Most homeowners can spend anywhere between $1,800 and $3,500 for buying and installing a central dehumidifier.
Having said that, your total bill will go up if you get an HVAC contractor to build additional ducting, electrical, and a drainage system too.
At any rate, if you’d want to know more about the price of whole-house dehumidifiers, keep reading this guide.
Factors That Affect the Cost of a Central Dehumidifier
Below are several factors that will dictate the final price of getting a whole-house dehumidifier installed:
1) Dehumidifier
First, you will need to research and pick from the best dehumidifiers on the market that will be suitable for your house and benefit you and your family.
You can find central dehumidifiers at differing sizes, energy star ratings, and price points.
Low-end dehumidifiers can cost from $1,100 to $1,200. Mid-range ones often range from $1,300 to $1,700, and high-end models can hover from $1,800 to $2,500.
As you can see, this will drastically influence the price you will have to pay the HVAC technician.
2) Labor
Because installing the dehumidifier involves time and effort, you usually would have to pay for labor, unlike when you purchase an air-conditioning system and get it installed, which comes free.
Labor costs range from $500 to $700 on average. This price range should cover the expenses of mounting and setting up the humidity control unit, which is essential for the homeowner.
You’re lucky if the appliance only needs to be assembled, placed, and secured to your existing ductwork, but you’ll be spending higher if more building work is needed.
3) Additional Work
It might not be simple to install your central dehumidifier due to the extra drainage, ducting, and electrical work needed.
Let’s now look at how they’ll add to your expenses:
- Drainage
The heavy-duty dehumidifier can absorb an enormous amount of moisture throughout your house each day to keep it cool and relaxed.
Therefore, the water it collects must go down the drain. Your current drainage system can already accommodate this need, but extra ducting may have to be built.
Also, some dehumidifiers come with a pump to channel the collected water to the drain, but some don’t. In the latter’s case, you can get an external pump to aid the water’s drainage, which costs about $125.
- Electricals
In relation to having a new central dehumidifier, you might need new outlets or wiring to allow it to operate as well.
Getting a licensed and experienced electrician for this kind of work should cost you $50 to $100 per hour.
- Ductwork
If needed, the cost of building new ducts for your dehumidifier is $10 to $20 per linear foot or at least $1,160.
The job involves attaching a new set of ducts to the return duct of your existing one. It can be a bit of messy work, but the contractor should handle this neatly and without any problem.
