Seasonal tune-up and full diagnostic on your Carrier, Trane, or Goodman system - readings shown to you before any repair is proposed
Diagnosis first, numbers second - you approve the repair price before a single part goes in.
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AfterHow Much Does HVAC Cost in Austin?
Most HVAC work in Austin falls between $80 and $7,500 depending on what you need. A simple tune-up runs $80 – $200, a standard repair runs $150 – $650, and a full system replacement runs $3,500 – $7,500 installed. Those are the ranges we quote every day across Travis County, and they’re the numbers you’ll see on the written price before any work starts.
We’re Brandt HVAC, part of the Threshold Group family of home-service companies established in 2003. We repair, maintain, and replace AC and heating systems in Austin, and we service every major residential brand: Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem, York, Daikin, Bryant, and American Standard. If you want to know who’s coming to your door before they knock, that’s the part of this job we take most seriously.
Key Takeaways
- AC repair in Austin: $150 – $650
- Furnace repair: $150 – $700
- Full AC installation: $3,500 – $7,500
- Seasonal tune-up: $80 – $200
- Every job starts with a written price. No work begins until you’ve seen the number and agreed to it.
- Every repair carries a written guarantee, backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right.
HVAC Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s what Austin homeowners actually pay, parts and labor included.
| Service | Typical Austin Range | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonal tune-up | $80 – $200 | Coil cleaning, refrigerant check, capacitor and contactor inspection, filter change, airflow test |
| AC repair | $150 – $650 | Capacitors, contactors, blower motors, thermostats, refrigerant recharge, drain line clearing |
| Furnace repair | $150 – $700 | Igniters, flame sensors, inducer motors, pressure switches, control boards |
| AC installation | $3,500 – $7,500 | New condenser, evaporator coil, line set, thermostat, permit, haul-away of old equipment |
| Refrigerant recharge | $200 – $450 | Refilling the fluid that moves heat out of your home, plus leak search |
| Condensate drain repair | $150 – $350 | Clearing or replacing the line that carries water away from your air handler |
What pushes a repair toward the top of the range? Parts availability is the big one. A universal capacitor costs almost nothing; a variable-speed blower motor for a Trane or Carrier unit can cost several hundred dollars on its own. System age matters too. A 12-year-old condenser in a house near Zilker often needs a part that has to be ordered, which adds a day and sometimes a surcharge. And if your system uses R-22 refrigerant, which was phased out years ago, a recharge costs noticeably more than R-410A or R-32 because the supply is nearly gone.
On installation, the range comes down to three things: tonnage, efficiency rating, and ductwork condition. Replacing a 3-ton system in a 1,800-square-foot home in Mueller is a very different job than replacing a 5-ton in a two-story in Circle C. If the ductwork is leaking or undersized, that’s a separate conversation and a separate line item. We’ll tell you before we start, in writing.
What Affects HVAC Pricing in Austin
- Summer workload. Austin hits triple digits for weeks at a time, and HVAC calls spike hard from June through September. Emergency and after-hours service costs more than a scheduled weekday visit, at every company in town.
- Cedar pollen season. From roughly December through February, cedar pollen clogs filters and coils across the Hill Country. Systems in older homes near Tarrytown and Rosedale often need coil cleaning by spring because of it.
- Foundation movement. Austin’s clay soil shifts, and that shifting flexes ductwork and refrigerant lines. We regularly find separated duct joints in homes built on pier-and-beam foundations east of I-35.
- System age and brand. Parts for older or discontinued equipment cost more and take longer to source. Brands like Goodman and Rheem tend to have cheaper, more available parts than some premium lines.
- Attic conditions. Most Austin air handlers sit in an attic that reaches 140 degrees in July. That heat shortens the life of capacitors, contactors, and motors, which is why we see so many summer failures.
- Permits and code. A full system replacement in Austin requires a mechanical permit through the city, and code requires a properly sized return and a secondary drain pan or float switch. That’s baked into our installation quotes, never added later.
How to Save on HVAC
The cheapest HVAC bill is the one you avoid. A $80 – $200 tune-up twice a year (once before summer, once before winter) catches the failing capacitor or dirty coil before it turns into a $600 repair. Change your filter every 60 to 90 days, and every 30 days during cedar season if you’re in the hills west of town.
Keep the area around your outdoor condenser clear. Two feet of clearance on all sides lets it shed heat the way it was designed to. If you’re shading it, use a screen, not a tarp. And if your system is past 15 years old and you’ve paid for two repairs in the past year, it’s worth running the math on replacement versus repair before the next failure picks the timing for you.
Repair or Replace? A Quick Way to Decide
- Add up what you’ve spent on repairs in the last 24 months.
- Multiply the age of your system by the cost of the current repair.
- If that number is over $5,000, replacement usually wins on total cost within three years.
- If your system still uses R-22, weigh that heavily. Every future recharge will cost more than the last.
- Get both numbers in writing before you decide. We give you both, free, so you can compare them side by side.
Call us at (984) 538-9003 for a free estimate. A live person answers, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including nights, weekends, and holidays. No voicemail, no callback queue, no phone tree.
Who Comes to Your Door
This part matters as much as the price. Every Brandt HVAC technician is background-checked and identity-verified under the Threshold Verified standard. Before your appointment, we send you their name and photo, so you know exactly who to expect. When they arrive, they’re in uniform and they show a photo ID badge at the door. If anyone shows up who you were not told to expect, that visit is on us, and we make it right.
You can read more about who we are and how we work before you book. Every repair includes a written guarantee, and if a repair fails within the guarantee period, we come back free of charge under the 365-Day Done Right Promise. The name Brandt comes from an old word for a firebrand, which feels right for work that keeps a home warm in winter and cool when Austin bakes.
FAQs – HVAC Cost
How much does an AC repair cost in Austin?
Most AC repairs in Austin run $150 – $650, parts and labor included. A capacitor or contactor swap sits at the low end; a blower motor or refrigerant recharge with a leak search sits at the high end. Call (984) 538-9003 for an exact quote, and we’ll give you the price in writing before we touch anything.
How much does a new AC system cost in Austin?
A full AC installation in Austin runs $3,500 – $7,500. Tonnage, efficiency rating, and ductwork condition drive where you land in that range. We’ll walk your home, measure the load, and put the full number in front of you before any work starts.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace my HVAC system?
If your system is under 12 years old and the repair fits within the $150 – $650 range, repair almost always wins. Past 15 years, or if you’re looking at a repair over $1,500 on an aging R-22 unit, replacement in the $3,500 – $7,500 range usually costs less over the next five years. We’ll price both options for you, free, so you can see the math yourself.
Can you come today?
In most cases, yes. We answer the phone live 24 hours a day, and same-day service is common for AC failures during Austin’s summer. There’s no extra charge for calling at night or on a weekend to schedule. Call (984) 538-9003 and we’ll tell you honestly when we can be there.
What does a tune-up include, and is it worth $80 – $200?
A tune-up covers coil cleaning, a refrigerant level check, capacitor and contactor inspection, a filter change, and an airflow test. It’s worth it because it catches the parts that fail in Austin’s heat before they take your system down in July. We recommend two per year, one before cooling season and one before heating season.
Do you charge for estimates?
No. Estimates are free, and every price we give you is in writing before any work begins. There are no exceptions to that, on any job, at any hour.
Ready for a real number? Call Brandt HVAC at (984) 538-9003 for a free estimate on repair, maintenance, or a full system replacement. A live person picks up 24/7, we’ll tell you who’s coming and show you their photo before they arrive, and you’ll see the price in writing before we start. Led by Devin Marlowe, Brandt HVAC serves Austin homeowners who’d rather know exactly what they’re paying and exactly who’s at the door.
Written by Devin Marlowe, Owner at Brandt HVAC, serving Austin since 2003.
Pricing reflects the Austin market as of 2026. Brandt HVAC offers free estimates – call (984) 538-9003.
What Our Customers Say
"Drain line was clogging and causing a leak by the air handler. They cleared it and installed a float switch so it can't flood again."
- Nora T."AC stopped cooling on a hot afternoon. Tech arrived with a badge, checked the capacitor, found it bad, and replaced it on the spot. House cooled down within the hour."
- Steve P."Furnace ignitor went out on a cold morning. Part was on the truck, installed in thirty minutes."
- Alvin K.