Commercial RTU replacement cost by ton: equipment, crane and curb tables

How much does commercial RTU replacement cost by ton?

Use the capacity table for an accessible-roof gas/electric replacement with suitable existing structure and electrical service. Each case buys one R-32, 208/230 V, three-phase unit, one adapter, limited reconnections and daytime installation. Street closures, structural reinforcement, a new feeder and temporary conditioning require separate scope.

Table A reports USD before tax, rebates and financing. Equipment inputs are the 5-ton, 10-ton and 20-ton HVAC365 listings checked November 5, 2026; installed results are Anvilfield estimates using the rate register and calculation below.

Dollars per ton are the result of the estimate. A smaller replacement still needs access, lifting, permit coordination and startup, so those costs do not fall in direct proportion to cooling capacity. The declining per-ton figures here describe these three complete scopes.

The ranges vary labor and purchased allowances within the defined scope. Reprice access changes, conversions and redesigns as measured additions.

Which 5-, 10- and 20-ton jobs are comparable?

A rooftop unit packages heating and cooling equipment for ducted building service. These selections hold gas heat, refrigerant, voltage and the installation boundary constant, using one manufacturer's standard-efficiency, standard-static products. Nominal cooling tons and gas heating input remain separate selections.

DOE's undated Advanced RTU Campaign decision tree asks whether the existing unit is properly sized before procurement. Review load, ventilation and changed occupancy before retaining the old capacity; use the RTU portfolio repair-or-replacement survey to establish the capital work that needs pricing.

Daikin's June 2026 SS-DSG3-R32, SS-DSG7-R32 and SS-DSG15-R32 list cooling capacities of 57,500, 116,000 and 230,000 Btu/h for the selected models, marketed as 5, 10 and 20 tons. Use nominal tons for this comparison and selected performance at design conditions for engineering.

Match the full model and option schedule

Record the ordering code, voltage/phase, heat input, refrigerant, fan/static selection, ventilation assembly and controls interface. The 5-ton selection uses SEER2; the larger selections use IEER. Those labels measure different rating bases and cannot be ranked as one efficiency scale.

Table B's minimum circuit ampacity (MCA) and maximum overcurrent protection (MOP) come from pages 16, 13 and 11 of the respective June 2026 sheets. Verify the retained circuit against the ordered options and installed nameplate, including conductor and protective-device suitability. The priced crane classes require confirmation against the actual load chart.

Price a second brand, intermediate capacity or heat-pump alternate by replacing its equipment and affected connections together. A heat-pump conversion can change backup heat, feeder demand, controls and defrost drainage; interpolating a gas/electric dollars-per-ton figure leaves those quantities unresolved.

What does equipment-only pricing leave out?

An equipment purchase buys the ordered cabinet and factory components. An installed replacement also buys removal, a watertight roof interface, working connections and documented startup. Show those direct costs separately from estimating contingency and contractor markup so the owner can compare the same deliverable.

Table C is the bid-leveling matrix: assign a responsible trade and an included quantity to every line. “By others” is complete only when the corresponding work appears in another accepted scope. Separate allowances, fixed-price work and owner-direct contracts so an omitted electrical or roofing package cannot masquerade as a cheaper installation.

Normalize model/options, freight, tax, connections and acceptance tests. Add quoted exclusions before comparing totals, and remove duplicate charges only where written inclusions overlap.

Define completion as the selected equipment and accessories installed, roof interface closed, connections operating, unit airflow/startup recorded and controls tested. Full-building testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB), network integration and a seasonal return visit need additional quantities when specified. The RTU installation and startup guide describes the execution work this estimate purchases.

Record locally adopted code editions, permit fees and the permit authority's requirements for this alteration. Assign ventilation/economizer controls, roof attachment, access and inspection work to priced scope lines. Daikin IOD-1069B, December 2024, directs installation to applicable local codes; the economizer allowance here is an estimating selection, not a universal code threshold.

Dated equipment, labor and material rate register

The equipment amounts below are public seller asking prices checked November 5, 2026. The method note retains source cents for reproduction; obtain purchase-date freight, tax and validity terms. These are seller listings, not negotiated contractor quotes or manufacturer price schedules.

A1 denotes Anvilfield's November 5, 2026 estimating inputs throughout the tables. The $85 paid-person-hour cost includes wages, payroll burden and benefits, excluding business overhead and profit. Labor productivity, accessory prices, material/service allowances, the $500 transport allowance, contingency and markup are Anvilfield estimates.

Keep each crane vendor's rate, minimum, billing clock and inclusions together. Obtain a new equipment price for a different voltage or heat package.

Retain each item/model, quantity, price source, date/expiry, freight, tax and exclusions. Update installation hours when replacing an assembly allowance. Ordinary freight is assumed included; price special delivery, unloading or storage separately.

How much does an RTU crane mobilization cost?

Missouri Crane's published 40-ton rental rate, checked November 5, 2026, is $265 per portal-to-portal hour with a four-hour minimum and operator and basic rigging included, producing a $1,060 minimum charge before extra services. Its St. Louis rate schedule prices the 60-ton class at $375 per hour with an eight-hour minimum, or $3,000 before required counterweight hauling.

Crane rental tons describe lifting capacity class; RTU tons describe cooling capacity. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1417(o), checked November 5, 2026, requires rated-capacity compliance and load-weight verification. Supply radius, reach, configured load including rigging, access, ground support, power-line exposure and staging constraints for the crane selection.

Obtain standard-time, overtime/weekend, travel, waiting and cancellation terms with the rate. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1402 addresses ground support, and 1926.1408 addresses power-line exposure for equipment operations up to 350 kV. Price required ground preparation, mats, traffic control or utility coordination separately from the crane rental.

How do multiple RTUs share one crane mobilization?

Divide the complete crane charge among the replacements served by that mobilization. Allocate common travel and setup equally, then assign unit-specific lifting time to the unit that uses it. Equal total allocation fits comparable picks. Anvilfield's shared-lift estimate allows one hour total travel, one hour setup/teardown and half an hour for each combined removal/set cycle.

Four comparable RTU replacements completed within one four-hour crane mobilization at Missouri Crane's published rate allocate $265 per unit and save an Anvilfield-estimated $3,180 against four separate minimum-charge mobilizations, before contractor markup and tax. The half-hour cycles are Anvilfield estimates covering removal, adapter placement and setting with prepared crews, ready equipment and one viable setup. New-curb construction or roof repairs between removal and setting need their own crane timeline.

The four-unit 10-ton installed budget is $174,445 before tax with a shared lift, versus $178,468 with separate lifts: a $4,023 saving after contingency and markup. Each unit retains its labor and other allowances; calculate group totals from unrounded costs. That saving is 2.25% of the separate-lift budget. Compare it with the cost of retiring serviceable equipment early when choosing which units to replace together.

Six replacements use five billed hours at the same standard-time rate; their allocation rounds to $221 each. Four replacements requiring two minimum-charge setups instead cost $2,120 for the crane, saving $2,120 against four visits. Repositioning, waiting and a missed delivery must enter the timeline before claiming a group saving.

Build a grouped replacement survey program

Group work by buyer, shutdown permission, equipment readiness and feasible crane position. Estimators organizing multi-unit replacement surveys use PorchRocket's Ground Control to find commercial buildings with two or more visible rooftop HVAC units in their service area. Record capacity and condition from nameplates and service records; the aerial-survey limits guide separates visible equipment counts from the field information needed for a replacement price.

What do curb reuse and curb adapters add?

Anvilfield's November 2026 purchase allowances are $1,200, $1,800 and $3,000 for one adapter on the respective 5-, 10- and 20-ton jobs. Installation labor is separate. The allowance buys the assembly, gasket and internal transitions; external duct reconnections and local roof repair remain separate lines.

MicroMetl Form 4153-1P, March 2006 calls for existing-unit identification, measured curb dimensions and labeled supply/return openings. Its described adapter arrangement uses side-by-side ducts rather than concentric ducts. Cooling tons alone cannot identify the opening geometry or establish fit.

MicroMetl's Form 2371-6P requires the installer to verify support for the adapter and replacement RTU and account for the adapter's added external static pressure, so curb compatibility must include structure and airflow as well as dimensions. The installation instructions, copyright 1993 with no separate revision shown supply the installation scope; the purchase allowances here are Anvilfield estimates.

The compatible-curb alternate changes only the purchased assembly and its contingency and markup; inspection, preparation, sealing, duct and roof work remain.

A damaged or unsupported curb needs a measured new-curb, support and roofing alternate. Use the rooftop support guide and penetration flashing guide to define those interfaces. The base adapter contributes $2,277 after contingency and markup; combined with the crane minimum it contributes $3,618, before separately counted field labor.

Which connection and roof quantities belong in the estimate?

Count assemblies and measure connection lengths before assigning money. Table H contains Anvilfield purchase and service allowances dated November 5, 2026; installation labor appears in Table I. Each dollar amount extends the listed quantity, so the owner can replace an allowance without losing its scope.

The electrical line buys one compatible disconnect and a short reconnection kit. Verify voltage, phase and selected-option MCA and MOP before retaining the feeder. Select conductor size, protective devices and gas diameter for the actual application; the kit prices cover the stated assemblies.

Controls include one conventional controller with viable retained wiring. Price BAS gateways, licenses, graphics, point mapping and network commissioning by their own quantities. List factory-supplied and field-added interfaces separately so a detection assembly or controller is not purchased twice.

The economizer line buys one selected accessory. Ventilation and economizer commissioning also requires a defined scope for relief, demand-control functions and applicable interlocks. Record ordered options and functional tests together; an accessory price alone does not settle the ventilation acceptance scope.

Roof materials cover local repairs around the curb, with labor below. External duct materials cover two connections; expanded duct leakage testing and sealing requires additional scope. Recovery consumables, transport and disposal exclude recovery technician hours already carried in labor.

Localize changes through quantities and selections: hot/humid ventilation or dehumidification, cold-climate heating, coastal protection, high-static fans and roof access. Replace the affected equipment, materials and hours instead of applying an unsupported climate or city percentage to the whole job.

How many crew-hours and startup hours are included?

Anvilfield's November 2026 central estimates carry 44, 64 and 96 paid person-hours at $85 per hour, producing direct labor costs of $3,740, $5,440 and $8,160. Multiply each worker's paid time by the worker count and sum across trades. Four workers for four elapsed hours consume 16 person-hours.

The crane operator is already included in the rental. Startup buys unit-level airflow and external static pressure (ESP) verification plus the ordered model's functional tests; whole-building TAB, BAS integration or seasonal return work need their own hours.

Buy a startup record showing voltage and phase checks, operating amperage, airflow/ESP, heating input and temperature rise, condensate drainage, controls and ordered accessory tests. Use the replacement manual's acceptance conditions. For the selected 20-ton family, Daikin IOD-1069B, December 2024, page 17 limits refrigeration startup below 55°F outdoor ambient to readiness checks, with final checks and calibration above 55°F. Price that return visit when it applies.

Turn paid hours into a tenant outage schedule

Anvilfield's worked 10-ton schedule assigns eight paid person-hours before shutdown, 32 on the lift day and 24 on the completion day. That totals 64 paid person-hours across two field workdays plus advance preparation, with a 30-hour shutdown-to-release window.

The lift-day phase includes crew preparation while the crane travels and sets up. Place the removal/set inside the quoted portal window. Unit outage runs through recovery, roof closure, connections and acceptance testing.

Work backward from the permitted interruption. Confirm delivery, inspect freight damage, verify the adapter and stage parts before booking the lift. Obtain supplier and fabricator lead times for the ordered package; advertised stock or shipping speed does not establish installation completion. Temporary conditioning and restricted weekend work are separately measured additions.

Worked example: what does one 10-ton replacement cost?

Anvilfield's November 2026 estimate for a Daikin DSG1203DL00001S 10-ton gas/electric replacement is $44,617 before tax, including a $21,470 equipment purchase, 64 paid labor hours, one four-hour crane minimum, an adapter, connections, startup, contingency and markup.

The job uses existing suitable structure and service, one economizer accessory and limited connections. Add purchased equipment, labor, crane and Table H allowances to obtain direct cost. Increase that sum by the contingency percentage, then apply overhead and profit markup to the resulting subtotal.

Method and rounding

Anvilfield estimates use HVAC365 equipment prices and Missouri Crane rental terms checked November 5, 2026, plus the labor hours and purchased allowances listed here. Direct cost is equipment plus paid labor, crane and the itemized allowances; the budget adds 10% contingency and then 15% overhead and profit markup. The labor and allowance ranges vary within the defined scope, while equipment price and crane selection remain fixed; tax, rebates, financing and separately measured scope additions are outside the displayed totals.

P = (E + H × L + C + A) × 1.10 × 1.15, where E is equipment, H is paid person-hours, L is loaded hourly labor cost, C is crane and A is Table H allowances. Exact equipment inputs are $9,802.82, $21,470.31 and $43,953.96 for 5, 10 and 20 tons. Retain those cents in calculation and round displayed outputs to whole dollars; rounded components can differ from the total by $1.

The 10% contingency reserves money for quantity and productivity uncertainty within the defined work. Known feeder, structural, BAS or temporary-service additions belong in measured line items. The 15% markup equals a 13.04% margin on the contingency-inclusive selling-price basis, calculated by dividing 15 by 115; actual profitability also reflects reserve spending.

Apply tax to the project's actual taxable basis and contracting treatment. Show a confirmed incentive as an owner funding credit after the work price, with financing separate. Neither an assumed rebate nor the owner's payment method reduces the contractor's installation scope.

What changes the range and the final bid?

Anvilfield's low case uses 75% of central labor hours and 80% of Table H allowances; its high case uses 125% and 120%, respectively. Equipment, crane, contingency and markup stay fixed. These are defined estimating settings for the same scope.

Adding 16 paid person-hours at $85 per hour increases Anvilfield's worked 10-ton replacement budget by $1,720 after its stated 10% contingency and 15% overhead-and-profit markup, before tax. Changing only the loaded labor rate to $100 for the original 64 hours adds $1,214 to the installed budget.

Waiting crews, repeat travel, cancellation fees and temporary conditioning enter the worksheet as separate costs when incurred. The crane-only row isolates the rental effect.

Request waiting, weather, cancellation and rescheduling terms when booking the crane. An equipment delivery date that slips past the approved shutdown can change staffing and tenant-service costs as well as rental time. Reprice the changed sequence instead of applying the crane-only delta to every delay.

Localize a firm bid by replacing equipment/freight, trade labor rates, permit/design fees and crane terms, then recounting the work. Emergency premiums, structural steel, a new roof opening, feeder upgrades and BAS conversions require revised scope. Keep those known additions visible beside the base price so the owner can decide what changed.

Which equipment and refrigerant differences change scope?

Use the replacement model's instructions for installation and acceptance. Daikin's June 2026 DSG sheets identify the selected R-32 families; Carrier's 48TC-4-16-01SM, May 2014 identifies legacy R-410A equipment. A legacy service manual helps describe removal and existing records; the new model's manual determines its startup tasks.

EPA's sector restrictions page, updated August 28, 2026, distinguishes self-contained products from field-assembled systems. Record equipment classification, manufacture/import date and the applicable transaction when procuring equipment. Apply the category-specific rule rather than borrowing a split-system installation deadline for a packaged RTU.

EPA's safe-disposal guidance, updated March 23, 2026, requires refrigerant recovery before disposal for equipment dismantled on site. Carry technician time, consumables, handling, transport and disposal once each, and retain the recovery and receiving records with the retired unit tag.

The 10-ton weight conflict affects crane procurement directly. Daikin SS-DSG7-R32, June 2026, page 13 gives the selected model 1,199 lb shipping and 1,161 lb operating; page 86 labels its family row 1,161 lb shipping and 1,233 lb operating, with corner loads totaling 1,161 lb. Obtain supplier/OEM confirmation of the exact configured lifting load; reversing labels or selecting the largest printed number does not resolve it.

The 5-ton sheet gives 607 lb shipping/537 lb operating, and the 20-ton sheet gives 2,290 lb shipping/2,175 lb operating for the selections. Include actual accessories and lifting gear in the applicable load. Daikin IOD-1069B, December 2024, covers R-32 15-25-ton DSG equipment and includes refrigerant-detection instructions: include the selected 20-ton installation's room-area/duct conditions and specified detection/mitigation interfaces in the scope, with their checks in startup. Separate factory equipment from field work.

NREL/FS-5500-95286, September 2025, supplies general maintenance guidance while retaining manufacturer-specific instructions. Hand over the ordered-unit manuals and task calendar through the preventive maintenance program; price recurring maintenance separately from replacement capital.

Field checklist: what must be verified before firm pricing?

Turn each unknown into a recorded quantity, assigned quotation request or priced alternate. An item marked “existing” needs evidence that it suits the replacement selection. Keep the equipment schedule, photographs, dimensioned curb sketch, crane basis, quotes, hours and acceptance scope together under the unit tag.

Replace each allowance with the surveyed quantity or confirmed factory inclusion. Record the price source and responsible trade when reconciling the survey against the proposal.

At turnover, connect the accepted replacement record to the maintenance agreement's scope and exclusions. That keeps future service findings attached to the installed configuration and separates capital authorization from the recurring contract.

• Record unit tag, existing and proposed full model, cooling selection, heat input, voltage, phase and refrigerant.
• Record load/ventilation selection basis and any change in space use; identify who approved capacity.
• Measure curb exterior, supply/return openings, orientation and duct connection arrangement; obtain adapter drawing.
• Record existing curb/roof condition, support review, added assembly weight and roofing repair quantity.
• Record crane location, radius, reach, load including accessories/rigging, approach and setup constraints; request matched rental terms.
• Identify each unit sharing the mobilization, readiness date, removal/set sequence and allocation method.
• Record feeder/disconnect suitability against selected voltage, MCA and MOP; price any replacement separately.
• Count and measure gas, drain, duct, electrical and controls reconnections; identify ventilation accessories.
• List BAS points/gateway/licenses, alarm and refrigerant-detection interfaces, factory inclusions and required functional tests when applicable.
• Price recovery labor, consumables, handling, transport and disposal; retain the receiving/recovery record.
• Separate labor person-hours from crane hours and tenant outage; include paid preparation/travel.
• Assign startup, airflow/ESP and accessory acceptance records, weather-dependent return work and maintenance handover.
• Record equipment/adapter/crane quote dates, freight, tax, expiry and exclusions; reconcile duplicate inclusions.
• Identify permit/design fees, temporary service, overtime, crane delay/cancellation terms and known scope additions; approve the final bid boundary.

Source review: November 5, 2026. Update log: rechecked seller/OEM/rental evidence and all calculations; clarified permit scope, crane allocation, R-32 interfaces and startup acceptance, including weather-dependent return work.

Reference calculations: worked installed cost, shared crane allocation and dated rate register.

How to cite this page: Anvilfield, Commercial RTU replacement cost by ton: equipment, crane and curb tables, 2026, https://anvilfield.com/field-guides/hvac/rtu-replacement-cost-by-ton-installed-scope/.

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Sources checked

• S1. HVAC365, 5-ton commercial rooftop listings Checked November 5, 2026. Live seller listing: DSG0603DL00001S, $9,802.82; public asking price.
• S2. HVAC365, 10-ton commercial rooftop listings Checked November 5, 2026. Live seller listing: DSG1203DL00001S, $21,470.31; public asking price.
• S3. HVAC365, 20-ton commercial rooftop listings Checked November 5, 2026. Live seller listing: DSG2403DL00001S, $43,953.96; public asking price.
• S4. Missouri Crane, Crane Rental Checked November 5, 2026. Undated St. Louis rental schedule: hourly rates, minimums, portal billing, operator/rigging and hauling terms.
• S5. Keweenaw Crane Service, published rental rates Checked November 5, 2026. Undated Michigan rental schedule: 40-ton rate, shop-to-shop billing, rigging and winter surcharge.
• S6. Central Maine Crane, Boom Truck Rates Checked November 5, 2026. Live Maine rate schedule; fuel surcharge notice effective April 6, 2026.
• S7. DOE Advanced RTU Campaign, Decision Tree for RTU Replacements or Retrofits Checked November 5, 2026. Undated full one-page decision tree prepared by NREL: inventory, sizing, evaluation and procurement sequence.
• S8. NREL, Rooftop Unit (RTU) Maintenance Guide Checked November 5, 2026. NREL/FS-5500-95286, September 2025, four pages: equipment types and manufacturer-specific maintenance handover.
• S10. Daikin SS-DSG3-R32 Checked November 5, 2026. June 2026, supersedes April 2026: selected-model ratings p. 16; base weights p. 140.
• S11. Daikin SS-DSG7-R32 Checked November 5, 2026. June 2026, supersedes April 2026: selected-model ratings/weights p. 13; conflicting family weight labels p. 86, retained in Table N.
• S12. Daikin SS-DSG15-R32 Checked November 5, 2026. June 2026, supersedes April 2026: selected-model ratings p. 11; weights p. 94.
• S13. MicroMetl Special Roofcurb Adaptor worksheet Checked November 5, 2026. Form 4153-1P, March 2006: adapter dimensional survey, duct configuration, support and pressure loss.
• S14. MicroMetl Curb Adaptor Installation Instructions Checked November 5, 2026. Form 2371-6P, copyright 1993; no separate revision shown. OEM instructions hosted by distributor: support, dimensions, pressure loss and sealing.
• S15. Carrier 48TC sizes 04-16 Service and Maintenance Instructions Checked November 5, 2026. 48TC-4-16-01SM, May 2014: legacy R-410A identity and startup record, p. 151. Applies to the named Carrier equipment.
• S16. EPA, Technology Transitions HFC Restrictions by Sector Checked November 5, 2026. Updated August 28, 2026: product/system classification and category-specific restrictions.
• S17. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1417, Operation Checked November 5, 2026. Current online text, subsection (o): rated capacity and load-weight verification. Read through the web tool; curl returned HTTP 403.
• S18. EPA, Stationary Refrigeration Safe Disposal Requirements Checked November 5, 2026. Updated March 23, 2026: recovery before disposal for equipment dismantled on site.
• S19. Daikin DSG 15-25 Ton Installation Instructions Checked November 5, 2026. IOD-1069B, December 2024: R-32 15-25-ton DSG instructions; room-area/duct conditions pp. 5-8, startup and below-55°F readiness/return condition p. 17, electrical/airflow checks p. 18, refrigerant-detection system p. 27.
• S20. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1402, Ground conditions Checked November 5, 2026. Current online text: ground preparation, support and known subsurface hazards. Read through the web tool.
• S21. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1408, Power line safety (up to 350 kV), equipment operations Checked November 5, 2026. Current online text: work-zone assessment and power-line encroachment precautions. Read through the web tool.