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What’s the Cost to Repair an AC in Florida?

If you need an AC repair, your first question will probably be “How much will this cost me?”

The average cost of an AC repair in Florida runs anywhere from $120 to $999.

While this seems like a broad range, the final repair cost depends on four main factors:

  • The age of your AC unit
  • The type of repair your AC needs
  • Your AC warranty’s validity
  • The HVAC contractor you hire for the repair

You can get a good estimate of how much your AC repair will cost by looking at the factors listed above. However, the only way to get a precise estimate is to have an HVAC technician diagnose your AC. Below, we’ll discuss the cost factors in-depth and explain how each one affects your total repair cost.

Rather have your AC repaired ASAP? Contact Climate Design.

Our technicians are North American Technician Excellence (NATE) certified — the most distinguished industry certification — so you know we’ll fix your problem the first time around.

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Cost Factor #1: The age of your AC unit

The older your AC is (i.e. 10+ years old), the higher your repair bill will most likely be.

As ACs age, their parts break down and if it’s a particularly vital part (e.g. the compressor), you’re looking at a potentially hefty repair fee. So, if your AC system is on the older side, it might be more budget-friendly to just replace your entire AC unit instead of trying to repair it.

If you’re trying to decide whether to replace or repair your AC, keep in mind the $5,000 rule. After you get a repair quote from an HVAC technician, multiply the age of your AC by the quote. If the answer is more than $5,000, it’s considered more cost-effective to replace the AC unit entirely rather than paying for the repair.

To demonstrate this rule, if your AC is 11 years old and the repair quote is $700, the answer is $7,700 … so, in this scenario, it would be better for your wallet to proactively replace the AC system instead of repairing it.

If you’re on the fence about whether you should repair or replace your unit, an HVAC technician is the best person to ask to help you decide. A high-quality technician will take into consideration your AC’s age and the type/cost of repairs needed when they make their recommendation.

Cost Factor #2: The type of repair your AC needs

The specific parts of your AC that need repairing/replacing will have the biggest impact on your repair cost.

For example, some AC repairs are fairly affordable (e.g. fixing the thermostat), while others are pricey, like repairing or replacing the evaporator coil or compressor.

To give you a better gauge of how much your repair will cost, we’ve listed some major AC repairs along with their cost ranges:

  • Blower motor: $350-$850
  • Capacitor or contactor: $200-$450
  • Circuit board: $200-$850
  • Compressor: $800-$3,500
  • Condenser fan motor: $250-$1,100
  • Evaporator coil: $850-$3,000
  • Refrigerant: $230-$1,500+
  • Thermostat: $200-$990

Although these costs will give you an idea of how much your repair may cost, for an exact cost, you’ll need to have an HVAC technician diagnose the problem.

Cost Factor #3: Your AC warranty’s validity

There are two types of warranties that might save you money on your AC repair cost — as long as they are valid.

The first warranty to check is your manufacturer’s warranty. Usually, major AC manufacturers will offer 1-10 years of coverage for repairing/replacing vital AC parts (e.g. the compressor) if they’re broken due to a manufacturing defect.

To reap the benefits of a manufacturer’s warranty, you’ll want to check that you haven’t accidentally voided your warranty. Your warranty could be useless if any of the following mistakes have been made:

  • Forgetting to register your AC with the manufacturer within 90 days of the AC installation date. This timeline is an estimate and depends on the manufacturer.
  • Skipping annual AC maintenance appointments with a licensed HVAC technician.
  • Using off-brand parts to repair your AC. Manufacturers will only cover repair costs if your AC has only been repaired with original brand parts.

If none of these mistakes were made, you can check if your warranty is still valid by searching for the AC model number on the manufacturer’s website.

The second warranty you should check is the labor warranty, which might cover the labor costs of the repair. Similar to the manufacturer’s warranty, the labor warranty is only valid if the AC problem is due to installation mistakes. Labor warranties are usually valid for 1-2 years after the installation date. You can check if the labor warranty is still valid by reaching out to the HVAC contractor who installed your AC.

Cost Factor #4: The HVAC contractor you hire for the repair

The experience level of the contractor you hire generally has a direct impact on the repair cost because a more experienced contractor will typically charge more.

However tempting it is to hire a less experienced contractor to save money, you are risking hiring a contractor who may not correctly repair your AC and you may end up paying for duplicate or additional work.

When you search for an experienced contractor, you’ll want to look for a company that:

  • Has valid licenses that you can verify on Better Business Bureau since unlicensed businesses aren’t allowed to be accredited by the BBB
  • Has been in business for 10+ years so you can review their track record to see what other Floridians think about them

After you’ve found an experienced contractor you want to hire, you’ll want to see how they charge for AC repairs.

Some contractors charge an hourly repair fee while others charge a flat-rate repair fee. If you hire an hourly contractor, you may pay more than you plan to if the work takes longer than expected. However, when you hire a contractor who provides a written flat-fee estimate in advance, you won’t see any surprise charges on your repair bill.

Need an AC repair for your Florida home? Contact Climate Design

If you’re looking for a reliable HVAC contractor who can repair any AC brand or model, and who always provides a flat-fee estimate in advance, contact our team. We’ve consistently provided homeowners with great repair experiences. Many of our customers have stayed with us for 10-40+ years.

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