The Average Cost of AC Repair: A Useful Guide on What to Expect to Pay

cost of ac repair

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Table of Contents

The average bill for an AC repair service ranges from $250.00 to $350.00, depending on what is required. Below is a pricing table which provides more detail into which parts of the AC system that need to be worked on and the average prices nationally in the United States.

AC Repair Service (note: the price ranges are based on the size of your AC unit)Average Cost
Initial Consultation/Inspection (typically waived once the company is hired to do the repairs)$60.00 – $120.00
Replacing a condensate drainage tube$20.00 – $40.00
Replacing condensate drain pump$250.00 – $500.00
Replacing drain pans$220.00 – $600.00
Flushing the drain line$70.00 – $300.00
Recharging AC refrigerant$225.00 – $700.00
Repairing a refrigerant leak$200.00 – $1,400.00
Replacing a compressor$1,800.00 – $2,000.00
Repairing an outdoor fan motor$150.00 – $800.00
Replacing circuit breakers, relays, or fuses$75.00 – $300.00
Replacing the condenser coil$1,800 – $3,000.00
Replacing the circuit board$100.00 – $600.00
Replacing the evaporator coil$600.00 – $1,200.00
Replacing the Thermostat$75.00 – $400.00

Is the central air conditioning system that’s hooked up to your home more than 15 years old?

If so, you may want to consider replacing your AC system as opposed to repairing it the next time something is wrong with it. That’s about how long you can expect an AC system to last before replacement needs to be done.

If your AC system is still pretty new, though, it’s a good idea to have it repaired right away. The average cost of AC repair will obviously be a lot less than the average cost of AC replacement, and it’ll allow you to get some more life out of your AC system before it needs to be replaced later on.

But before you schedule AC repair, you should take the time to learn about how much you can expect to pay for it. Here is an air conditioner repair cost guide that will shed light on some of the factors that can affect the cost of AC repair.

First, What Is Wrong With Your AC?

There are all kinds of issues that can impact your home’s AC system and cause problems. The specific issues that you’re having with your AC system are going to play a big role in the cost of AC repair.

Some of the most common issues with residential AC systems are:

  • Low refrigerant
  • Frozen evaporator coils
  • Dirty condenser coils
  • Clogged drains
  • Broken fans

Each of these individual issues is going to call for a different type of AC repair and change the price that you’ll be charged.

If, for example, your refrigerant is on the lower side, an AC repairman can fix that problem within a matter of just minutes without having to do much labor. But if you have a broken fan in your AC unit, it’s going to be a more time-consuming job that involves using new parts.

If you have an idea of what might be wrong with your AC system prior to reaching out to an AC repair company, you might be able to guess about how much they’re going to charge you for repairs.

What Parts Will Be Used to Fix Your AC?

If you were to open up your AC system and look inside it, you would find that there are a bunch of different components that are used to keep it powered up and doing its job.

Here are some of the main parts located inside an AC system:

  • Compressor
  • Evaporator coil
  • Condenser coil
  • Fan
  • Thermostat

Each and every one of these parts is important to the overall well-being of your AC system. But they all have different price tags attached to them, which could drive the cost of AC repair up or bring it down depending on which parts break down on you.

If you need to have, say, your thermostat repaired, you’re going to pay just a fraction of what you would pay to have your compressor repaired. The specific parts within your AC system that require repair will change the total cost of AC repair.

How Long Will It Take to Repair Your AC?

When you first call on an AC repair company to take a trip out to your home, the only thing they’ll charge you is a service fee. In most cases, AC repair companies charge a standard service fee that won’t change, regardless of what might be wrong with your AC system.

But that service fee only covers the costs associated with having an AC repairman look at your AC system to see what’s wrong with it. From there, there are going to be additional fees tied to both the parts that will need to be repaired in your AC system and the labor that’s involved with repairing these parts.

We already touched on how the cost of AC parts can affect the cost of AC repair in the end. But it’s also worth noting that the labor involved in repairing an AC system will have an effect on the cost of AC repair as well.

If it’s going to take an AC repairman 15 minutes to fix your AC system and have it working like new again, you’re not going to have to pay much in terms of labor costs. But if it’s going to take them several hours or maybe even a whole workday to fix your AC system? That’s a much different story.

The good news is that great AC repair companies know about how long it should take for their repairmen to make various repairs. They are, therefore, able to provide you with an accurate quote ahead of time so that you know how much an AC repair is going to cost.

How Fast Will You Need to Have Your AC Fixed?

There are many instances in which you won’t have to worry about fixing a broken-down AC system right away. If your AC system goes down at the end of the summer season when you’re about to stop using it, you might be able to fix it at your earliest convenience.

But there are also many times when you may need to have AC repair done right away. If your AC system breaks down on you right in the middle of a heatwave, for instance, you won’t have time to wait around for it to be fixed.

The best AC repair companies offer 24/7 emergency services to their customers. They’ll be able to come out to your home to fix your AC system at any time of the day or night throughout the year.

But you will, of course, often pay a price for having emergency AC services performed. This will be especially true at the busiest times of the year for AC repair companies.

You shouldn’t let this stop you from calling on an AC repair company for help. You could put your home and, more importantly, the health of your family at risk if you don’t schedule AC repair during the summer months.

But you should be prepared to pay a little extra in most cases for AC repair that takes place in the middle of a heatwave or on the hottest day of August. You’ll want to consider these extra costs when budgeting for AC repair.

Who Will You Hire to Fix Your AC?

If you’re in the market for an HVAC company that can supply you with AC repair services, you shouldn’t have any trouble tracking one down. There are more than 100,000 of them scattered throughout the country at this time.

But that doesn’t mean you should just hire the first one you can find when you Google “AC repair near me.” Every AC repair company has a different pricing structure set up based on the services they provide and the parts and labor that they use.

It’s smart for homeowners to call around to different HVAC companies when they’re in need of AC repair to see how much they charge for their services. You might find that two HVAC companies in your general area will offer two very different prices on the same services.

You should also take your search to the next level and look for a whole host of other qualities when trying to find an HVAC company. You should try to track down an HVAC company that is:

  • Experienced when it comes to repairing AC systems
  • Trained to work on a variety of AC systems made by trusted manufacturers like Carrier, Trane, Bryant, Ruud, Lennox, and more
  • Known for providing top-notch AC repair services
  • Reliable as far as visiting homes quickly to make AC repairs
  • Diligent about leaving homes clean at the conclusion of AC repairs

You might have to pay a little bit extra for AC repair to get access to a company that offers all these things. But it’ll be well worth it when you see what a great job they’re able to do.

So, What Is the Average Cost of AC Repair?

The answers to the five questions that we’ve listed here are going to go a long way towards determining your cost of AC repair. The cost will vary based on everything from what’s wrong with your AC to who you hire to work on it.

You can find out the true cost of AC repair by touching base with an AC repair company you trust. They can set you up with a quote for AC repair and get your repairs done the right way for the right price.

Schedule AC Repair for Your Home Today

Is there something wrong with your home’s AC system at the moment? We would love to lend a hand with it.

We’ll make sure that your AC is fixed so that it continues to run for years to come. We’ll also do our best to keep the cost of AC repair low so that you don’t have to break the bank to keep the interior of your home nice and cool throughout the summer months.

Contact us today to schedule AC repair for your home.

John Daner
John Daner

HVAC Technician with 12+ years experience in the field.