorville and Crescent Park often run wall furnaces or gravity systems vented into chimneys older than the furnace twice over. And the mid-city ranch homes and foothill properties carry conventional gas furnaces reaching the end of a 20–30 year run. EVS Mechanical is set up for all three — boiler service, wall-furnace replacement, and conventional furnace installation — out of our Bassett Street shop in Santa Clara.
When to call about yours:
- The Greenmeadow or Fairmeadow boiler is aging out, and the replace-it-or-convert-the-house decision needs pricing on both sides
- A Professorville or Crescent Park wall furnace finally lost parts availability
- The conventional furnace in a Midtown ranch or foothill home is 20–30 years in and showing it
- A remodel is moving walls, and the equipment has to move with them
- You want the gas-vs-electric comparison priced with the actual CPAU stack, not a national rebate hand-wave
- You smell gas or the CO detector flagged the unit — shut it down and call
Who this is for: Homeowners and property managers in Old Palo Alto, Professorville, Crescent Park, Greenmeadow, Fairmeadow, Midtown, College Terrace, and the Palo Alto Hills.
What you get from an EVS install
Three system types, one contractor.
Boiler service, wall-furnace replacement, and conventional furnace installation are different skills — most companies quote only the one they sell. EVS services and installs all three paths, and says which one fits your house.
Palo Alto's utility is different, and we price it that way.
City of Palo Alto Utilities runs both the electric *and* gas side here — a rebate stack no other Peninsula city matches. We map it during the estimate instead of after.
Fixed-price written quote.
Equipment, labor, old-unit haul-away, permit fees — itemized before we start. The quote is the price.
Pre-1980 contingency flagged up front.
Older Palo Alto homes can carry asbestos on ductwork or insulation. We surface that possibility in the estimate, not on demolition day — and when it's hit on a job, we handle the permits and coordination end to end.
Owner-accountable.
Euler and Axel oversee every Palo Alto install — no subcontractors, no call center, and the warranty follow-up call goes to the crew that did the work.
Three system types, one contractor.
Boiler service, wall-furnace replacement, and conventional furnace installation are different skills — most companies quote only the one they sell. EVS services and installs all three paths, and says which one fits your house.
Palo Alto's utility is different, and we price it that way.
City of Palo Alto Utilities runs both the electric *and* gas side here — a rebate stack no other Peninsula city matches. We map it during the estimate instead of after.
Fixed-price written quote.
Equipment, labor, old-unit haul-away, permit fees — itemized before we start. The quote is the price.
Pre-1980 contingency flagged up front.
Older Palo Alto homes can carry asbestos on ductwork or insulation. We surface that possibility in the estimate, not on demolition day — and when it's hit on a job, we handle the permits and coordination end to end.
Owner-accountable.
Euler and Axel oversee every Palo Alto install — no subcontractors, no call center, and the warranty follow-up call goes to the crew that did the work.
How EVS Is Different from Other Palo Alto Furnace Installers
Palo Alto attracts the biggest names in Bay Area HVAC — national-branded fleets, big-box store programs, and subscription home-services bundles. They're built for volume. A Palo Alto install, with its CPAU rebate stack, strict inspections, and Eichler/Wall-furnace/boiler variety, is the opposite of volume work — it rewards the contractor who'll slow down and read the house. If you need a dedicated team that handles the permits, stands behind the labor warranty, and treats your home like theirs — pick the local specialist over the volume machine. Call (408) 300-8254.
| You're weighing | The fleets & big-box programs | EVS Mechanical |
|---|---|---|
| Who quotes you | A salesperson on a closing quota | A technician who runs the load calculation and quotes what the house needs |
| Who does the work | Rotating subcontract crews | Our own crew — quotes it, installs it, answers for it |
| Local knowledge | National playbooks, generic rebate talk | CPAU's actual incentive stack, City of Palo Alto permit cadence, Eichler conversion experience |
| Communication | Call center between you and the crew | Direct line to Axel and Euler — the office that scheduled you picks up when you call back |
| Price | Premium overhead built into every quote | Fixed written quote from a shop with Bassett Street overhead, not fleet overhead |
Our Work
Real installs — our crew on every job
Gas furnace installed in closet alcove
Carrier outdoor condenser unit on pad
Bryant gas furnace in garage
TOSOT heat pump outdoor unit
Furnace on raised platform in utility closet
Air handler with insulated ductwork in attic
HVAC unit with ductwork in crawlspace
Furnace installation in garage
Garage HVAC system wide view
EVS technicians servicing a Lochinvar commercial rooftop unit
EVS technician working on commercial rooftop HVAC equipment
Two TOSOT heat pump units installed on a flat roof
New TOSOT heat pump installation on a flat roof
TOSOT inverter heat pump dual-fan condenser
TOSOT heat pump with EnergyGuide rating, rooftop install
TOSOT condenser unit secured on a flat roof
Completed rooftop heat pump installation, wide view
Air handler with new insulated ductwork installation
Pricing
Typical ranges for planning
01 / 05
Higher cost:
Chimney relining, venting re-routes, ductwork additions, asbestos remediation, tight-access lots, seismic gas shutoff valve
Lower cost:
Same-location swap, easy access, off-season scheduling, bundling with AC replacement, qualifying rebate stacks
Financing: Coming soon — call for current options.
Rebates: Palo Alto's City of Palo Alto Utilities runs its own electrification and efficiency incentives on top of TECH Clean California and the federal 25C credit — often the strongest stack on the Peninsula. We map what your job qualifies for during the estimate.
Customer reviews
5.0
62 Google reviews
What EVS customers say
Real Google reviews from EVS jobs across the Bay Area.
“EVS Mechanical made what could have been a stressful process incredibly smooth. They diagnosed and repaired our HVAC system quickly and got everything running again. They didn't just do the work — they made sure we understood what was happening and why. Honest pricing. They didn't try to upsell us on things we didn't need. Really appreciated that they were on time and ready to work. If you need HVAC work done right, call EVS Mechanical. You won't be disappointed.”
MCVerified
Michael Cheung
HVAC repair · Bay Area
“The EVS Mechanical team were great! The EVS team showed up on time and completed the heat pump installation in one day as promised. Axel stayed on top of the whole process from quote to final inspection and communication was awesome. EVS made the whole process seamless. The pricing was more than fair for the quality of work we received. Every person on the crew was courteous and professional. When the installation was finished I couldn't tell they had been in the house. Thanks to EVS Mechanical we have heating and air conditioning again making for a comfortable house. I strongly recommend EVS Mechanical for all your HVAC needs.”
SCVerified
Scott Clark
Heat pump installation, one day · Bay Area
“Really impressed with EVS Mechanical. They earned every one of these five stars. The heat pump they installed has been incredibly efficient — our energy bills have actually dropped. Punctuality was great — they showed up exactly when they said they would. Appreciated how careful they were with our home during the installation. Would absolutely recommend EVS to anyone in the Bay Area. Thank you, EVS Mechanical, for the outstanding work!”
NVerified
Nate
Heat pump installation · Bay Area
Frequently Asked Questions
A like-for-like gas furnace replacement runs $4,500–$6,500 installed — equipment, labor, haul-away, and permit included. Wall-furnace replacements, boiler conversions, and jobs needing venting or ductwork cost more, with every line in the written quote before you commit. The estimate is free.
Three: service or replace the boiler that feeds the radiant slab, convert to ductless mini-splits, or convert to a ducted heat pump (which means adding ductwork). We install and service all three paths and quote them side by side — including which rebates apply, because Palo Alto's CPAU stack can change the answer.
A bit — the city's building department has its own inspection cadence, which adds calendar time versus neighboring cities. It doesn't change the price; it changes the schedule, and our written quote states both. Starting the quote in October keeps the install ahead of the heating season.
In Palo Alto, seriously consider it — the CPAU incentive stack makes conversions cheaper here than almost anywhere nearby. But it depends on the house: ductless conversions suit Eichlers well; ducted conversions are a bigger structural decision. We install both gas furnaces and heat pumps, so the comparison is honest.
Yes, and it's more common in Professorville and Crescent Park than anywhere else we serve. The quote turns on venting — the chimney or wall-vent path is the real variable — and it's a line item in the first written quote, not a mid-install discovery.
Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem, Bryant, American Standard, and more. Multi-brand matters in Palo Alto's mixed housing stock: the right answer for a Midtown ranch isn't the right answer for a Greenmeadow Eichler.
Practically speaking, no — and not because of Palo Alto's rules alone. A furnace replacement requires a city permit, and permitted mechanical work in California must be performed by a licensed contractor (EVS holds CA Lic #1089826). Palo Alto also layers its own inspection requirements on top. What you *can* legally do yourself: filters, thermostat batteries, and basic maintenance. Everything touching the gas train, venting, or combustion needs the license and the permit.
Gas Furnace Brands EVS Installs in Palo Alto
| Brand | Notes |
|---|---|
| Carrier | Deep parts availability — the safe pick in homes where the unit is buried in a tight closet |
| Lennox | Highest-efficiency lines and quietest operation; premium price, smaller gas bills |
| Trane | The durability pick for owners planning to hold the house long-term |
| Bryant | Carrier-platform reliability at a step-down price |
| Rheem | Strong mid-range warranties, easy service access |
| Goodman | The value line with a surprisingly good warranty |
| American Standard | Trane engineering, often priced friendlier |
Bay Area Specifics
Greenmeadow and Fairmeadow: the conversion math
Palo Alto is the densest Eichler city in the country, and the question in those tracts isn't usually "which furnace" — it's "boiler replacement or full conversion." A ducted heat pump means adding ductwork a slab-heat house never had; ductless means indoor units on walls the neighborhood design review may have opinions about. EVS quotes both directions with real numbers, including the boiler-repair path if the boiler still has years in it. No one-path company should be your only source here.
Professorville and Crescent Park: chimneys and constraints
The Victorians around Professorville and Crescent Park often heat with wall furnaces or gravity systems tied to original chimneys. Replacements turn on venting — relining, re-routing, or moving to sealed-combustion equipment that vents through a wall. Those are the hidden five figures of a careless quote; ours shows them as line items before you commit.
CPAU: the rebate stack only Palo Alto has
Palo Alto runs its own utilities — electric and gas — with heat-pump and efficiency incentives through City of Palo Alto Utilities that no PG&E or SVCE city offers. Between CPAU programs, TECH Clean California, and the federal 25C credit, a Palo Alto conversion can pencil out very differently than the same job one city over. We confirm what applies to your specific job during the estimate.
Pre-1980 homes: the asbestos contingency
Much of Palo Alto's housing predates 1980, and ductwork or insulation of that era can carry asbestos that must be remediated before equipment work. One EVS furnace job turned into a full furnace-plus-duct replacement when asbestos surfaced — "they filed the permits and handled everything," per the customer. We flag the risk early; we don't spring it on you mid-job.
Permits
Furnace replacement in Palo Alto requires a permit from the city's building department, and inspection scheduling adds calendar time compared with neighboring cities. EVS pulls the permit and manages the inspector — part of the quote, not an add-on.
Service Areas
furnace installation across the Bay Area — pick your city:
01 / 04
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