Most fixes run $150–$650. Compressors are the four-figure exception — and the "cheap recharge" is usually a leak wearing a disguise. Check the free stuff below, then get a real diagnosis.
Filter. A clogged filter chokes airflow, ices the coil and mimics half the faults on this page. Swap it; wait an hour.
Thermostat. Cooling mode, setpoint below room temperature, fresh batteries. Solves an embarrassing share of "broken AC" calls.
Breakers — once. Reset a tripped breaker one time. If it trips again, stop; repeated trips mean a real electrical fault, and resetting into it makes things worse.
Frozen coil? System off, fan on, let it thaw fully before any restart. Running a frozen system is how $250 problems become $2,500 ones.
Smoke, sparks or dangerous heat? Use the safety and after-hours checklist in our emergency AC repair guide before treating the problem as a routine service call.
| Repair | Typical cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Service call / diagnosis | $75–$200 |
| Capacitor or contactor | $150–$400 |
| Condensate drain clog | $100–$275 |
| Thermostat replacement | $150–$500 |
| Blower or condenser fan motor | $300–$700 |
| Refrigerant leak repair + recharge | $400–$1,600 |
| Evaporator coil | $600–$2,400 |
| Compressor | $1,500–$3,000 |
Refrigerant work legally requires EPA 608 certification. And treat any bid to "just top off the freon" annually as a red flag — refrigerant doesn't get used up, it leaks, and the honest fix is the leak.
Decision tool
Compare the repair against replacement cost, equipment age, warranty, efficiency and recent fault history. The result shows which facts deserve more weight—it does not replace a diagnosis.
Instant result · no email requiredThis is a budgeting decision aid, not an engineering verdict. Safety faults, refrigerant leaks and compressor diagnoses require a qualified local technician.
Age-times-cost shortcuts can start a conversation, but they cannot diagnose equipment. Compare the repair as a share of a correctly scoped replacement, then add remaining warranty, recent failures, parts support, efficiency, comfort problems and how long you expect to own the home. A $250 capacitor on a functioning older system is different from a $1,800 compressor after two recent repairs.
R-22 production and import ended, but reclaimed refrigerant can still be used by qualified technicians; the practical issue is price, supply and whether major work on an old system is sensible. Ask for the leak or component diagnosis in writing. If replacement wins, compare a heat pump with a straight AC using local energy costs and currently open incentives.
Every repair on this table costs less and books faster in spring than in a July heatwave queue, when emergency premiums apply and waits stretch days. An annual tune-up exists precisely to move the July breakdown to an April line item.
A diagnostic service call runs $75–$200 (often credited toward the work), and the most common repairs land $150–$650: capacitors, contactors, fan motors, drain clogs and thermostat issues. Refrigerant leak repairs with recharge run $400–$1,600 depending on leak location and refrigerant type. Compressor replacement is the big one at $1,500–$3,000 — usually the point where replacement math takes over.
Check the free stuff first: a clogged filter, a thermostat set to fan, a tripped breaker, or an iced-up indoor coil (turn the system off and let it thaw — running it frozen kills compressors). If those clear and it still blows warm, the usual culprits are low refrigerant from a leak or a failing capacitor — both technician territory.
The refrigerant itself runs $50–$150 per pound depending on type, and a typical recharge is $200–$600 — but a recharge without fixing the leak is a subscription, not a repair. Refrigerant does not get consumed; if it is low, it escaped. Pay for the leak search and fix, then the recharge.
Compare the repair as a percentage of a like-for-like replacement, then weigh age, diagnosis, warranty, recent repair history, efficiency and parts support. A modest warrantied repair on a younger system usually makes sense. A compressor or coil repair on an older unit with repeated faults deserves a written replacement comparison. R-22 equipment is not an automatic verdict, but restricted supply and older components can make major repairs poor value.
Demand. July service calls in hot metros carry emergency premiums and multi-day waits — the same capacitor costs less in April with same-week scheduling. If your system limped through last summer, the cheap repair window is spring.
Anything involving refrigerant legally requires EPA Section 608 certification, and most states require licensed HVAC contractors for system work. Every contractor in the YourAirCon network must hold the licensing and certification their state requires.
Free planning tools
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