Enter the repair you were quoted and get an honest answer in about 30 seconds. No email required.
Pick the repair you were quoted and get an honest recommendation, a check on whether your quote is fair, and how much you could save by replacing.
This tool gives a general estimate to help you plan, it is not a substitute for an on-site diagnosis. Typical price ranges are ballparks (parts + labor) and vary by brand, region, and system. A licensed technician's inspection is the only way to know for certain.
If your system has been reliable and the repair is modest for its age, repairing is usually the smart call, even on an older unit. Replacement makes more sense when the repair is expensive relative to the system's age, the unit uses obsolete R-22 refrigerant, a major part like the compressor or coil has failed, or it has broken down repeatedly. We built this on 20+ years in the field so it points you to the best option, not an automatic upsell.
The “$5,000 rule” multiplies the repair cost by the system's age and says to replace if it's over $5,000. It's a handy rule of thumb, but it's dated and biased toward selling replacements, by that math an $800 motor on a reliable 15-year-old unit ($12,000) screams “replace,” when fixing the motor is clearly smarter. This calculator weighs the repair against your system's age and reliability instead, so it recommends replacement only when it truly makes financial sense.
Most central AC systems last about 12 to 15 years with regular maintenance. Past that, repairs get less cost-effective and efficiency drops, so replacement is worth considering.
Compare the quote to the typical price range for that exact part (the calculator shows it). If a quote is more than 10% above the top of the typical range, get a free second opinion before you commit, whether you end up repairing or replacing.
The LADWP rebate pays $1,000–$1,250 per ton depending on the equipment, which averages $3,000–$5,500 in savings when you replace with a licensed company that pulls permits and installs it correctly. LA Heating & Air handles all the paperwork.
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We deliberately moved past the old “$5,000 rule” (repair cost × system age > $5,000 → replace), which tends to push homeowners toward a new system far too early, by that math an $800 motor on a reliable 15-year unit ($12,000) would say “replace,” which is nonsense. Instead we weigh the repair against the system's age and how reliable it has been. A dependable system is usually worth a moderate repair; we lean toward replacement only when the repair is expensive for the system's age, it uses obsolete R-22, a major component (compressor or coil) has failed, or it has broken down repeatedly. Rough guide:
| System age | Repair | Very close | Replace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 yrs or less | Under $3,200 | $3,200–$4,000 | > $4,000 |
| 13–17 yrs | Under $2,400 | $2,400–$3,000 | > $3,000 |
| 18 yrs or more | Under $1,600 | $1,600–$2,000 | > $2,000 |
It only becomes a "very close" call (shown in yellow) when the repair lands within about 20% of the replace line for the system's age. Anything below that is a clear repair. For systems 20 years and older, we recommend replacement for any repair over about $1,000. Even a small fix like a capacitor or contactor is treated as a "very close" call: worth doing now, but a sign the next repair likely means replacing.
We then adjust for factors a good technician weighs: R-22 refrigerant, failure of a major life-limiting component (compressor or coil), a pattern of repeat repairs, and symptoms like rising bills or uneven cooling. Your quoted price is compared against a typical range so you can spot an outlier. All figures are estimates for planning only.