Installation Costs: How Much Does a New AC Unit Cost in 2019?
So, your old AC unit just isn’t doing the trick anymore. Either that or your system is slowing down and you’re planning for a replacement in the future. But how much does a new AC unit cost?
It’s a question not many people know the answer to, but it’s important to know what you’re looking at for installation and unit prices. We’re going to give you a crash course in AC installation costs in this article, hopefully providing a clear idea of what you should expect to pay for your home.
How Much Does a New AC Unit Cost?
The first thing you need to do is estimate the square footage that you want to be cooled in your home. It’s easiest to just find the exact square footage of your home and go with that.
Situations may vary if there are large portions of your home that you don’t need to be cooled for whatever reason. AC units are created in tons of cooling capacity.
It’s estimated that each ton of cooling capacity can cool 400 sq. feet of your home. So, in order to find out the size of the unit you need, divide your home’s square footage by 400, and the result will be the Tonnage of the unit you need.
On the low end, you’ll find 1.5 Ton units. These units typically run somewhere in the ballpark of $2,000. There are units available to cool massive spaces, but most homeowners find they don’t need more than 5 Tons for one home.
5 Ton units typically cost just under $4,000, and the price decreases gradually as the size goes down.
Installation Costs
The installation cost will vary greatly depending on a few factors. First, you will pay significantly less if your home already has ductwork. Ductwork is essentially the ventilation system that channels air throughout your home.
You will want to make sure that your ductwork is in good shape as well because all ventilation gets out of shape eventually. If your ductwork is fine, simply installing a unit won’t take much time at all. The cost of a unit installation is relatively low.
Another thing to consider is the going rate of installation in your area. Hotter climates typically charge a great deal more than cooler ones, seeing as the demand is higher. So, if you live in Texas, you can expect to pay a lot more than you would if you lived in Wisconsin.
On average, though, Americans can plan to spend somewhere in the range of $4,000 to $12,000 dollars for unit price and installation. Clearly, these prices vary a lot.
In order to estimate your costs more closely, know your square footage, know the condition of your ductwork, and check the installation rates in your area.
Curious to Learn More?
Asking yourself “how much does a new ac unit cost” is a great place to start. The next step is gathering some information about your home’s size and ductwork, then calling a professional.
Explore our site for more information about HVAC services and how to start making improvements to your home.