Since no one seemed to have an answer to my question - here are the quotes I have received so far:

$4,898 American Standard Model WCH30B
$4,950 American Standard Model WCH30B
$5,961 Trane Model WCH030C100A
$5,995 Trane Model WcH030C100A

It's getting expensive out there. Almost three times the amount I paid for the one I have installed now.

john,
I just installed an entire new hvac system (heat pump + coil + gas furnace + concrete pad + electrical + ductwork) for $6k. I did it "DIY" style with a licensed HVAC guy coming in at the end to braze and purge the lines, charge the freon which the heat pump came with anyway. This required extensive research on my part and I wouldnt recomend it to everyone. It also required much "cajoling" of a licensed hvac contractor to do the finishing work. My research shows they like making $1000/hr. vs $200/hr by marking up the equipment costs substantially. This is just free-market enterprise, what the market will bare, and I dont blame them. Its hard, technical, skilled work + a longterm committment for maintenance and tech support down the road.

The parts you will need include the new heat pump, a matching coil/air handler. There is also the costs of electrician, demo'ing the old stuff and disposal, and getting the new equipment to your property, instalation, and you'll want someone experienced to hook it all up, braze and purge the linesets, and be there for you down the road should problems arise.
I would think the cost of parts would be about $2500 + $1500 labor, so $4k sounds about right. Then add $1500-$10,000 to that figure because you want name brand Trane. (Trane is top notch stuff , spends heavy $$$ on advertising, and makes their contractors spend non-billable time in training classes and such which probably is a very good thing, but someone has to pay for that)

I am not an experienced hvac person by any means, and there are many on this site who are. So take my info with a grain of salt. But I did just complete a project similar and those were the costs.

John:

American Standard makes Trane. They may be cheaper because they don't spend as much on advertising, at least not to the public. You never see a TV commercial for A/S. Between the two, I would go with A/S if the warranties are the same. You should also try other mfrs: Carrier/Bryant, Goodman, Lennox, etc. I would try to get a 10 year PARTS AND LABOR warranty thrown in for your peace of mind.

Eric:

John's unit is a pacakged system - everything is in one box.

You, myself, and a few others have taken a different approach to a new system. Finding an installer willing to braze the lines, evacuate, and charge the system was the key. Since my wife works for a property management company, I used their maintenance people. In my case, I had them do the whole install for $1260 including a new liquid line and fabricating 2 sheet metal parts. It took 2 guys 8 hours to complete the job. I supplied doughnuts for breakfast and made them a good lunch on the grill. They and I were both satisfied after the job was finished.

If I'm ever in SoCal getting a boob job, I'll look you up.

Take care.

Doh!!! Your right, gary, I didnt see that John was asking about a packaged HP unit.
John, sorry about that, I think everything I said is correct except deduct $500 from my numbers for the same in a packaged unit. (probably a little lower install costs as well) Equipment runs about $1800-$3500 for a packaged HP 2.5ton + the same $1500 labor,electric, and disposal, so estimate should be between $3500-$5000 depending on brand and contactor and warranties.

gary: a boob job? I resemble that remark! Hey if you are even considering a boob job, you should be living out here already!! :)

e

Update on thread. After six months, I am forced to replace the old heat pump. I got quotes from seven companies and finally ended up with a TRANE 2 1/2 Ton Self Contained Unit installed complete with new breaker box. programmable thermostat, auxiliary heat strips, ten year warranty on parts and labor, installed with haul-away of old unit, for $4,900. This appeared to be the best price for what I was offered, and since I feel Winter is nearby, I am going ahead and getting installation next week.

which model did you select, which stat, what size heat strip?

do you mind stating area you live and your electric rate?
do you receive any special rate for HP heating?

Thx
Good Luck!

BTW, let us know how install goes.

tigerdunes, I was very limited since this is an over/under setup - I replaced it with the 2 1/2 Ton unit at the link below.

The heat strips are the ones from Trane for this unit.

I live in Oklahoma City and there are no special rates available now for heat pumps (20 years ago, I got one from the electric company - but they offer none at this time)

Here is a link that might be useful: Trane Heat Pump

In Dallas, a selfcontained unit is usually confined to commercial roofs. A 3 ton system can be installed for
less than $3500. Customers that will sucker up to the first contractor pay as much as $15,000 for a $3,000 job. They average between $3,500 and $5,000

Bob, are those units OVER & UNDER units? I have a specific space into which this unit must fit on the ground - it sits on a concrete slab up next to an outside wall, which connects to the over and under duct work in the house. Any other unit I could use would require a "converter" to twist the over and under to side by side and involve considerable sheet metal work, driving the cost up considerably, in addition to limiting my taking up space which is not available. This is a patio home installation and I have no back yard - only concrete patio and space for heat pump, utilities, etc. in a very limited area. I do not have a roof-top installation, so that is not a choice. I have contacted ten local contractors of Trane and American Standard (the only two makers of over and under which I can find to fit, except Bard) and the prices range from $4,400 for a lesser Anmerican Standard 2.0 Ton Unit to $5,995 for a Trane 2.5 Ton Unit. I don't want to mess with Bard, due to fact that I would have to find an installer and deal with them separately and then have separate warranties, etc.

All in all, I believe $4900 for a Trane 2 1/2 Ton Over and Under Package Unit, with new breaker box, programmable thermostat, heat strips and complete installation (10 year parts and warranty) is a fair deal here in Oklahoma City. The technicians are Trane certified - per information from Trane. Do you believe this is a "sucker" deal?

johnburns,

THE WCH SERIES IS THE OVER AND UNDER STYLE. USUALLY THE WARRANTY IS ONLY 5YRS ON EVERYTHING, MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR WARRANTY IN WRITING. DID YOU HAVE A LOAD CALC PERFORMED ON YOUR HOME TO SEE WHAT SIZE UNIT YOU NEED?

DAVID

David, thanks for your response. You are absolutely correct - I now have in writing the five year Warranty (not 10 as I stated above) for parts AND labor. (I could have purchased a 10 year extended warranty for additional money, but looking back at my records on the old heat pump, it didn't appear it would be in my interest to pay to extend the warranty) The company did a load calc - and I could have installed a 2.0 ton unit instead of 2.5 ton, but there was very little difference in price, so I chose to remain with 2.5 ton. That was my choice (probably not too saavy on my part).

Some of my decision was because to the attitude of the company representatives. Of the 10 companies I called, only 7 responded - and of those 7, only 4 gave me written detailed bids. My decision was based the way each repsonded, got back with me on any questions, etc., plus the reputation of the company, BBB rating, complaints, etc. To me response is very important - because I feel if they don't respond now, how will they respond after the unit is installed and they jave my money.

Thanks to all in here who posted. It helped, as I don't always think things through as I should.

Since you are sold on Trane I would not attempt to change your mind. BUT TRANE is just a machine with good and bad issues. The best and the worst machines I have worked on is TRANE. I dont want to ruin your concept of good and bad.

Bob, I am not "sold" on Trane. I don't think your read the entire thread. I have ductwork which is over and under - in order to use anything other than Trane, American Standard or Bard, I would have to pay for considerable fitting for a conversion from over and under to side by side. Plus, I don't have the space it would require for the added framework. I am "stuck" with Trane, American Standard, or Bard - or forced to move. The Trane price was very close to the American Standard price and since they are both virtually the same units, from the same company, I went with Trane. I also considered the fact that Trane was recently purchased by Ingersol-Rand, and I am not sure how that will affect the American Standard/Trane affiliation. Bard is not an option for me since I would have to purchase the unit, then find in installer, coordinate the two, etc. (plus pay sales tax on the unit of 8.375%) and I am not feeling up to that route. I guess what I am saying is I had very few options and chose the one I felt most comfortable with. I have had two over and under Tranes in the 45 years I have lived here. The first one (actually a GE) lasted 25 years and the second one is twenty years old this month. Costs have not been that much on either of them, so I guess that figured in to the decision also. But my decision was not because I am "sold" on Trane. If I had any other reasonable choices, I would definitely have considered them.

What should I expect to pay for a Goodman 2 ton total unit replacement? (13 Seer)Live in AL. Offered 10 year parts and 5 year labor warranty.

I realize this is an old thread but I found so few threads like this one I thought I'd share this info anyway. I just had a packaged heat pump replaced. Wondering what folks think of this info:

Costs-
$6999 w/ all parts and labor + $414 sales tax

What I got-
Removed old Goettl unit from flat foam roof of single story townhome.

Installed Rheem RGNM-A024JK000 2 Ton Package Heat Pump. All-in-one unit, no heat strips.

Included short insulated duct to attach to existing elbow duct on roof.

Weather tight as is but waiting for roofer to return from vacation and foam/seal around new installation.

New Honeywell 6000 thermostat.

3 year preventative maintenance contract, twice per year service. Offered at $531 extra but they agreed to throw it in for no charge when I asked about ways to get costs down. This did not reduce the cost, it added more for the same price.

Location - Phoenix, AZ area
Home description - 928 square foot townhouse, flat foam roof, easy street access for boom-crane truck.

Entire job took less than 3 hours. Two guys had the old unit loose and waiting when the boom-crane arrived.

I have since seen internet prices on this Rheem model down to $2000 with free shipping tossed in. I am left wondering if I over paid on the packaged install deal. Having a difficult time seeing how the quick work of 4 people (the roofer will have little to do up there when he comes) accounts for nearly $5000?

The new thermostat is under $50. The duct work can't be much. The existing roof foam did not need to be cut so the roofer only has to insulate and seal the new duct connection. The contractor is a big outfit via Home Depot referral program online..

Maybe it's just sticker shock. I see other people quoting prices of $5000 from 4 years ago. Could it inflate that much in four years?

Wonder what folks think of the cost of this deal?