Dallas–Fort Worth · independent publisher, not a contractor
An independent guide for Dallas homeowners installing or replacing air conditioning: what it costs this year, how to compare quotes, which system fits, and how to check the contractor and the permit. When you are ready, request quotes here.
Free, no obligation. We are paid by the contractors we introduce you to, never by you. How that works.
Free and no obligation. We pass a request on only to a contractor whose TDLR license we have checked and who covers your ZIP.
The short answer
AC installation in Dallas–Fort Worth is quoted between about $5,000 and $20,000 installed in 2026.
A mid-tier AC-only replacement on existing ducts typically lands between $7,000 and $13,000. A full system with a new furnace or air handler costs more, and new ductwork adds $3,000 to $8,000. All are published ranges from 4 named DFW sources, not our quotes.
Sizes, system types and every source with its date are in the Dallas AC installation cost guide and in our editorial policy. Page last reviewed .
Why use this site
Six things this page does that a quote form on a contractor's website does not.
Every range names its DFW source and the date we read it.
Contractors are matched against the TDLR register first.
Line up three quotes and see what each one leaves out.
Which city office issues your permit, with official links.
We publish no testimonials, ratings or staff we cannot verify.
Written for a metro with about 20 days a year over 100 °F.
Before you sign
Each one answers a question a quote raises, with its sources named and dated.
All 16 guides, grouped by question, are on the guides page.
| Size | Published range |
|---|---|
| 2 ton | $7,500–$15,000 |
| 3 ton | $5,500–$16,500 |
| 4 ton | $7,500–$18,500 |
| 5 ton | $7,500–$20,000 |
Ranges from 4 named DFW sources; none is our price. Sources, heat pump and mini-split ranges, adders and a size estimator are on the cost guide.
Tools and more
The July decision
Most people reach a new system through a repair quote, in a week when the house is already at 85 °F and the first appointment is three days out. That is the worst moment to compare equipment, so here is the short version.
Repair when the system is under about 10 years old, the fault is a capacitor, contactor, fan motor or minor leak, and the fix is a few hundred dollars.
Get replacement quotes when the compressor or coil has failed, the repair passes about a third of a new system's cost, or the unit is over 12 years old and still on R-410A. ENERGY STAR already puts replacement on the table at 10 years.
ENERGY STAR, "When is it time to replace?" — source, retrieved 2026-09-23.
Per year on the 1991–2020 normal, computed from the NWS Fort Worth record. The record is 71 days (2011); 2023 had 55. Average first 100 °F day: July 1. Average last: August 27.
An oversized unit short-cycles: it hits the setpoint fast, shuts off, and never runs long enough to pull humidity out. In a DFW August that reads as "cold but clammy".
Most single-story slab homes put the air handler and ducts in a 140 °F attic. Access, duct leakage and condensate routing drive a real part of the labor line.
Services
Eight jobs you can request quotes for, each linked to its guide.
Replacing the outdoor condenser and the indoor coil, or a full matched system. In DFW this is the July decision: the repair quote arrives and the question becomes whether a 12-year-old R-410A system is worth the compressor.
AC replacement in DallasA matched cooling and heating system for a home that has both at end of life. Most DFW homes pair a split AC with a gas furnace in the attic; the quote should show both AHRI-matched model numbers.
Central air installationOne outdoor unit that cools in summer and heats in a mild North Texas winter, with electric or gas backup for the cold snaps. Ask whether a dual-fuel setup makes sense for your gas service.
Heat pump installationUsually replaced together with the AC because the indoor coil sits on the furnace. 80% and 96% AFUE options; venting and attic access decide much of the labor.
Heat pump vs gas furnaceFor a garage, a bonus room over the garage, a sunroom, an ADU or an addition where the existing ducts cannot reach. Priced per zone.
Mini-split installationCapacitors, contactors, fan motors, refrigerant leaks and compressors, in that order of likelihood. A good repair quote tells you the age of the system and whether the part is worth it; if it does not, ask.
Repair or replace?A pre-summer check that measures refrigerant charge, capacitor health, static pressure and drain flow. Worth doing in April, before the first 100 °F day.
Book a tune-upCleaning helps after construction dust or pests; sealing helps every attic duct system in a slab home. Leaky attic ducts are why one bedroom never cools.
Ductwork sealing and replacementThe rules behind a quote
Texas is in the DOE Southeast region. Since 1 January 2023 a split-system central AC under 45,000 BTU (about 3.75 tons) must be at least 14.3 SEER2 on the date it is installed; larger systems need 13.8. Split heat pumps need 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2 nationwide.
AHRI, "2023 Energy Efficiency Standards"; DOE regional standards
Equipment made or imported since 1 January 2025 uses lower-GWP A2L refrigerants (R-454B or R-32) instead of R-410A. An EPA rule finalized in May 2026, effective 27 July 2026, removed the 1 January 2026 cutoff, so contractors may install pre-2025 R-410A systems until that stock runs out.
NAHB summary of the EPA final rule (May 2026); EPA AIM Act Technology Transitions program
Texas licenses HVAC contractors through TDLR. Class A has no size limit; Class B covers cooling systems of 25 tons and under. Each license carries one endorsement; residential work is the Environmental Air endorsement. Contractors must hold liability insurance and renew with continuing education every year.
Your city, not your mailing address, issues the permit; inside Dallas that is Development Services through DallasNow.
The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) applied to qualifying property placed in service before 31 December 2025. It is not available for a system installed in 2026.
ACCA Manual J (ANSI/ACCA 2, 8th edition) is the American National Standard for residential heating and cooling load calculation. A contractor should be able to show you the result.
Comparing quotes
Two Dallas quotes for the same house can differ by thousands because they describe different jobs. Our free tool lines up to three quotes side by side and lists what each leaves unsaid. It runs in your browser and sends nothing to us.
What happens next
Service, ZIP, property and timing. About a minute. Nothing is shared until you submit.
We match your ZIP to a contractor whose TDLR license we have checked. If none covers your ZIP yet, we email you and say so.
A matched contractor contacts you to arrange a visit, and you choose who comes. If you tick "system is down", the request is marked urgent.
A real quote follows a Manual J and a look at your ducts, attic access and electrical, not a phone estimate.
The contractor pulls the city permit, installs, and the city inspects. Keep the permit number and AHRI certificate.
Where we route requests
The quote form accepts Dallas–Fort Worth ZIP codes beginning 750, 751, 752, 753, 760, 761, 762. We have not yet signed a partner contractor in any of them, so a request is held until one whose license we have checked covers your ZIP. If none does, we tell you.
Permits and city registration differ between Dallas and its suburbs. The permit guide lists the offices we have checked.
Questions
Published DFW ranges run from about $5,000 to $20,000 installed, depending on tonnage, efficiency and whether the furnace or air handler is replaced too. Most mid-tier AC-only replacements on existing ducts are quoted at roughly $7,000–$13,000, and new ductwork adds $3,000–$8,000. These are published ranges from named sources, not our prices.
ENERGY STAR advises considering replacement once a unit is more than 10 years old. DFW cools from roughly May to October, with about 20 days a year at 100 °F or hotter, so systems here tend to reach that point on schedule rather than late.
Only a load calculation (ACCA Manual J) can answer that, and the Dallas residential code requires one. The estimator on the cost guide gives a rule-of-thumb band to check quotes against. A contractor who sizes by square footage alone, without looking at windows, insulation and ducts, is guessing.
Plan on one. The City of Dallas issues mechanical permits through DallasNow so HVAC work meets its mechanical code and is done by a licensed contractor, and suburbs such as Fort Worth, Garland and Carrollton state on their own pages that replacing a system needs a permit. The permit comes from the city your property is in. Ask for the permit number on the invoice.
The federal 25C credit covered qualifying equipment placed in service through 31 December 2025. A system installed in 2026 does not qualify. Utility incentives through Oncor participating service providers may still apply; amounts change, so verify before you count on one.
New equipment built since January 2025 uses R-454B or R-32. After EPA's May 2026 rule, contractors may still install pre-2025 R-410A stock until it runs out, and that stock can be cheaper. The trade-off: R-410A itself is being phased down, so future service refrigerant is expected to cost more. Either is legal; ask which you are being quoted and why.
Search the TDLR license database for the company or the license number on the quote. A residential installer holds a Class A or Class B Air Conditioning and Refrigeration license with the Environmental Air endorsement, and the license number must appear on their advertising and invoices.
No. This site is an independent lead-generation publisher. When you request quotes, your details go to one or more licensed DFW contractors who pay us for the introduction. We do not perform or warranty any work, and we say so under every button.
More answers, on rebates, SEER2, permit fees and paying, are in the AC installation FAQ.
Get quotes
Send it once. We pass it on only to a contractor whose TDLR license we have checked, and tell you if none covers your ZIP yet. No cost and no obligation.
Free and no obligation. We pass a request on only to a contractor whose TDLR license we have checked and who covers your ZIP.