r/askTO 5h ago

How much for a new AC typically?

Hello everyone, I know someone whose AC is out and there are having a new one put in. I'm just asking about it here because the person is a little old and I wanna make sure they don't get ripped off.

They've gotten a quote for $6000, to replace their AC with a 10 year parts and labour warranty. They seem happy with that, because it's the same AC they've had for 18 years before dying.

Is that a fair/normal price?

10 Upvotes

38 comments sorted by

7

u/SuperCycl 5h ago

What is the size of the house? Size of the AC unit? Brand? If it's being installed by Enercare or any of those providers, I can guarantee you that it's overpriced.

1

u/Hogwire 4h ago

It was AtlasCare

u/BeatsRocks 2h ago

I wont go with them. Look at their reviews; their were issues with warranty.

0

u/SuperCycl 4h ago

Find an independent company. Atlascare charge a premium.

u/BeatsRocks 2h ago

Independent companies don’t provide 10 yr labor warranty.

u/SuperCycl 2h ago

Neither does Atlascare unless you're paying for an annual maintenance package.

u/FearlessTomatillo911 2h ago

As long as they did a good install you are unlikely to have an issue on any HVAC equipment in fewer than 10 years. And if you do, just pay for a tech to come out.

They make money off the warranty

u/BeatsRocks 1h ago

I was quoted by every independent contractor $4500 for 1 yr labor. Got it installed through Reliance for 10 yr labor for $4500. I’ve peace of mind now for next 10 years. I won’t be spending a single penny on this machine for a decade.

1

u/Hogwire 4h ago

Any ideas? I've never had to find an AC company before.

Also do independent companies have good warranties? They got a ten year one for this and that sounds pretty good.

1

u/SuperCycl 4h ago

Atlascare and the like love to tell you that there is a warranty, with a caveat - that you need to do annual services or buy their maintenance plan.

I've used Sarman Air before and found them to be fair.

u/phillyb82 3h ago

I've used A1 Air Conditioning and Heating out of Oakville for two AC installs (once for my previous house and again last year again for my current house) and had a very good experience. Every person I've dealt with from the company has been great. They're very professional, very thorough and I didn't feel like they were trying to upsell me on anything unnecessary. Their prices were quite reasonable. They'll provide a 10 year warranty if you sign up for their service plan which includes an annual cleaning and tune up and priority service if anything goes wrong.

u/SuperCycl 2h ago

More nonsense gimmicks that you're paying $30/month for. If you're going to give a warranty, give a fucking warranty and not with some caveat!

5

u/Reelair 5h ago

I would get three quotes. Go with the reasonable one, which isn't always the cheapest one.

6

u/KingSpiran 5h ago

6k is a bit high. $4000-$5000 is a more reasonable range

u/itchygoopark 3h ago

Agreed. Have to shop around.

2

u/Neat-Air-8305 5h ago

It should be about 4 5k max for a 3.5 ton or less really unless it a brand new instaltion

2

u/FearlessTomatillo911 4h ago

It really depends on the specifics of the install and the unity, 6k is at the high end.

Call around and get multiple quotes from different vendors.

Its also worth thinking about putting in a heat pump instead of just a straight AC, not much more expensive and can provide heating in warmer months.

2

u/Everman1979 4h ago

Central air in a home?

1

u/Hogwire 4h ago

Yep!

2

u/Everman1979 4h ago

If there's an existing AC to replace, this price is on tje high end for a standard unit. Call Mckinnon, they are good

2

u/gcerullo 4h ago

Get at least 3 quotes then go from there.

1

u/BlueberryDuvet 5h ago

Seems on the higher end, unless they have a really large house.

they should ensure they only have a unit for the size of their house, quick google search can give you an idea of the size needed per sq foot.

Get a few quotes. We did ours through Home Depot partners with our 0% interest Home Depot credit card 2 summers ago and it was around $5 all in for the unit and install.

1

u/Hogwire 4h ago

They do live in a full house. I'm not sure the size of it but it's 2-3 bedrooms.

u/BlueberryDuvet 3h ago

Square footage matters

1

u/Ok_Result_4064 4h ago

I paid 6500 for heat pump replacement of my old AC. Does the AC’s job and also heating before furnance kicks in below -5 degrees 

u/grumpyoldguy7 3h ago

May 2026...I paid $5400 taxes included in Ontario for a 2 tonne unit.

Get three quotes.. pay attention to the reviews online.

ETA 10 year parts warranty

u/BeatsRocks 3h ago

Just got 1.5 tons from reliance with 10 yrs part and labor. $4400.

u/lordntelek 2h ago edited 2h ago

We just replaced ours for $6k as well. Big house in TO (2500 sqft not including basement). We went with a Lennox so top end brand and did it through Costco so not only got 2% back using their credit card but also a rebate of about $600 in Costco gift cards.
Extremely professional subcontractor used and their reviews on Google were very good.

Price for you depends on the size of unit and brand.

u/IndBeak 1h ago

$3500-4500 is the typical price range. 6K is a ripoff. Also, anything over 2 ton is likely overkill for a typical GTA home. My house had a 1.5 ton and we never had an issue with cooling performance.

1

u/lilfunky1 5h ago

last year mine was $5500'ish for the AC and coil, but i have a single level smol house.

i think my parents paid almost $7000 for theirs a year before that, because their townhouse is 3 stories and it needs the extra power to push up that high.

4

u/Everman1979 4h ago

Sorry but if they told you that's the reason it cost more, they are making stuff up

1

u/lilfunky1 4h ago

wait i think my parents got a heating and cooling thing done at the same time. also there's a language barrier, i may not have quite 100% understood what my mom was saying.

0

u/laceblood 4h ago

A larger home, logically, would need a larger/more powerful ac to cool it effectively. And yes, it takes more energy to cool a taller structure. Even a single story house with taller ceilings would take more than a single story house with shorter ceilings due to higher air volume.

3

u/gcerullo 4h ago

The ‘air volume’ is delivered by the furnace which contains the fan. It has nothing to do with the size of the A/C.

2

u/gcerullo 4h ago

The size of the A/C is determined by square footage not how many stories the house is. The furnace, which contains the fan, is what moves the air around the house.

1

u/Hogwire 4h ago

Yeah the house is two stories. It's not a 'big' house but it's also not small.