Furnace Installation & Replacement in Cherry Creek

Many of the townhomes that have replaced older houses in Cherry Creek North put the furnace in an attic, a closet off the garage or a top-floor mechanical space. Access drives the job: we confirm the unit will fit through the attic opening, whether it's a horizontal or upflow model, and where a condensate line can drain without crossing a finished ceiling. If your townhome association has rules on roof or wall penetrations, tell us early so a new PVC vent location can be approved.

High-rise condos in the area typically use central building systems or fan coils, not individual gas furnaces. If yours has one, we'll start with the building's engineering contact.

Furnace makers derate gas input about 4% per 1,000 feet, so at Denver's reference elevation a furnace delivers roughly 79% of its sea-level nameplate. Installers handle this with high-altitude orifices and manifold pressure from the manufacturer's table. We size from a Manual J load calculation rather than the old unit's nameplate. Older Cherry Creek homes that have added insulation and replaced windows often need less furnace than they have, and a smaller two-stage unit runs quieter and longer.

Since January 1, 2026, a gas furnace sold in Colorado has to meet 14 ng/J NOx or the newest ENERGY STAR specification. In practice you'll be choosing between an ultra-low NOx 80% furnace that can use the existing chimney or B-vent, and a 97% condensing furnace vented in PVC with a condensate drain. In a Tudor with a good lined chimney, the 80% option can be the cleaner install. In a townhome with a short run to an outside wall, condensing usually makes more sense. Our guide to the NOx rule covers the details.

Cherry Creek is inside the City and County of Denver, so the mechanical permit comes from Community Planning and Development. We pull it and schedule the inspection. Gas and electricity both come from Xcel Energy.

Because Xcel is also your electric utility, a heat pump can qualify for Xcel's rebates on top of Colorado's $1,000 credit and Power Ahead Colorado's $1,500 cold-climate rebate; confirm Xcel's current amounts, which changed in October 2026. The federal 25C credit doesn't apply to systems installed in 2026. If your AC is as old as the furnace, compare a heat pump against a new furnace before you decide.