Which parts of a change-out need a permit
CSLB's 2010 letter to C-20 contractors says a change-out that replaces the air handler, coil, furnace or condenser needs a building permit. Adding ducting counts too. Los Angeles issues an express permit, with no plan check, for replacing an AC unit with one of the same size and type and for adding equipment rated 5 tons or less. Long Beach charges 7 for a comfort-cooling compressor and 3 for an air handler, on top of a 04 issuance fee.
San Diego puts the condensing unit and the air handler on its Simple MEP list, a no-plan permit that homeowners and licensed contractors apply for online.
What a central AC installation costs in California
In California we put this job at $5,100 to $11,300 per installed system. That's a model, not a quote: one national published cost range, widened by 15 percent each side, adjusted by California's wage ratio to the US (1.16), with a typical permit fee added for the work.
An installed central AC system is estimated at $5,100 to $11,300 per installed system, including a median California permit fee of $148. The figure comes from 1 national published range, widened 15 percent each side and adjusted by California's technician wage ratio of 1.16, so it's an estimate, not a quote. Ask for the unit, the labor and the permit as separate lines.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $5,100 to $11,300 per installed system | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the California HVAC technician wage ratio (1.16) plus a typical permit fee ($148). California company prices are shown separately. Basis: no state company sample (no counted California company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Technician wage, California mean | $36.24 an hour | BLS mean for heating and cooling mechanics in May 2025; pay, not price. |
| Air conditioner permit, California middle of published fees | $148 | Median of replacement permit totals from 24 city fee schedules, which differ in structure. |
| Compressor and air handler permit, Long Beach | $17 compressor, $23 air handler, plus a $104 issuance fee | Fee schedule that took effect October 1, 2026. |
| Central or split AC rebate, LADWP | $100 to $120 per ton | 15.2 SEER2 earns $100 and 16.0 SEER2 earns $120 per ton; needs a final approved permit. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. We have no counted California company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Our national estimate takes one published national range for this job (a cost guide from a third-party site that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies it by California's HVAC technician wage ratio to the US (1.16, BLS OEWS May 2025, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers) and adds a typical permit fee ($148). The wage and permit rows below are what HVAC technicians are paid and what a city charges, and neither is a price. We have not collected quotes. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
New system or one more repair
A major AC repair is estimated at $645 to $5,625 and a new installed system at $5,100 to $11,300, so price both before you decide. If the old unit runs R-410A, ask which refrigerant the replacement would use, and see AC repair for the repair side.
- The failed part is named and priced, and the rest of the system works.
- A compressor or coil repair would cost nearly what a new system does.
- You're already replacing the furnace or air handler.
Your climate zone and the size on the quote
The Energy Code splits California into sixteen climate zones, and the CEC's EZ Building Climate Zone Search Tool looks yours up. Where a ZIP code spans two zones, a jurisdiction may assign one zone to the whole ZIP. Ask which zone the company used.
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals count 2,425 cooling degree days a year at Bakersfield's airport and 2,209 at Fresno's, but only 200 at San Francisco's. Ask how the company sized the unit for your city.
Refrigerant: what a new system can and can't use
CARB's rule, 17 CCR 95374, has prohibited refrigerants with a global warming potential of 750 or greater in new residential air conditioning since January 1, 2025. Its definition covers ducted central air conditioners and heat pumps as well as mini- and multi-splits. R-410A sits at about 2,088, so it's out for a new split system.
EPA's federal limit, from the same date, is 700 for residential and light commercial AC and heat pump systems, with no installation date for systems whose components were all made or imported before January 1, 2025. EPA also lists a May 2026 final rule reconsidering parts of that program. Ask when the unit was made and which refrigerant it runs on.
City rules that favor heat pumps, and the LADWP rebate
The CEC's list of local ordinances that go beyond the 2025 Energy Code includes Menlo Park (approved April 27, 2026), Moreno Valley (August 17, 2026), Mountain View (November 12, 2025) and Palo Alto (January 21, 2026). Palo Alto's entry sets a mechanical cooling requirement for altered systems in existing single-family homes that encourages air source heat pumps while still allowing an air conditioner with added efficiency measures. Ask your building department whether your city has one.
LADWP pays $100 a ton for a central or split AC at 15.2 SEER2 and $120 a ton at 16.0 SEER2. It wants a paid itemized invoice with the AHRI certificate and a final approved Building and Safety permit, and new construction and ADUs don't qualify. SDG&E's rebate page lists no central AC rebate, and neither did PG&E's as of October 20, 2026.
When an AC problem turns urgent
- You smell gas near the air handler or furnace: leave, then call 911 and your gas utility.
- The carbon monoxide alarm goes off: step outside and dial 911.
- You're comparing quotes for a new system, with the old one still cooling.
- The system cools but is old and loud.
What to ask each company
- Which refrigerant the new unit uses, and the date it was manufactured.
- The system size, and which climate zone and method produced it.
- Who pulls the permit and the fee on the quote.
Permits for a new air conditioner
Your city or county building department issues the permit, and CSLB says code requirements vary around the state. Ask whether the quote includes it. LADWP won't pay its rebate without a final approved permit, so also ask who closes the permit out.
Before any work starts, get the license number and check it with your state's licensing board; our state pages link the lookup.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to install central air in California?
About $5,100 to $11,300 per installed system by our model, which is an estimate, not a quote. It's one national range adjusted for California technician pay, plus a median permit fee, and we have no counted California company price for AC installation. Get written quotes that name the unit and its refrigerant.
Can a new AC in California still use R-410A?
Not in new residential split systems from January 1, 2025, under CARB's table. R-410A's global warming potential is about 2,088, over CARB's 750 line. EPA's separate federal limit of 700 sets no installation date for systems whose components were all made or imported before 2025, so ask when the unit was made and what it runs on.
Does installing a new AC need a permit?
Yes; CSLB lists replacing the air handler, coil or condenser as permit work. Fees differ by city. Long Beach lists $17 for a comfort-cooling compressor and $23 for an air handler plus a $104 issuance fee, and Los Angeles has an express permit for a same-size, same-type AC replacement.
Is there a rebate for a new air conditioner in California?
LADWP pays $100 to $120 per ton for central or split AC; SDG&E and PG&E list none. LADWP wants a paid itemized invoice with the AHRI certificate and a final approved permit. Homes in new construction and ADUs can't claim it.
Do some California cities favor heat pumps over central AC?
Palo Alto does: its ordinance on the CEC's list encourages air source heat pumps when an existing single-family home's system is altered. It still allows an air conditioner with added efficiency measures. The same CEC list of ordinances beyond the 2025 Energy Code includes Menlo Park, Moreno Valley and Mountain View, so ask your building department whether your city has one.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021), California, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- HVACMatch: how we estimate costs, California (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Long Beach: Building Permits Read Oct 20, 2026.
- LADWP Consumer Rebate Program Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CSLB: C-20 Permit Enforcement Letter (PDF, 2010) Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CSLB: Do I need a building permit for my project? Read Oct 20, 2026.
- LADBS: Mechanical HVAC Permits Read Oct 20, 2026.
- City of San Diego DSD: What Permits Do I Need? Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CEC: Climate Zone tool, maps, and information Read Oct 20, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (data service) Read Oct 20, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (data service) Read Oct 20, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (data service) Read Oct 20, 2026.
- Cal. Code Regs. tit. 17 section 95374 (Cornell LII) Read Oct 20, 2026.
- EPA: Technology Transitions HFC Restrictions by Sector Read Oct 20, 2026.
- EPA: Regulatory Actions for Technology Transitions Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CEC: Local Ordinances Exceeding the 2025 Energy Code Read Oct 20, 2026.
- Rebates | San Diego Gas & Electric Read Oct 20, 2026.
- PG&E: Rebates and incentives Read Oct 20, 2026.
- Gas Safety | PG&E Read Oct 20, 2026.
- Emergency Information | SoCalGas Read Oct 20, 2026.