Real numbers for the Austin market, and honest answers where the honest answer is “it depends.”
A correctly sized system holds roughly a 20° split from the outdoor temperature. On a 104° Austin afternoon, 77 to 78° indoors is the equipment doing its job, not failing. Austin Energy recommends 78°, and every degree below that adds about 6 to 8% to your bill. If it's climbing past that, or running without cycling off at night, call us.
Our diagnostic is [$__] and we credit it toward the repair if you go ahead with the work. Austin-area diagnostic fees generally run $85 to $160, and most shops credit them the same way. You'll have a written price before anything is touched.
Most Austin-area repairs land between $130 and $700, with the average around $343. Capacitors, contactors and thermostats sit at the lower end; compressor and coil work at the higher end. Labor across Texas runs $85 to $170 an hour.
Three things decide it: the age of the system, the cost of the repair against the cost of new, and whether an Austin Energy rebate applies at your address. A $400 part on a nine-year-old system that runs fine is worth doing. The same part on a twenty-year-old R-22 unit usually isn't. We'll show you both numbers.
Yes — TDLR license [TACLA######]. You can verify any Texas HVAC license yourself at tdlr.texas.gov/verify.htm. A TACLA license covers unlimited tonnage; a TACLB covers systems up to 25 tons. Anyone who won't give you their number is a problem.
Usually one of three things: ductwork, sizing, or condition. Austin's hard water and sustained summer heat are documented equipment stressors, and scaled coils lose capacity long before the system actually fails. Two identical houses with different duct layouts can behave completely differently.
Cedar pollen peaks December through February and it's the one allergy issue that's genuinely specific to this area. A better media filter helps more than most of what gets sold for it. We'll tell you what's worth buying and what isn't.
Yes. Hard freezes are rare here, but February 2021 is still fresh for everyone, and heat systems that sit unused for ten months fail when they're finally needed. A fall heat check takes about an hour.
We run 24/7, so nights and weekends are answered. In August everyone in Austin is backed up, so we'll give you a real arrival window rather than a hopeful one — and we'll call if it changes.
[CONFIRM — delete this whole question if not offered] Financing matters most on replacements, where the difference between a repair and a new system is a few thousand dollars.
Call and ask. We don't charge for the conversation.
