Your replacement quote has a UV light, a surge protector, an "air scrubber," and a premium warranty baked into the total. The salesperson made each one sound essential. Here's the honest take on every common add-on: what it really costs, whether it's worth it, and the one sentence that gets you the base system price.
None of these add-ons are scams by definition, but together they're the line items that most often quietly inflate a quote by $2,000–$5,000. The tell isn't whether they're on the quote; it's whether each one is listed with its own price and is something you can decline. A surge protector that's a $30–$50 part shows up at $300+. The fix is one sentence: "Can you give me the quote with the add-ons removed, so I can see the base system price, then I'll add back only what I choose." A markup of ~35% on equipment is normal; 400% on accessories is not.
Each gets an honest verdict: maybe worth it (real value for some homes, your call) or usually skippable (rarely worth the markup). None is "always buy". That's the point.
Real cost: a whole-home HVAC surge protector is a $30–$50 part; often billed at $300+.
Surge protection itself is reasonable. New HVAC equipment has sensitive circuit boards. But the markup here is the most extreme of any add-on. A small device that costs the contractor $30–$50 routinely lands on quotes at $300 or more. If you want one, fine, just see it priced as its own line, and know you could also have an electrician add whole-home surge protection at the panel for a comparable price that protects everything, not just the HVAC.
Real cost: installed UV systems run $250–$1,500; the replacement lamp itself is often $30–$100 (and needs replacing every 1–2 years).
UV lights aimed at the coil can help keep mold and biofilm off the evaporator coil: a real, narrow benefit, especially in hot, humid climates where coils stay damp. They are not a whole-home air purifier and won't do much for dust or most allergens. Worth considering if you've had recurring coil mold; otherwise easy to skip. Either way it should be optional, separately priced, and you should know about the recurring lamp cost.
Real cost: $600–$1,500 typical, installed.
These are real products that can help with odors and some particles, but they're heavily oversold and the marketing claims often outrun the evidence. Some ionizing types have raised air-quality concerns of their own. If indoor air quality is a real issue for you, a good media filter or a standalone HEPA purifier is often a cheaper, better-understood fix. Decide on an air scrubber on its own merits, never as a "mandatory part of the system."
Real cost: can stack $500–$2,000+ onto a job.
Your new equipment already comes with a manufacturer's parts warranty (often 10 years if you register it). An extended labor warranty covers the cost of the labor to install warranty parts, which can be worth something, but only if you know exactly what it covers, for how long, and what voids it. Ask for the actual terms in writing before you pay for it. "Premium warranty" with no document behind it is just a number.
Real cost: varies; often a multi-year membership bundled into the total.
A tune-up plan can be reasonable on its own, but it should never be welded into the price of a new system. If it's in your total, it's optional. You can decline it and buy it later (or not). Make sure you know what it actually includes and whether it auto-renews.
You don't have to argue about any single add-on. You just have to separate them from the system so you can see what the actual equipment-and-install costs:
"Can you give me the quote with all the add-ons removed, so I can see the base system price, then I'll add back only the ones I choose, each priced separately?"
A fair contractor does this without flinching. They want you to understand what you're buying. A quote where the add-ons are baked into one lump total and can't be pulled apart is the real flag. You can't say yes or no to something you can't even see the price of.
Our free autopsy tool flags the line items that tend to be padded, with the real part cost next to what you're being charged, and tells you exactly what to ask.
Run the free quote autopsy →Every common HVAC add-on, its real cost, the honest verdict, and the one sentence that gets you the base system price, so you can take it to your quote. One email, no spam.
For most homes, no. It's optional. A coil UV light can help control mold and biofilm on a damp evaporator coil, which is a real but narrow benefit, mainly in hot, humid climates or if you've had recurring coil mold. It is not a whole-home air purifier and won't do much for dust or most allergens. If you want one, make sure it's listed separately, optional, and that you know the recurring lamp-replacement cost ($30–$100 every year or two).
The protection is reasonable, but the price usually isn't. The device is often a $30–$50 part billed at $300 or more. If you want surge protection, ask to see it as its own line item, and compare it against having an electrician install whole-home surge protection at your panel, which protects everything in the house, not just the HVAC, for a comparable price.
Together, common add-ons (UV light, surge protector, air scrubber, and an extended labor warranty) can add roughly $2,000 to $5,000 to a quote. A markup of about 35% on the core equipment is normal; markups of several hundred percent on small accessories are not. The fix is to ask for the quote with all add-ons removed so you can see the base system price, then add back only what you choose.
Sometimes, but they're heavily oversold and run $600–$1,500. If indoor air quality is a genuine concern, a good media filter or a standalone HEPA purifier is often a cheaper, better-understood option. Decide on an air scrubber on its own merits, never as a mandatory part of a system quote, and be cautious of ionizing types that can raise their own air-quality questions.
Only if you can read the actual terms first. New equipment already carries a manufacturer's parts warranty (often 10 years with registration). An extended labor warranty covers the labor to install warranty parts, which can be worth something, but only if you know what it covers, for how long, and what voids it. Get the document before you pay the $500–$2,000+ it adds.