For a Kerrisdale house, what is a reasonable boiler replacement price?

Boiler replacement in Kerrisdale typically runs $8,000 to $18,000 for a straightforward swap on an existing hydronic system, with more complex jobs reaching $25,000 or higher when distribution work is involved.

What Moves the Price

The biggest variables are the boiler type, the size of the house and the condition of the existing system. A standard high-efficiency condensing boiler on a well-maintained one-pipe or two-pipe system sits in the lower half of that range. A combi boiler (heating and domestic hot water in one unit) runs $8,000 to $14,000 and is a common choice in older Kerrisdale homes where the gas water heater is also aging. If the contractor needs to add zones, replace radiator valves, repipe sections of the distribution loop or upgrade the expansion tank and controls, costs climb quickly toward the upper end.

Kerrisdale houses are often older Vancouver character homes with original cast-iron radiators and a single-pipe system. Those systems work well but can be unforgiving about flow rates and balancing, so the contractor needs to assess the whole distribution side, not just the boiler itself. A proper heat loss calculation for the house sets the right boiler capacity; sizing from the old unit is a common mistake that leads to short-cycling and wasted fuel.

Permits matter here. The City of Vancouver issues its own gas permit for this work, separate from Technical Safety BC. An electrical permit from the City of Vancouver is also required for the new boiler's wiring and controls. Your contractor should pull both and include the fees in the quoted price. If the old boiler shares a chimney with a gas water heater, the venting arrangement needs to be reviewed as part of the job; a new high-efficiency condensing boiler typically vents through PVC sidewall pipes rather than the chimney, which affects the water heater's venting as well.

On rebates: if your home is heated by gas, there is currently no general CleanBC fuel-switching rebate for Metro Vancouver households that are not income-qualified. FortisBC rebates for heat pumps apply only to FortisBC electricity customers, which Kerrisdale is not (BC Hydro territory). If your household is income-qualified, the CleanBC Energy Savings Program is worth checking through Better Homes BC before you buy anything.

A fair quote should include the heat loss calculation, the exact boiler model and output capacity, all gas and electrical permit fees, new venting, removal and disposal of the old unit, and a warranty on both parts and labour. Before hiring, ask the contractor for their Technical Safety BC gas contractor licence number and confirm WorkSafeBC coverage independently.

A single request through Vancouver HVAC Pro puts that question to several Kerrisdale boiler contractors at once.