Heating & cooling
No cooling in July, a furnace that quits in a cold snap, or a 15-year-old system a technician says is 'on its last legs' — here's what each repair and replacement actually costs, how to tell repair from replacement, and how to hire an HVAC contractor who sizes the system properly instead of selling you the biggest box on the truck.
Heating and cooling is the most expensive mechanical system in most houses and the one homeowners understand least. It also fails at the worst possible moment: the first 100-degree afternoon, or the night the temperature drops below freezing. That combination — high cost, low knowledge, urgent timing — is why HVAC quotes for the identical house can differ by $6,000.
The good news is that the decisions are simpler than the jargon suggests. There are only a handful of things that break, only a handful of real choices when you replace, and a short list of questions that separate a contractor who will do it right from one who will drop in an oversized unit, skip the permit, and be gone before you find out.
This page covers what HVAC contractors actually do, what the work costs nationally, when repairing beats replacing, the warning signs that your system is failing, and exactly what to require in a written quote. City pages linked below carry local pricing, permit offices and licensing for your market.
The work
01
The common failures are a capacitor, a contactor, a blower motor, a condensate drain clog that trips the safety switch, a failed thermostat, or low refrigerant from a leak. A capacitor is a sub-$400 visit; a compressor is a replacement conversation. Any technician who says 'it just needs a recharge' without finding the leak is selling you refrigerant that will be gone by next summer.
02
Igniters, flame sensors, pressure switches, inducer motors, gas valves and control boards make up most no-heat calls. The one repair that ends the conversation is a cracked heat exchanger: it is a carbon monoxide risk, it is usually the point where replacement wins, and it should always be shown to you with a camera or a combustion analyzer reading, not just described.
03
A replacement is a matched pair — outdoor condenser or heat pump plus indoor coil and air handler or furnace — sized with a load calculation, with a new line set or a properly flushed existing one, a new pad, updated electrical whip and disconnect, a fresh thermostat, and a permit and inspection. Replacing only the outdoor unit on an old indoor coil is a mismatch that loses efficiency and often voids the warranty.
04
Heat pumps now handle cold climates far better than their reputation, and federal and utility incentives frequently apply. In mild climates a heat pump replaces both halves of the system. In cold climates a dual-fuel setup pairs a heat pump with a gas furnace that takes over below a set outdoor temperature. Ask for the balance point the contractor programmed and why.
05
Half of comfort complaints are duct problems, not equipment problems. Undersized returns, crushed flex runs, disconnected boots in the attic and 20 percent leakage will make a brand-new system feel like the old one. Sealing, adding return air, resizing trunks and adding zone dampers are often cheaper than the equipment upgrade someone is trying to sell you.
06
Media filter cabinets, whole-home dehumidifiers and humidifiers, UV lamps, fresh-air ventilators and better return filtration. Some of this matters a lot in humid or tightly sealed homes; some of it is high-margin add-on. Ask what problem each item solves and how it will be measured.
07
Two visits a year — cooling in spring, heating in fall — with coil cleaning, refrigerant charge verification, amp draws, a combustion check on gas equipment and a condensate flush. Maintenance is also what most manufacturer warranties technically require you to document.
08
Ductless mini-splits handle garages, sunrooms, bonus rooms, additions and older homes with no duct space. One outdoor unit can feed several indoor heads. They are also the honest answer when one room is always 8 degrees off and re-ducting the house is not realistic.
Plan the budget
These are national planning ranges for a typical single-family home with an existing system. Equipment tier, home size, local labor rates, permit fees, and whether ductwork or electrical work is included move these numbers substantially. Emergency and after-hours calls run higher. Your city page carries local pricing.
| Scope | Planning range | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic / service call | $85 – $200 | Often credited toward the repair |
| Capacitor or contactor replacement | $150 – $450 | The most common AC no-cool fix |
| Furnace igniter or flame sensor | $150 – $500 | Most common no-heat fix |
| Blower motor replacement | $450 – $1,500 | Variable-speed motors cost more |
| Refrigerant leak repair + recharge | $400 – $2,000 | R-410A and newer blends vary by market |
| Evaporator coil replacement | $1,200 – $3,500 | Often the point to price a full system |
| Compressor replacement | $1,500 – $4,000 | Rarely worth it out of warranty |
| AC replacement (condenser + coil) | $5,000 – $10,000 | Matched pair, permit, startup |
| Gas furnace replacement | $4,000 – $9,000 | Higher for high-efficiency venting changes |
| Full system replacement (AC + furnace) | $8,000 – $16,000 | Typical 3-ton, mid-tier equipment |
| Heat pump system installed | $8,000 – $18,000 | Incentives frequently apply |
| Ductless mini-split (1 zone) | $3,500 – $7,000 | Add $1,500 – $3,000 per extra head |
| Duct sealing / repair | $800 – $3,500 | Cheapest comfort fix in many homes |
| Full duct replacement | $4,000 – $12,000 | Depends on attic or crawl access |
| Maintenance plan (two visits/yr) | $150 – $400 | Usually includes priority scheduling |
Tonnage and home size — a load calculation, not a guess based on square footage or 'what was here before.'
Efficiency tier: a 14-15 SEER2 builder-grade system versus a variable-speed high-efficiency system can differ by $5,000 on the same house.
Gas versus heat pump versus dual fuel, and what your electrical panel can support.
Ductwork condition — sealing, resizing returns, or replacing runs is often 20-40 percent of a real replacement quote.
Access: attic air handlers in July, tight closets, roof-mount units and crawl space equipment all add labor hours.
High-efficiency venting: a 95 percent furnace needs PVC venting and a condensate route the old flue did not.
Permit and inspection fees, which vary widely by city and should be a line item, never an afterthought.
Season: replacing in the shoulder months (spring and fall) is typically cheaper and faster than during the first heat wave.
Rebates and tax credits — utility rebates and federal efficiency credits can move net cost by thousands on qualifying equipment.
Know the signs
Some of these are a service call. Some of them are a replacement conversation. The pattern matters more than any single symptom.
The system runs constantly but rooms never reach the thermostat setting.
Warm air from the vents in cooling mode, or cold air in heating mode.
Short cycling — turning on and off every few minutes — which usually means an oversized or struggling system.
Ice on the refrigerant line or the outdoor unit in summer.
Grinding, screeching, banging or a loud hum at startup.
Electric bills climbing year over year with no change in habits.
Rooms that differ by more than a few degrees from each other.
Humidity that stays high indoors in summer even while the AC runs.
Water pooling around the indoor unit or a repeatedly tripping float switch.
A burning or musty smell when heat first comes on, or any smell of gas — leave and call the gas utility first.
Repeated repairs on equipment past 12-15 years old, especially if refrigerant is involved.
A yellow rather than blue burner flame, or a technician's combustion reading that indicates a cracked heat exchanger.
No pressure
You don't need to diagnose the job before you ask for help. Tell Henry what you see and compare up to three local HVAC contractors.
Get matched with a proHire with confidence
Replacement quotes are where the money is, and it is a category with strong sales training. The following requests are normal, and any good contractor answers them without friction.
Require a load calculation (Manual J) for any replacement — not 'same size as the old one.' Oversized equipment short-cycles and leaves the house humid.
Get the exact model numbers for both indoor and outdoor equipment in writing so you can compare quotes on the same terms.
Confirm the quote includes the permit and the municipal inspection. Skipping the permit is the single most common corner cut.
Ask what happens to the line set, the pad, the disconnect, the thermostat and the condensate route — all of it should be specified.
Ask for the duct plan: any measured static pressure, return sizing, and what sealing is included.
Separate the warranties: manufacturer parts warranty, registration requirement, and the contractor's own labor warranty in years.
Verify state mechanical or HVAC licensing plus general liability and workers' comp, and check the license number yourself.
Ask who will actually be on site — employee crews versus subcontracted installers — and who to call if something goes wrong at 9pm.
Get at least three written quotes, and compare equipment tier and scope before comparing price.
Ask about available utility rebates and federal efficiency credits, and who files the paperwork.
A recharge with no leak search, or refrigerant sold by the pound with no diagnosis.
A cracked heat exchanger claim with no photo, video or combustion analyzer reading.
'Today only' pricing, a discount that expires when the technician leaves, or pressure to sign before you sleep on it.
A replacement quote that lists no model numbers, no tonnage, and no permit.
Sizing by square footage or by matching the old unit, with no load calculation offered.
Quoting a condenser swap onto an old mismatched indoor coil without disclosing the efficiency and warranty consequences.
Cash-only pricing, no written contract, or a large deposit before equipment is ordered.
No license number on the estimate, or a license that does not check out with the state board.
Refusing to leave the old parts, or condemning a system without showing you the failure.
Questions homeowners ask
The common rule is to replace when the repair costs more than a third of a new system, or when the equipment is past 12-15 years old and needs a compressor, an evaporator coil or a heat exchanger. Age plus a major component failure almost always favors replacement; a capacitor on an 8-year-old system almost never does.
Air conditioners and heat pumps typically run 12-17 years, gas furnaces 15-25 years. Coastal salt air shortens condenser life, and neglected maintenance shortens everything.
A straight changeout is usually one day. Add ductwork, a high-efficiency venting change, electrical work or a difficult attic and it becomes two to three days.
That comes from a Manual J load calculation using your square footage, insulation, windows, orientation and climate — not from a rule of thumb. Bigger is not better: an oversized system cools quickly, shuts off before it removes humidity, and leaves the house clammy.
In mild and moderate climates, almost always. In cold climates, a cold-climate heat pump or a dual-fuel setup with a gas furnace backup works well and often qualifies for incentives. Ask the contractor for the balance point and the expected operating cost compared with your current system.
In most cities, yes — equipment changeouts are permitted mechanical work and are inspected. The permit protects you: it is the reason someone independent verifies the gas, electrical and venting. Your city page lists the local office.
It catches capacitor drift, low charge, dirty coils and drain clogs before they become emergency calls, and it keeps warranty documentation intact. Two visits a year is the standard.
Usually. Spring and fall are the shoulder months, when crews have capacity and manufacturers run promotions. Emergency replacement during the first heat wave is the most expensive way to buy a system.
Nothing. Matching is free and there is no obligation to hire anyone. Contractors pay a flat fee for the introduction — you never pay Henry a cent.
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Local market guides
Each city page covers local labor pricing, weather, permits, licensing, neighborhoods and the contractors Henry can match in that market.
Tell Henry what you need. We’ll send your project to no more than three vetted local pros — and you decide whether any of them earns your business.
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy — heating and cooling guidance · ENERGY STAR — HVAC sizing, efficiency and rebates · ACCA — Manual J load calculation standard · Angi — HVAC replacement cost data · HomeAdvisor — true cost guides
The Henry Standard
Call back. Keep appointments. And if something changes, communicate it.
Equipment, scope, permit, and price in writing — so you know what you're agreeing to.
See the job through, pull the permit, and pass inspection before calling it finished.
Nothing revolutionary. Just the way we believe doing business should still be done.
