How much does AC replacement cost?

United States: homeowner survey

Households in the American Housing Survey that hired out adding or replacing central air conditioning reported a median of $6,700; the typical range (middle half of 1,659 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) was $4,000 to $10,000.

When the household did the job itself: a median (197 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) of $5,000.

How measured: hired-out finished jobs, survey-weighted, not adjusted for inflation; do-it-yourself jobs the same way. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data read 16 October 2026.

These figures are estimates from U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data years 2021-2023, read 16 October 2026, for the United States. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.

Researched by the InstaBids editorial team. Last checked: 16 October 2026 Updated 2026-10-16

How much is an AC unit?

The survey does not price the unit on its own. Each household gave a single cost for the whole job, equipment and installation together, under the item "Added or replaced central air conditioning". A brand-new system in a home that had none and a straight swap of an old one are both in that item.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, read 16 October 2026.

Very few households take this job on themselves: 88 percent of the central air jobs with a reported cost were done by a hired contractor.

Homes without ducts are a different job again. ENERGY STAR describes ductless mini-split heat pumps for those homes: an indoor head mounted on a wall or ceiling, paired with an outdoor unit, with no ductwork to run.

Source: ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA), Air-Source Heat Pumps, read 16 October 2026.

How much does AC replacement cost in Florida?

Miami-Dade County's permit records give a reading from inside the state. The county block counts residential mechanical permits whose description says change out, and 93 percent of those permits carried a declared value.

Source: Miami-Dade County building permits, read 16 October 2026.

Miami-Dade County, FL: declared value on building permits

Residential air-conditioning change-out permits in Miami-Dade County declared a median declared value on building permits of $4,900; the typical range (middle half of 795 Miami-Dade County permit data points, Miami-Dade County, FL, 2024-2026) was $2,000 to $8,122.

Declared permit values are what applicants reported to the county; final contract prices can differ.

How measured: residential permits with a declared value, untrimmed. Source: Miami-Dade County building permits, data read 16 October 2026.

These figures are estimates from Miami-Dade County building permits, data years 2024-2026, read 16 October 2026, for Miami-Dade County, FL. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.

A change-out replaces equipment that is already in place, so the county figures leave out first-time installs in homes that never had central air, which the survey item does include.

Source: Miami-Dade County building permits, read 16 October 2026.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, read 16 October 2026.

What changes the cost of AC replacement?

A swap or a new install: the survey item mixes both, while the county permits are change-outs of existing equipment.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Miami-Dade County building permits, read 16 October 2026.
Ductwork already in the house: ENERGY STAR notes that a ducted heat pump can use a home's existing ducts, and in most climate zones can go in as a drop-in replacement when a central air conditioner needs replacing.
Source: ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA), Air-Source Heat Pumps, read 16 October 2026.
Sizing: ENERGY STAR says equipment that is too large or too small for the space struggles to keep the home comfortable, and points to a Manual J load calculation to work out the right size before anything is ordered.
Source: ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA), Air-Source Heat Pumps, read 16 October 2026.
Who did the work: households that put in their own system reported a lower median than those that hired a contractor.
What was written down: a permit value is the applicant's own number on the application, and in Miami-Dade it came in under the survey's hired-out median.
Survey years versus permit years: the national answers cover systems finished between 2021 and 2023, unadjusted, and the Miami-Dade change-outs were permitted between 2024 and 2026.

Get written bids

Contractors who take part estimate from your photos and a written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices. InstaBids is in an early pilot in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Sources for the figures on this page

U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/2023/ahs-2023-public-use-file--puf-.html, read 16 October 2026. U.S. government work; no endorsement implied.
Miami-Dade County building permits, https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=6db5f56e886446df88313ca279e59120, read 16 October 2026. County open data, as is; no endorsement implied.
U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/2023/AHS%202023%20Value%20Labels%20Package.zip, read 16 October 2026.
ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA), Air-Source Heat Pumps, www.energystar.gov/products/air_source_heat_pumps, read 16 October 2026.