How to compare AC installation quotes

What each mark in the tool means

How to make three quotes comparable

1. Write down the job first. Rooms that are hot, whether you want heating too, ducts or no ducts, and your panel size if you know it.
2. Ask every contractor the same questions. How they sized it, what happens to the ducts, the electrical work, who pulls the permit and books the Title 24 rater.
3. Get model numbers, not brand names. Two quotes with the same brand can be very different equipment.
4. Split required work from options. Thermostats, air cleaners and high-efficiency tiers should be priced on their own lines.
5. Re-quote to one scope. If the scopes differ, ask the outliers to price the common scope, then compare totals.

What a missing line can cost in Los Angeles

When a line is excluded or not stated, this is what named LA sources publish for that work. It tells you whether a gap is small change or the biggest number on the job.

Published ranges, not quotes. Sources and dates are on the cost guide.

1. Equipment, size and efficiency

Each quote should name matched model numbers for the outdoor unit and the indoor coil or air handler. With them you can look up the rated SEER2 and EER2 yourself, and compare equipment on its specifications.

California is in DOE's Southwest region. A split AC installed since 1 January 2023 needs 14.3 SEER2 below 45,000 Btu/h (13.8 above), plus an EER2 minimum of 11.7 (11.2 for larger units; 9.8 at 15.2 SEER2 or more). Split heat pumps need 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2. (10 CFR 430.32)

The size in tons should come from a load calculation. If one quote says 3 tons and another 4 for the same house, ask each how they sized it. HyreHVAC explains what a Manual J load calculation measures.

Ask which refrigerant the system uses.

New equipment uses lower-GWP A2L refrigerants such as R-454B or R-32. An EPA rule effective 27 July 2026 lets installers keep fitting R-410A split systems built before 2025 until stock runs out. California sets its own HFC rules through CARB, so ask which refrigerant the quote uses and whether it can be installed here.

2. Ducts, electrical and other included work

Ducts and electrical work are where most of the price gap between Los Angeles AC quotes comes from. Look for separate lines, or a clear statement that each is excluded, for: duct repair and sealing, new ducts, a new circuit or disconnect, a panel upgrade, a crane lift, condensate drain work and removal of the old equipment.

The published LA price of each adder tells you whether a missing line is a small or a large risk.

3. Permit and inspection responsibility

The California Energy Commission says replacing or altering an HVAC unit needs a permit, the contractor seals and tests the ducts, and a third-party rater verifies the work, including duct leakage. (CEC)

From 1 January 2026 the CEC's Energy Code Compliance (ECC) program took over field verification from the HERS program, so the third-party rater on a 2026 change-out works under ECC.

The quote should say who pulls the permit (the contractor, in their name), which office issues it, and who books the third-party rater.

A quote that suggests skipping the permit to save money also skips the tests, and LADWP's heat pump rebate requires the final approved permit. Which office applies to your address is on the Los Angeles AC permit guide.

4. Start-up, testing and documentation

Ask for the start-up readings (refrigerant charge, airflow) and the Title 24 test results in writing, plus the equipment registration confirmation. They are what you hand over if a warranty claim or rebate application is questioned.

5. Equipment warranty versus labor warranty

Two different promises. The manufacturer's equipment warranty covers parts and is often conditional on registering the unit within a set period; ask who registers it. The labor warranty is the contractor's own, covers the work of installing and fixing, and varies widely. A quote should state both lengths separately.

6. Payment schedule, exclusions and change orders

CSLB cautions that a down payment should not exceed 10 percent of the contract price, and later payments should not run ahead of the work done or materials delivered. (CSLB) Read the exclusions, and how extra work is approved: a written change order with a price, before the work is done.

Comparing good, better and best options

Many LA contractors offer three tiers. Compare them on what changes between tiers, usually the efficiency rating, single-stage versus variable-speed equipment, and the warranty, while the installation scope should stay the same.

If the cheaper tier also drops duct sealing or the permit, that is not a cheaper tier of the same job. A higher tier makes most sense in the hotter Valley and inland areas, where the system runs for more of the year.

Red flags in an AC installation quote

7. Check the contractor's license

1. Open the CSLB license check.
2. Search the license number on the quote, or the business name.
3. Confirm the license is active and lists C-20 (Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning).
4. Check that the bond and workers' compensation are current and the name matches the quote. Every licensed California contractor must carry a $25,000 contractor license bond, raised from $15,000 on 1 January 2023 by SB 607.

California Code of Regulations, Title 16, § 832.20, via Cornell LII; CSLB press release #24-21, "Handyperson Exemption to Increase to $1,000 in 2025" (AB 2622). Retrieved 2026-09-29.

Questions about comparing AC quotes

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