New AC cost is driven by capacity, efficiency tier, whether the indoor coil is being replaced with it, ductwork condition, and access. We quote after looking, because the same equipment carries very different installation costs in two houses on the same street.
What Sets the Price
Capacity. Larger homes need more cooling. But bigger is not better — an oversized system short-cycles, never dehumidifies properly, and costs more to buy. Correct sizing comes from a load calculation.
Efficiency tier. Higher SEER2 equipment costs more upfront and less to operate. In a climate with a seven-month cooling season, that operating difference accumulates across an enormous number of runtime hours — which is why the payback math often works here when it would not in a milder region.
Matched system or condenser only. Replacing just the outdoor unit is cheaper, but only legitimate when the indoor coil is compatible and the refrigerant matches. On an R-22 system it is not possible at all.
Ductwork. Undersized returns and leaking supply ducts limit what any system can deliver.
Access. An attic air handler or a tight equipment closet takes substantially more labor than a garage installation.
What Cheap Bids Leave Out
When quotes differ dramatically, the difference is usually scope rather than equipment.
Commissioning. Evacuating the refrigerant lines to a deep vacuum before charging, then charging by weight to specification and verifying under operating conditions. Skipping the evacuation leaves moisture in the system, which forms acid and shortens compressor life. It is invisible and it is common.
Permits. Required, and worth having — they protect you at resale, support insurance claims, and are a condition of many manufacturer warranties.
Duct corrections. A premium system on compromised ducts underperforms, and variable-speed equipment is more sensitive to duct problems, not less.
Removal and disposal of the old equipment, including EPA-compliant refrigerant recovery.
A bid dramatically below the others is usually missing one of these, and you meet the omission later.
Where the Efficiency Premium Pays Here
Unlike furnaces — where our short heating season stretches the payback — cooling equipment in the Hill Country runs enough hours that efficiency upgrades genuinely pencil for many homes.
The comfort argument matters too. Variable-speed systems run longer at lower output, which removes far more humidity. In a Texas summer that is what determines whether a house feels comfortable, and many homeowners find they are content at a higher thermostat setting afterward.
How much it makes sense depends on what you are replacing. Moving from a fifteen-year-old single-stage system to modern variable-speed equipment is a large jump. Moving from a five-year-old mid-tier system is not.
Worth Pricing Alongside
Given our long cooling season and mild winters, it is worth quoting a heat pump rather than a straight air conditioner. The premium is modest and it adds efficient heating from the same equipment.
For a specific room the central system never reached, a ductless mini split is often cheaper than upsizing the whole house.
Sometimes Ducts Beat Equipment
If your supply ducts leak into a 140 degree attic, you are losing cooling you already paid for. Duct sealing sometimes delivers more comfort improvement per dollar than a higher equipment tier would.
We measure static pressure and inspect the ductwork before quoting, and we will tell you when the smaller invoice is the better buy.
Repair or Replace
Before pricing a system, confirm you need one. A useful test: multiply the repair cost by the system’s age. If the result exceeds replacement, replacing is usually right.
We quote both. Estimates are free and itemized, and financing is available.
Details are on our AC replacements page. Contact 72 Degrees or call (830) 240-1835.
