Budget line for a buyer: Florida homeowners reported a median $12,000 for a new system, and a diagnostic visit runs a median $190.
Licenses: FL DBPR construction licensee extract (CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv), retrieved 2026-10-05.
Reported price, U.S. dollars
Source for every price on this page: HVACPro analysis of homeowner-reported quotes and invoices in public Reddit posts, 2025-01-01 to 2026-09-29. Repair figures are U.S.-wide; only rows marked Florida are Florida. The posts do not always say what a price included, and people who post are not a random sample. N is the number of quotes behind each figure.
We have no reports labeled as a pre-purchase AC inspection, so we do not price one. The diagnostic fee and the tune-up are the closest visits we have numbers for.
HVACPro analysis of 62 homeowner-reported quotes and invoices in public Reddit posts, 2025-01-01 to 2026-09-29 (first row).
| Job | Median | Middle half | Reports (N) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic or service-call fee (closest to an inspection visit) | $190 | $100 to $290 | 62 |
| Tune-up or maintenance visit | $380 | $120 to $530 | 15 |
| New full system, Florida homeowners (the worst-case budget) | $12,000 | $9,400 to $15,600 | 55 |
Stock photo, not our work. Photo by ready made via Pexels.
A new system is the biggest number on our price list: Florida homeowners reported a median $12,000. A home's age is a poor guide to its AC's age, but it tells you what to ask: in Clearwater, the median home was built in 1978, so an original AC would be decades past ENERGY STAR's 10-year replacement mark (ENERGY STAR replacement guide) and a working system there is very likely a replacement. Ask when.
Put a licensed contractor on the checklist ENERGY STAR gives for a yearly visit: electrical connections and voltage, moving parts, the condensate drain, controls, both coils, refrigerant level and blower (ENERGY STAR checklist). Ask for a written finding and the age and model from the data plate. Then compare it to the system's install record: replacing an AC in Hillsborough County requires a mechanical permit (Hillsborough County permits), so ask the seller for the permit record.
One dated fact helps a buyer read a nameplate. A split AC installed in Florida on or after January 1, 2023 must be rated at least 14.3 SEER2 if it is under 45,000 Btu/h (DOE 2023 standards FAQ).
A unit installed after that date with a lower rating is one to question. Ratings before 2023 are SEER, which DOE says is measured differently from SEER2, so the two scales are not directly comparable (DOE 2023 standards FAQ).
Simplified drawing, not to scale. Real systems vary: the indoor unit can sit in an attic or closet, the ducts can run in the attic or under the floor. Original illustration, not a photo.
If the unit is past 10 years old, price a replacement into the offer. Florida homeowners reported a median $12,000 (middle half $9,400 to $15,600).
Use $190 for a diagnostic visit as your inspection budget. It is small next to the bill it can prevent.
At a showing you can check the free things: does the thermostat respond, is the air from the vents cold, is there water at the air handler and does the outdoor unit start and run quietly. Anything odd goes on the contractor's list.
Stock photo, not our work. Photo by Anh-Bao Tran-Le via Pexels.
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Need a licensed HVAC pro in the Tampa Bay outer ring? Call and we'll connect you with a licensed local contractor.
HVACPro is a free referral service for homeowners, not an HVAC company. We don't do the work, and we may be paid by the contractor. Check any contractor's license on the state's lookup before you hire.
Every city below has an A-to-Z list of the businesses with an active Florida HVAC license there. The number on each chip is that count.
Counts: businesses with an active license and a city address in the Tampa Bay outer ring, from FL DBPR construction licensee extract (CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv), retrieved 2026-10-05. A license says the state permits the work, not that the work is good.
A business with offices in two cities counts in each city's list. The city chips above open each A-to-Z list.
Source: FL DBPR construction licensee extract (CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv), retrieved 2026-10-05. A license says the state permits the work; it says nothing about quality. Check any license on the state's live lookup before you hire. No ratings, rankings or reviews.
Utility rebates in our data go to the customer who installs equipment, not to a buyer, and the programs we track are written for the customer replacing a system. Lakeland Electric's tune-up rebate allows one visit per central unit per household per year.
Need a licensed HVAC pro in the Tampa Bay outer ring? Call and we'll connect you with a licensed local contractor.
HVACPro is a free referral service for homeowners, not an HVAC company. We don't do the work, and we may be paid by the contractor. Check any contractor's license on the state's lookup before you hire.
Stock photo, not our work. Photo by Bingqian Li via Pexels.
Yes if the system is older than 10 years, which is ENERGY STAR's mark for considering replacement (ENERGY STAR replacement guide), or if there is no permit or service record. A new system reported a Florida median of $12,000, so a $190 visit is cheap insurance.
The data plate on the outdoor unit gives a model and serial number. Ask the contractor to read it and tell you the manufacture year, and ask the seller for the permit record of the last replacement.
ENERGY STAR's yearly checklist: electrical connections, moving parts, condensate drain, controls, coils, refrigerant level and blower (ENERGY STAR checklist).
Get the license number and check it on the state's lookup. ENERGY STAR advises checking the license and insurance requirements for your state, and asking for references and a written, itemized estimate (ENERGY STAR hiring tips).
These questions come from the topic clusters below in our research on 2,095 mined questions (Repair vs. replace, new system, sizing, installation: 94; Filters, cleaning, maintenance, tune-ups: 60; Choosing / trusting an HVAC contractor: 46). The wording and answers are ours; we do not republish anyone's post.
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HVAC businesses with an active Florida license in the Tampa Bay outer ring
Source: FL DBPR construction licensee extract (CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv), retrieved 2026-10-05.