How Much Does an AC Repair Cost in California?

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to know how much your specific AC repair will cost until a professional inspects and diagnoses your system.

However, we can give you very broad estimates for repair prices in our area.

For example, an AC repair in the California area typically costs anywhere from $300 to $800.

Of course, the price you pay for your AC repair all depends on:

• What’s wrong with the AC system
• Whether or not the system is still under warranty
• The contractor you choose

To help you prepare for your AC repair, we’ll explain all 3 cost factors above and explain how they will impact your price.

Need an AC repair? Contact True Home. Our AC repair pros are experts at making sure you get a repair experience true to your home, your needs and your budget. Just contact us and we’ll get you taken care of fast.

A lot of different things can go wrong with an AC system. And different AC issues incur different repair prices.

The bottom line is that AC problems with more complex repairs cost more.

So what do we mean by “complex” repairs? Well, complex repairs are repairs that require expensive replacement parts and/or are more labor-intensive, which makes the overall price higher.

For example, an AC issue such as a faulty compressor will require a very complex repair. That’s because the compressor itself is a complex part (and therefore an expensive part) and typically requires 4 to 6 hours of labor to remove it and replace it with a new one.

On the other hand, a “simple” AC repair, like a clogged filter or a bad capacitor, usually doesn’t require expensive parts and/or isn't labor-intensive (both problems can be remedied in under 30 minutes). One thing to keep in mind, though, is that even relatively “simple” issues that would normally require simple repairs can turn into complex, expensive issues if the root problem isn’t addressed quickly.

If you have a valid manufacturer’s warranty and/or labor warranty, your repair cost will likely be lower.

We’ll explain the 2 types of AC warranties that can help lower repair costs:

1. The manufacturer’s parts warranty
2. The labor warranty

If your AC manufacturer’s parts warranty is still valid, it will cover the cost to replace any defective parts (as long as the part failed due to a manufacturer defect). This warranty covers the cost of the part only, not the cost of labor.

Typically, an AC manufacturer’s warranty will cover the cost of basic parts from 1-2 years after installation. It will also usually cover the cost of more complex parts (like the compressor and evaporator coil) anywhere from 5-7 years after installation. Coverage will vary depending on the manufacturer. If you purchased an extended warranty, you can expect longer coverage than the examples provided.

If your labor warranty is still valid, it will cover the cost of labor to fix any issue that’s due to a fault in the installation process. This warranty is offered by the contractor who installed the system. Labor warranties last anywhere from 1-3 years and typically don’t cover the cost of any needed replacement part. Coverage details will vary depending on the contractor.

Not all contractors charge the same amount for the same AC repair. Typically, higher-quality AC contractors charge higher prices.

But don’t let a higher repair price deter you from choosing a quality contractor. Most of the time, choosing a higher-quality contractor will save you time and money (and will more than pay back the higher repair price). That’s because a qualified contractor will have the skills needed to correctly diagnose and repair your AC system—the first time around. Hiring contractors with less experience and know-how can result in expensive and time-consuming repeat work when they don’t get the job done right on the first visit.

So how do you know who is truly a “higher-quality” contractor?

We suggest using the following tips as a starting point:

• Check that the contractor is licensed and insured to provide AC repairs in the state of California
• Make sure the contractor operates from a brick and mortar location—not simply from a van
• Ask the contractor to provide references (i.e. past customers) and beware of contractors who can’t or won’t provide this
• Make sure the contractor will provide an upfront estimate for the AC repair cost, in writing
• Check the contractor’s reviews on sites like Google and HomeAdvisor and beware any contractor who has an overwhelming amount of negative reviews

We’re experts at crafting an AC repair experience that’s true to your home and your needs. We start every service call with a set of questions that will help us understand the kind of service you’re expecting.

Have a dog that we need to avoid? Done. Want a detailed report of everything we find before we do any work? You got it. Don’t want to hear from us until the job is complete? We can do that, too.

The experience you want is the one you get.