How Much Does It Cost To Install Central Air Conditioning?

$3,876

(central A/C cool only for 1,000 sq.ft. - upgraded)

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Central Air Conditioning Costs

Indoor Cost Guides Air-Conditioning & Heating (HVAC) Central Air Conditioning Costs

Central air conditioning (A/C) units have their hot air output exterior to the building, and their cooling air ducted to interior climate zones. Refrigeration tubing and electrical circuitry will pass through the building envelope.

You will find that the cost of average central A/C varies by type of unit, its cooling capacity and efficiency rating, preparation and special needs, and the labor rate.

In the following tables the Labor Cost figure is what the able DIY person should expect to save by performing the corresponding tasks.

Central A/C: central unit added to existing furnace ducts to cool 1,000 sq.ft.; include delivery, all material, equipment, and waste.

The Cost of Central Air Conditioning Installation

Item	Unit Cost		Quantity	Line Cost
1. A/C unit: 24000 BTU (2 ton) cooling only, 230 VAC, pad mount; include plenum, piping, pad, and connections; with all trim, weather stripping, hardware, and touch-up.	$2,990	each	1	$2,990
2. Upgrade: install new circuit; 30 feet of #10/3 wire in EMT exterior conduit; 30 amp breaker into existing space; wired into unit box.	$2.16	per foot	32	$68
Material Cost	$3,058	each	1	$3,058
3. + Labor Cost (install AC unit)	$38	per hour	16	$608
4. + Labor Cost (upgrade circuit)	$42	per hour	5	$210
Total Cost	$3,876	each	1	$3,876

Central A/C: central unit added to existing furnace ducts to cool more than 2,000 sq.ft.; include delivery, all material, equipment, and waste.

The Cost of Central Air Conditioning Installation

Item	Unit Cost		Quantity	Line Cost
1. A/C unit: 60000 BTU (5 ton) cooling only, 230 VAC, pad mount; include plenum, piping, pad, and connections; with all trim, weather stripping, hardware, and touch-up.	$5,647	each	1	$5,647
2. Upgrade: install new circuit; 30 feet of #10/3 wire in EMT exterior conduit; 30 amp breaker into existing space; wired into unit box.	$3.07	per foot	32	$97
Material Cost	$5,744	each	1	$5,744
3. + Labor Cost (install AC unit)	$38	per hour	12	$456
4. + Labor Cost (upgrade circuit)	$42	per hour	3	$126
Total Cost	$6,326	each	1	$6,326

Other considerations and costs

Taxes and permit fees are not included.
Energy efficient A/C will save money, and in some cases rebates may be available.
For A/C units of greater than 12,000 BTU’s per hour (or 3.5 kilowatts) a multi-phase electrical circuit is generally required.
For a sunny room, add 10% more A/C capacity than required for room size.
Add 600 BTU/h’s per person if usually occupied by more than two persons.
For the kitchen, add 4,000 more BTU/h’s than required for room size.
During the initial inspection the contractor should inform the homeowner of any and all necessary modification or upgrade on electrical circuits or building structure.
Labor cost will rise with a “hidden” circuit installation in a finished environment.

Check out our guide if you need a loan for your home improvement project.

DIY considerations

This project is not highly suitable for DIY requiring special tools and skills.

References

Craftsman Estimator Costbook, complete series year 2015.
Latest prices found on Home Depot and other vendor Web sites.
Literature review of DIY Web sites.

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