Great question – and one of the first questions we often get from prospective customers.
At Highland Outdoor Stoves, we install and service outdoor wood boilers (also known as outdoor wood furnaces) in the greater Shenandoah Valley region. We have extensive experience installing and servicing outdoor wood boilers of all kinds and burning all sorts of fuel – seasoned wood fuel, wood pellets, and coal alike.
Now, many of our customers are inquiring about a new outdoor boiler and cost to install because they already cut their own wood! Perhaps they have a wood stove in their home, and they’re ready to make the leap to something more efficient for their central boiler or heating system. Yet others have heard of the potential cost-savings and ease of a pellet stove.
Whatever the case, we put together this article to provide a rundown of the cost to install an outdoor wood boiler, and some ideas of what to expect for ongoing maintenance and fuel costs.
First, let’s do a quick primer on how an outdoor wood fired boiler works.
Outdoor Wood Furnaces 101
An outdoor wood boiler, also known as an outdoor wood furnace, is a heating system installed outside your home that burns wood or wood pellets to produce heat. This heat is then transferred via a system of underground water pipes into your home, into a heat exchanger, where the heat is then distributed through your existing heating system. That might include a hot water heating system, a domestic hot water source for tap water, or a forced air heating system.
This approach not only keeps the wood, ash, and fire outside but also provides a consistent and reliable heat source for even the coldest winters.
Benefits of an outdoor wood boiler include:
- Efficient Heating: Burns wood to heat large spaces, reducing reliance on traditional heating fuels.
- Reduced Indoor Mess: Keeps wood, ash, and smoke outside, maintaining a clean and safe indoor environment.
- Cost-Effective: Lowers heating costs by relying on a renewable resource, often available right on the property or as waste from a business.
- Versatility: Can be connected to your home, workshop, or other outbuildings for comprehensive heating.
Upfront Costs: Wood Boiler Cost To Install
At Highland Outdoor Stoves, you’ve got a few options when it comes to outdoor wood furnace prices:
- Buy your wood furnace from us and install it yourself
- Buy your outdoor wood boiler from us, then let us do the installation
- Buy and install your outdoor wood boiler elsewhere, then let us take care of repairs and maintenance
Here’s how it works:
Our outdoor wood boiler prices are a standalone sticker price, or an all-in price for us to install and hook up the furnace.
Check out our stove pricing page for the most up-to-date pricing, but our G-Series G-4,000 standard outdoor wood furnace (capable of heating up to 4000 square footage) is $12,500 without installation, and $17,900 installed.
Our installed price includes placement on your property (though if you plan to put down a concrete pad, that will need to be done in advance) and two indoor hookups to two heat exchangers: one domestic hot water source and one air or water exchanger.
The comprehensive price includes installation within 100 miles of Monteray, VA.
Because homeowners want their stoves at varying distances from their home, the homeowner is responsible for digging a trench for water lines to the building, and then re-covering the trench. We then price your water lines by the foot.
Outdoor Furnace Water Lines Are Added
Standard Wood Boiler Water Line
At $7.50/linear foot, our basic water line includes two lines wrapped in foil insulation inside an empty drain tile line. While not as energy efficient due to heat loss between your outdoor boiler and the interior, this line is cost-effective and allows for an electrical line to be pulled through the line.
Deluxe Wood Boiler Water Line
Our best water line is spray foam insulated and runs $15.50 per linear foot installed.
RhinoFlex piping is a 4″ pre-insulated flexible PEX piping that is pre-insulated and filled with spray foam, which both improves heat retention and reduces the risk of water penetrating the pipe if it cracks, dramatically impacting heat loss.
C-Series
Our C-Series of outdoor coal boilers offer a high-performance heating system that’s engineered for efficiency, durability, and ease of use. These furnaces are made with 409 Titanium Enhanced Stainless Steel for longevity and corrosion resistance; a deep firebox for efficient heat transfer; forced air draft for quick heat recovery; and easy-to-clean cast iron shaker grates.
Available in multiple sizes, the C-Series is designed to heat spaces ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 square feet, making it a versatile solution for anyone looking for a coal-centric burner.
G-Series
The G-Series is THE flagship line of ultra-efficient outdoor wood burning models. A patented Tornado Combustion Chamber makes for cleaner and more efficient burns; a large capacity firebox allows for extended burn times; and a user-friendly EZ Clean Handle reduces cleaning time and hassle. With models capable of heating spaces up to 10,000 square feet, the G-Series is built to last, offering optimal performance, lower emissions, and significant fuel savings. Works for both outdoor and indoor installations.
P-Series
The P-Series wood pellet stove costs the same as our G-Series, but relies solely on wood pellets.
It is available at the same price as the G-series, and while it’s a great stove, you will need to buy wood pellets – still a lower heating bill, but probably not as much as cutting your own wood!
B-Series
For commercial and large-scale applications, you want the B Series commercial wood boiler.
Our B-Series offers multi-fuel biomass burning designed for large spaces and commercial applications. Known for their high efficiency and versatility, they’re capable of burning wood chips, pellets, or coal. The B-Series provides full automation, minimal maintenance, and can heat multiple structures simultaneously. With features like remote monitoring and automatic ash removal, it ensures convenience and reliability while delivering a rapid return on investment.
Ongoing Costs: What’s It Cost To Run?
For a real-world example of what it costs to run a wood boiler through the winter,
I heat a 2200 square foot well-insulated home, and in the winter of 2023 my pellet stove required four tons of pellets to heat through the cold season. I bought them for $320 per ton, meaning I heated my entire home for $1280 for one season, from Thanksgiving to mid-April.
How much wood will you need? That all depends on the size of your home or whether you’re working with more than one building, but a 3+ cords of dry wood should be expected in our area.
What are outdoor wood furnaces worth? To me, the convenience, hassle, and cost-savings compared to natural gas or fuel oil have made it a worthwhile investment.
Maintenance Costs: What’s It Cost to Own?
Maintenance and upkeep for an outdoor wood furnace mostly comes down to a little elbow grease. And for the kind of people drawn to burning wood in the first place, that’s probably not a concern.
You’ll need to remove wood ash about once per month, and we recommend a thorough cleaning at the end of every heating season, which will take 2-3 hours.
Electronics and Repairs
What wood boiler parts might need to be replaced on residential units?
Every 4-10 years your circulator pump might need replaced, which cost about $150 without isntallation costs.
For automated wood pellet feeders, you may have other motors that need replaced every decade or so.
But really, that’s about it! There’s not a whole lot go wrong on a bid metal container.
Call Highland For Expert Outdoor Wood Boiler Installations
Ready to experience the warmth and efficiency of an outdoor wood boiler for yourself?
Looking for a wood boiler company in Harrisonburg, Virginia?
Our expert wood furnace installation servicesat Highland Outdoor Stoves ensure that your system is set up for optimal performance, giving you reliable, cost-effective heat for years to come.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and take the first step towards a more comfortable and sustainable heating solution. Don’t wait — get your system installed by the professionals and enjoy the benefits all season long!
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