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Air conditioner repair cost calculator

Work out what an AC repair will cost from the part, the labor, and the diagnostic, and see whether the fix is worth it. A failed capacitor is a small bill; a failed compressor can approach the price of a new system, and the calculator adds up your quote so the repair-or-replace line is clear.

§ 01 Your numbers

Change anything. The answer updates as you type.

The failed part. A capacitor or contactor is cheap; a fan motor is mid; a compressor or evaporator coil is the expensive end that starts to rival a new unit.
Time to fit it. A capacitor is under an hour; a compressor or coil is most of a day.
The shop's hourly rate. HVAC labor runs higher than a general handyman.
The fee to come out and find the fault. Often credited toward the repair if you go ahead; ask.
If the system lost refrigerant, recharging it. Older R-22 systems are expensive to recharge, which is itself a reason to replace. Zero if not needed.
Estimated cost
$730

Typical range $621 – $1,022

  • Part$400
  • Labor (hours × rate)$240
  • Diagnostic / service call$90
  • Refrigerant recharge$0
  • Total$730
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$300 to $1,500 is a fan motor or a larger part. Worth it on a newer unit; on an older one, get a replacement quote to compare.

What this assumes, and where it could be wrong

Every one of these is a place the number could be off. They are here because you should be able to check our working, not because we are hedging.

WHICH PART FAILED DECIDES REPAIR VERSUS REPLACE, NOT THE REPAIR ITSELF.
A capacitor or a contactor is a small, fast, cheap fix and you fix it without thinking. A compressor or an evaporator coil can cost a large fraction of a whole new system once you add the labor, and on an older unit that is the moment to price a replacement instead. The part is the number that tells you which conversation you are in, which is why it is the first input

The diagnostic is often credited if you go ahead. Many shops charge to come out and find the fault, then apply that fee to the repair if you approve it. Ask whether the diagnostic is credited before you compare two quotes, because one that credits it is cheaper than it looks.

Refrigerant type is a hidden replace signal. An older system running R-22 is expensive to recharge because the refrigerant is being phased out, so a leak on an old unit often costs enough that a new, efficient system is the better spend. If the quote includes a big R-22 recharge, price a replacement.

A repair on an old unit buys less than it seems. If the AC is near the end of its life, fixing one part often just moves the failure to the next part. Weigh the repair against the unit's age: past ten to fifteen years, repeated repairs usually lose to replacing.

The defaults are ours and are a starting point. The part, the labor, and the diagnostic are yours, and the estimate is only as good as the quote, which can climb once the technician finds a second fault.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to repair an air conditioner?
It depends almost entirely on the part. A capacitor or contactor is a small bill with under an hour of labor; a fan motor is mid-range; a compressor or evaporator coil runs into the thousands and approaches the cost of a new system. Add the part, the labor, and the diagnostic, which the calculator above does from your quote.
How much is an AC compressor replacement?
It is the expensive one. The compressor is the heart of the system, the part costs a lot, and it is most of a day of labor to fit, so the total often approaches a large fraction of a whole new unit. On an older system that is usually the point to price a replacement instead of the repair, which the calculator helps you see.
When should I replace my AC instead of repairing it?
When the repair is a major part like the compressor or coil, when the unit is past ten to fifteen years old, or when it runs R-22 refrigerant that is costly to recharge. A cheap fix on a young unit is worth it; an expensive fix on an old one usually just postpones the replacement, so weigh the repair against the unit's age and a new-system quote.
Is the diagnostic fee credited toward the repair?
Often, but not always. Many HVAC shops charge a service-call or diagnostic fee to come out and find the fault, then apply it to the repair if you go ahead. Ask each company before comparing quotes, because a diagnostic that is credited makes that shop cheaper than one whose lower headline rate does not credit it.

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