By Gene and Katie Hamilton

It may seem like a contradiction, but sometimes a room with an exhaust fan also needs a heater. This is often the case in a drafty bathroom where you want proper ventilation to keep the indoor air fresh and eliminate moisture. In the winter one solution is to add a separate heating unit, another is to install a WhisperWarm unit that combines an exhaust fan with a heater. It has a built-in damper to prevent backdraft, which helps to prevent outside air from coming through the fan.

To replace an existing bathroom vent with a new unit that combines venting and heating, an electrician will charge $367, which includes the unit and its installation. If you have electrical skills and tools, you can make the replacement for $185, the cost of the unit, and pocket a 49 percent saving. If there's not an existing vent and a new electrical line is needed, it will cost considerably more and should be left to a licensed electrician.

Looking for a Bathroom Contractor to do the job? Click here to get to Home Advisor and it will open in a new tab and you’ll have to answer some basic questions about your job followed by Bathroom Contractors in your area.

Here's a link to an installation video of the unit by Panasonic.

Wrapping up, given the average cost to install an exhaust fan with heater you can compare the price of a contractor’s bid with doing it yourself. For a local cost input your ZIP Code.

Improvement and Repair Cost Updated 2019