Short answer
An HVAC bill comes down to the service call, the part and the labor for a repair, or, for a new system, size, equipment type, installation location, ductwork and electrical. Ask for prices before work starts, and get replacement quotes in writing with model numbers and everything included.
Alpine Cool's prices
Ask what the service call costs when you call. For what drives the price of a repair or a new system, see what HVAC work costs.
The service call
A service call covers the trip and the time to find out what's wrong. Diagnosis is real work: electrical testing, refrigerant readings, airflow checks. Two things are worth asking any company before they come out: what the service call costs, and whether it's credited toward the repair if you go ahead.
What drives a repair price
- The part. A capacitor or contactor is a small part. A blower motor, a control board or a compressor is not.
- The labor. Some repairs take minutes; a refrigerant leak search or a coil replacement takes hours.
- Refrigerant. If the system is low, finding and fixing the leak is part of the job, and the refrigerant itself is a real cost.
- Access. A unit in a tight crawlspace or a hot attic takes longer than one in a hall closet.
What drives a new system price
- Size. Tonnage should come from the house, not from the old unit's label.
- Type. AC with a gas furnace, a heat pump with electric backup, or dual fuel.
- Efficiency. Higher-efficiency equipment costs more up front and less to run.
- Location and access. Closet, attic, or crawlspace.
- Ductwork. Reuse, repair, or replace.
- Electrical and drainage. New circuits, disconnects, condensate lines or pumps.
- What's included. Line set, pad, thermostat, permits, and hauling off the old equipment.
See AC installation and replacement for how to compare quotes line by line.
What can change a price after the work starts
This is the part that makes the rest of a price believable, so here it is plainly:
- A second failure. A new capacitor gets the compressor running, and then the compressor turns out to be failing too.
- Hidden damage. A leak that turns out to be in the indoor coil instead of a fitting, or ductwork that's worse than it looked from the access hole.
- Access surprises. Equipment that has to come out a different way than it went in.
When something like that comes up, you should hear about it, and the new price, before the extra work is done.
Repair or replace?
The honest answer depends on three things: how old the system is, what failed, and what the repair costs next to a replacement. Small parts on an older system are usually worth fixing. A compressor, an indoor coil or repeat refrigerant leaks on an aging system usually aren't. See AC repair for more on where that line falls.
Common questions
How much does an HVAC service call cost?
Service-call and diagnostic fees vary by company. Ask before anyone comes out, and ask whether the fee is credited toward the repair if you go ahead with it.
What makes a new AC or heat pump system cost more or less?
System size, the type of equipment (AC with a furnace, heat pump, or dual fuel), the efficiency level, where the equipment is installed, the condition of the ductwork, electrical changes, and what is included, such as the line set, drain, thermostat, permits and disposal of the old equipment.
Can a repair price change after the technician starts?
Sometimes. A second failed part can show up once the first is replaced, or a leak turns out to be in a different place than the first test showed. A good technician tells you before doing anything that changes the price.