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Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from S.M. Brown Heating & Cooling. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Estimated range
$5,000 – $11,400
Typical HVAC project around $8,200
In a January 2024 review, one customer said S.M. Brown "gets 5 stars not just for the work they have done... but also for the work they haven't" — after an after-hours call about a possible malfunction, the on-call tech and service manager talked it through by phone instead of dispatching an unnecessary emergency visit and charging for it. S.M. Brown Heating & Cooling is a North Reading, Massachusetts oil-heating specialist founded in 2014 by Shane Brown, handling residential heating and cooling service, oil tanks, water heaters and bio-fuel heating. The company describes itself as family-owned, veteran-owned and first-responder-owned, and has been BBB accredited with an A+ grade since 2019. Most of the written record centers on boiler and oil-tank work: a 2024 review described a burner inspection that turned up a failing oil tank, replaced the next day before it became a bigger problem, and an older review recalled the same crew servicing an aging boiler for years at reasonable cost before removing it entirely. But the record isn't spotless — in a June 2024 review, a customer called about an AC that wasn't cooling and says they were steered into a paid "maintenance plan" before service; the technician who came out damaged a water sensor and couldn't finish topping off refrigerant, and a return visit was quoted at an added $250 the customer felt wasn't made clear upfront. Owner Shane Brown says he's a licensed oil heat, gas heat and HVAC technician, though that hasn't been checked against a state registry. For routine boiler, oil-tank and heating work the reviews are consistent going back to 2022; if the call is for AC service, it's worth asking upfront what a maintenance visit does and doesn't cover.
Shane and his crew are fast and knowledgeable!
SM Brown serviced my very old boiler several times for a reasonable price and most recently, removed the boiler, tank, and remaining oil in the tank. Nick came out to see the site and provide a quote. He was friendly and personable and the quote was reasonable. They arrived on time, removed both and the external pipes, left the area clean and didn't damage anything in the process. Fully recommend them!
I called because my AC was not cooling properly. They told me over the phone that I’d need to join the “maintenance plan” for service. The maintenance technician was inexperienced and actually damaged a water sensor in the attic. During the maintenance, the tech noticed that the Freon needed to be topped off and he could not do as part of the maintenance. He basically cleaned some debris around our unit for $250. When I called to have the Freon topped off, they stated that it would be an addl. $250 to come out plus the cost of the Freon. This was not clear during our original conversation, I would not recommend working with this company.
I called for them to come out and look at my burner, it wasn't firing right. During the inspection they found a significant fault in my oil tank. If they didn't inspect the tank it really could've been a major headache. Came out the next day and replaced the tank. They were very thorough and professional. Left the area cleaner than it was when they got here. I won't use anyone else
SM Brown gets 5 stars not just for the work they have done at my house but also for the work they haven't done. I had called after hours about what I thought was a malfunction. The tech on call and the service manager both spoke with me on the phone and ended up saving me $$$ by not just dispatching a tech for an after hours emergency. Not all companies would do that. Every time service has been done to our systems the tech doing. The work always explains what he's doing and why. We appreciate the transparency. Long story short we trust them and highly recommend them.
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1 change recorded — last scanned Aug 15, 2026.
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