AC Coil Replacement Cost (Average, by Brand, by Size, by Types) 2025

Coils of air conditioner (AC) are decisive to cooling performance. When a residential air conditioning coil goes bad, it can be the indoor evaporator coil or the outdoor condenser coil, in either case a replacement means removing the old coil, installing a new one, and recharging the refrigerant. Professional replacement can correct the situation and provide proper cooling but at a high price.

The cost of replacing an AC coil depends on the size of the coil, brand, and type but homeowners can expect to pay between 600 dollars to 2400 dollars to replace an AC coil with parts and labor. The table below shows the average cost estimates of some of the most common AC coil replacements:

Replacement Type	Cost Range (Installed)
Evaporator Coil (Indoor)	$650 – $2,400
Condenser Coil (Outdoor)	$900 – $2,300

Average Cost: On average, the cost of replacing a residential AC coil is approximately between 1,300 and 1,400 dollars among the majority of the homeowners. This price (this amount is with parts and professional installation).

AC Coil Replacement Cost by Size

The cost of replacing coils depends on the size or cooling capacity of an AC (in tons). The bigger coils are costly and need more refrigerant and labor to install.

As an example, the coil in a small 1.5-2 ton unit may cost only $600 to replace the coil in a 5 ton unit may cost $900 or more just to replace the coil (and much more when labor is included). The majority of house central ACs are 2 to 5 tons, and thus the more tonnage is, the more it costs. An average homeowner who has a medium-sized 3-ton AC will spend about 1,300 to 1,600 dollars on the replacement of an evaporator coil.

The table below gives an estimate of the cost of coils by size of AC (tonnage) including both the part-only costs and the total installed costs:

AC Unit Size	Coil Part Cost	Total Replacement Cost
1.5 – 2.0 ton	$200–$900	$600-$2,000
2.5 ton	$250 – $1,200	$650 – $2,100
3.0 ton	$300 – $1,400	$700 – $2,350
3.5 ton	$350 – $1,500	$750 – $2,500
4.0 ton	$400 – $1,600	$800 – $2,600
5.0 ton	$450 – $1,700	$900 – $2,700

The size of coil is normally correlated to the capacity of the AC (one ton is 12,000 BTU). Part-only prices begin at about $200-400 on small coils and go up to 450+ on a 5-ton coil (see above). The installed price increases correspondingly, about 600-800 dollars on small units and 2,500 dollars or more on the biggest ones. There is also an increment in labor and refrigerant cost with larger systems, adding to the total costs.

Generally, additional half-ton capacity may cost a few hundred dollars to the replacement bill. To give you an idea, the average home AC with 2-3 tons of cooling capacity will cost between $1,250 and 1,550 to replace the evaporator coil, whereas the owners of 4-5 ton units are likely to pay up to 1,700 dollars or more to have a new coil installed.

AC Coil Replacement Cost by Brand

Your air conditioner brand also affects the price of coils, as OEM replacement coils of high-end brands are usually more expensive. It is suggested to use a coil of the same brand as HVAC unit to ensure compatibility and efficiency. The coils of high-end brands such as Carrier or Lennox are more expensive (up to 1,300 dollars for the part), whereas coils of such brands as York or Goodman are cheaper (they are usually less than 1,000 dollars for the part). The following are average prices of evaporator coils of some of the most common brands (standard residential systems):

Brand	Coil Part Cost	Total Replacement Cost
Carrier	$300 – $1,300	$700 – $2,300
Trane (American Standard)	$200 – $1,000	$600 – $2,000
Lennox	$200 – $1,300	$600 – $2,300
Goodman (Amana)	$300 – $900	$700 – $1,900
Rheem (Ruud)	$300 – $1,400	$700 – $2,400
Bryant	$250 – $1,000	$650 – $2,000
York	$250 – $1,300	$650 – $2,300

The OEM coils of such brands as Rheem/Ruud and Carrier can cost up to $1,300-$1,400 just the coil itself as the table indicates. By comparison, a Goodman or Trane coil may be a couple of hundred dollars cheaper on the low end. Since the labor costs are more or less the same, irrespective of the brand, the primary difference in the total cost is the price of the part. The average cost of a complete replacement of a premium-brand coil can exceed $2,300, but an economy-brand such as Goodman can cost $1,900 or less to install. The majority of manufacturers warranty AC coils 5-10 years on parts, however this is usually the part only (not labor). It is always good to see whether your coil is still under warranty so that you can save on the replacement cost.

Third party coil manufacturers (e.g. Aspen, ADP) also exist, who manufacture replacement evaporator coils that will work with many brands of AC. These generic coils may also be cheaper e.g. Aspen coils are approximately between 250 and 750 dollars in part. Non-OEM coil may need modifications to fit, however, and may interfere with efficiency or warranty of the system.

To get the best results, majority of experts recommend that one should use the same brand of coil as the AC.

AC Coil Replacement Cost by Type

Evaporator Coil vs. Condenser Coil Costs

Central AC systems consist of two coils namely the indoor evaporator coil and the outdoor condenser coil. The cost of replacing an evaporator coil (the indoor coil) ranges between 650 and 2400 dollars with the installation. The cost of replacing an outdoor condenser coil is a bit higher with an average of between 900 dollars and 2300 dollars to have it installed. These ranges presuppose that the replacement coil is not covered with warranty. In case the part is covered by a warranty of a manufacturer, the homeowner would only cover the cost of labor and refrigerant, which considerably lowers the cost.

With good care (routine maintenance such as cleaning of coils), AC coils have a life of approximately 10-15 years before significant failures are experienced due to corrosion or leaks.

Practically, the evaporator coil replacements are more frequent than the condenser coil replacements in residential HVAC repairs. A bad condenser coil is usually a sign of an older outdoor unit and HVAC specialists might suggest replacing the whole condenser unit instead of the coil when the unit is old or not performing well. Actually, the replacement of the entire condenser unit (including a new coil and a new compressor) will cost approximately 1,200 – 4,200, which is in some instances equal to the upper range of coil-only repair.

When the coil is being replaced with just one of them, it is important that the new coil should be the same as the other one in terms of tonnage and efficiency (SEER rating) so that the system will operate properly. The wrong coils may decrease performance and add additional load to other parts.

Coil Leak Repair vs. Replacement: Sometimes a technician may also attempt to repair a small refrigerant leak in a coil rather than replace it. The repair of a coil leak is usually between $200 and 1500 dollars depending on the extent of the leak and the place where it is located. But since repaired coils are likely to leak again, and since repairing can be almost as expensive as a new one, it is generally better to replace the coil as a more dependable long term fix. The usual indicators of a bad coil are a weak or warm airflow, ice on the coil, or hissing sounds due to refrigerant leaks.)

Cased vs. Uncased Coils

Evaporator coils are in two formats; cased or uncased. A cased coil is in a metal cabinet (insulated) of its own, which makes it easier to install and better guarded. An uncased coil is merely the A shaped coil assembly without a specific housing, and is intended to be inserted into a pre-existing ductwork or an air handler cabinet.

The cased coils are usually more expensive (20-50 percent) than the same size uncased coils because of the cabinet and insulation. An example is that a cased coil may cost 400-1600 dollars, as compared to 200-1300 dollars for the same uncased coil. Although uncased coils are less expensive to purchase, they might need extra labor to adjust and install into the system, and this might counterbalance the savings. Cased coils are more durable, easier to install, and seal better (which may increase efficiency) than bare coils, which makes them popular among HVAC installers.

Vertical vs. Horizontal Coil Orientation

Evaporator coils of AC are also classified according to the orientation of airflow. A vertical coil (in an upright furnace or vertical air handler) typically is an A-coil design two slanted panels in the shape of an A. A flat slab-style coil is normally used in a horizontal coil (attic or crawl-space air handlers with horizontal airflow). N-coils or Z-coils, with three coil panels to maximize surface area, are also available, and can be used with airflow in any direction.

The design and orientation of coils may affect cost. The most common type of A-coils are standard and their average replacement cost is approximately 1,300 dollars. An N-coil (or Z-coil) may be more efficient, but is about 1525 percent more expensive than an equivalent A-coil, because it has an additional fin section. The least costly style tends to be the horizontal slab coils (generally about $1,200 on average) but they are not as common in current systems as a result of reduced efficiency. The type and orientation of coils should be chosen correctly to suit the design of the HVAC system; it might be necessary to make serious changes in the case of using a different style than the original one.

Installation and Labor Costs

In addition to the price of the coil, the homeowners ought to consider the cost of the labor involved in installing the coil and associated materials. The replacement of an AC coil is normally a 2-4-hour task of a professional HVAC technician. The labor rates are approximately between 75 and 150 dollars per hour hence the labor cost is normally 400 to 1000 dollars to the total cost.

Some of the tasks involved in this installation process are the recovery of the old refrigerant, brazing in the new coil, installing any fittings needed and then recharging the system with refrigerant. Hard-to-install products such as coils in an attic or crawl space that are difficult to access will fall on the high end of the labor cost scale as extra time and effort will be needed.

The accessibility of coils also differs according to type of HVAC system. In a conventional gas furnace + AC system the evaporator coil is a separate component (usually mounted above the furnace) and is comparatively easy to replace. The coil is more built in and difficult to reach in an all-electric air handler or heat pump system. This makes it possible that a coil replacement in a heat pump or electric furnace system will be several hundred dollars more in labor than in a gas furnace system.

There are some other parts and services that might be required in the process of replacing the coil. An example is that the technician may replace copper refrigerant line set, flush condensate drain line, or install a new drain pan where the previous one is rusted. All these extras are an added expense: a new line set may cost $200 to $650, a drain line flush may cost $75 to $250 and a drain pan may cost $200 to $600. They are in most instances done when the existing components are in bad shape.

Finally, the cost of recharging your system will depend on the type of refrigerant used by the system. The current R-410A refrigerant is approximately $100-320 to fully recharge and the older R-22 Freon is approximately $180-600 (and is rising as R-22 is phased out). This is a factor to consider in case your coil replacement is as a result of refrigerant leak and the system requires recharging.

When to Consider Replacing the Entire AC

AC coil replacement is a big repair and it is not necessarily the optimal long-term solution particularly when your system is older. According to industry guidelines, a full AC system could be replaced rather than a coil replacement in case of:

• The AC is over 10 years old
• The system is based on old R-22 refrigerant (Freon)
• The cost of repair (coil + labor) is no less than 50 percent of the new AC.
• Multiplication of the repair cost with the number of years that the system has is more than 5,000.

When this happens, it may be more economical and reliable to invest in a new air conditioning unit (which on average costs between 2,500 and 7,500 dollars to install). Conversely, when the rest of the AC system is in good shape and well within its service life, it can be very cost effective to just replace the coil, and have the system performing again at a small fraction of the cost of a new AC system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is replacement of an AC coil worth it?

When the rest of your air conditioning system is in good shape and not too old it is worth replacing a bad coil to get back the cooling capacity. It is much cheaper compared to replacement of an entire AC system. But, in case your system is 10+ years old or has other significant problems (an old compressor or outdated refrigerant, etc.), then a new AC might be more cost-effective in the long run. In case the coil is the only malfunctioning part and your AC is otherwise healthy, then it is usually the financially correct decision to replace the coil.

How long does it take to replace an AC coil?

It will take a professional HVAC technician 2 to 4 hours to replace an evaporator or a condenser coil. This is the period that involves the recovery of the refrigerant, the installation of the new coil, brazing of the joints and recharging the system. The job may be longer, in inaccessible installations (such as an attic unit) it may require most of a day.

Can I replace an AC coil myself?

Replacement of AC coils is not a do-it-yourself project. It involves work with refrigerant (which the law mandates that one be EPA-certified to work with) and special equipment to braze and pressure-test the system. Doing it yourself may cause injury and refrigerant leaks and will probably invalidate your HVAC warranty. This is a repair that should be done by a licensed professional.

What can make an AC coil fail?

The most widespread reason of coil failure is corrosion which results in refrigerant leaks. Coils of copper tubing may develop pinhole leaks in time (usually due to formicary corrosion by household chemicals or a humid environment). Not maintaining it may also be a factor a coil that has been clogged with dirt will not be able to dissipate heat and this will strain the metal. It is possible to lose 30 percent efficiency of an evaporator coil because it is corroded and eroded over the years. Corrosion-resistant materials used in the installation of coils and maintenance of clean coils can avoid premature failure.

How to Avoid Being Ripped Off and Get a Fair AC Coil Replacement Price

Finding the right AC coil replacement expert can be tricky—some companies offer rock-bottom prices because they’re inexperienced or have poor reputations, while others charge far too much for the same work. That’s why the smartest way to get quality replacement at a fair price is to compare estimates from top-rated local pros. Meet with each, learn about their history and the experience of the technicians that will do the work. Choose an experienced AC coil replacement contractor with reasonable rates. You can expedite this process by using our Free Local Estimates service.

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