What a repair visit covers, and why Michigan summers still matter
Cooling is Michigan's second season, but it is a real one. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals, counted from a base of 65 F, give Detroit 847 cooling degree days a year and Grand Rapids 732, against 534 in Traverse City.
A repair visit looks at the parts of the cooling cycle you cannot see: the electrical controls, the airflow, the condensate drain and the sealed refrigerant circuit. ENERGY STAR recommends a contractor check-up for cooling each spring, with the filter changed or cleaned monthly in between. For heating problems see furnace repair.
What AC repair costs in Michigan: the evidence we hold
Our estimate for this job in Michigan is $125 to $745 per repair. It is a model, not a quote, built from one national published cost range, widened by 15 percent each side, and adjusted by Michigan's wage ratio to the US (1.00).
We are collecting the prices Michigan heating and cooling companies publish on their own sites, and enough of them will earn a place in this table with the number of companies and the date we read them. The AC repair cost guide explains what moves a quote.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $125 to $745 per repair | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan HVAC technician wage ratio (1.00). |
| HVAC mechanic and installer wage, Michigan mean | $31.01 an hour | What Michigan heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers are paid (BLS, May 2025), not what you are charged. |
| Same occupation, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn mean | $32.06 an hour | Wage, not a price (BLS, May 2025). |
| DTE AC diagnostic tune-up rebate | $75 | DTE's rebate page, read Oct 19, 2026; funds are limited and first come first served. |
| Mechanical permit if repair turns into replacement, Grand Rapids | $21.00 plus a $52.00 application | Replacement air conditioner; fee schedule effective July 1, 2026. Repairing minor parts does not need a permit. |
| Mechanical permit, State of Michigan, split AC | $30 plus a $75 application | Applies only where LARA, not the city, enforces the code. |
How we estimate costs: the figures here are estimates, not quotes, built from BLS wages, published city permit fees and federal energy-cost evidence. We are collecting the prices Michigan heating and cooling companies publish; we have not yet collected quotes from them, and we will say how many and from when once we do. Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Michigan's HVAC technician wage ratio to the US (1.00, BLS May 2025), plus the local permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. We have too few Michigan company prices yet to show a range. Full method. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
Repair the air conditioner, or replace it
ENERGY STAR says equipment more than 10 years old, or not keeping the house comfortable, should be evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor. It sets a point for an evaluation and says nothing about lifespan. Ask what was found and what the repair fixes, then compare it with a quote from AC installation. The repair or replace tool compares the two.
- The problem is a filter, a control, a drain or another single part.
- The contractor can say what failed.
- The equipment is past the 10 year mark and the repair bill is large.
- The contractor cannot say what failed.
Refrigerant rules that decide who can touch your AC
Section 608 of the Clean Air Act is the reason you cannot buy a can of refrigerant and top up the system yourself. EPA allows only certified technicians to buy refrigerant for stationary air conditioning, and it prohibits intentionally venting refrigerant while servicing or disposing of equipment.
If your system is old enough to use R-22, you are not forced to replace it: EPA says production and import ended on January 1, 2020, and you may keep using R-22 in an existing system for as long as necessary. EPA also warns that propane sold as "R-22a" is highly flammable, is not an acceptable substitute and endangers homeowners and technicians.
The condensate drain: a small part with a wet consequence
ENERGY STAR includes the condensate drain in its maintenance check and warns that a plugged drain can cause water damage in the house. In Detroit, where 90.1% of homes were built before 1980, older homes more often have older systems, so the drain is worth a look at every spring visit.
When an AC problem cannot wait
- A heat advisory is in effect, the air conditioner is not cooling, and someone in the house is very young, elderly or medically vulnerable to heat.
- Water is leaking from the unit toward a ceiling, a light fixture or the electrical panel.
- The breaker trips again right after you reset it, or you smell burning near the equipment.
- The system cools, but more slowly than last summer.
Checks to run before you call
- Set the thermostat to cool, a few degrees below room temperature.
- Change or clean the filter; ENERGY STAR advises doing it monthly.
- Check the breaker for the indoor and outdoor units, and reset a tripped one once only.
- Look for water around the indoor unit, which points at the condensate drain.
- Do not add refrigerant or open the sealed lines. If the breaker trips again, stop and call.
Permits and licensing for AC work in Michigan
LARA's rule says mechanical work cannot start without a permit, except for replacement of minor parts, and its exemption list names window-type air conditioners of not more than 1.5 hp. A repair that swaps minor parts needs no permit. Replacing the whole air conditioner is not on the exemption list, so it needs one; that is our reading of the list, not a LARA sentence. See the mechanical permit guide.
Mechanical work needs a mechanical contractor's license under Article 8 of 2016 PA 407. Which class covers AC repair is our inference: probably refrigeration and air conditioning service. Ask for the license number and check it on the LARA lookup.
Ask for the license number and check it with your state's licensing board before any work starts. Our state pages link the lookup.
- Grand Rapids mechanical permit fee schedule Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA BCC: Mechanical Permit Information Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA (state) mechanical permit fee schedule Read Oct 19, 2026.
- EPA: Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements Read Oct 19, 2026.
- EPA: Refrigerant Sales Restriction Read Oct 19, 2026.
- EPA: Prohibition on Venting Refrigerants Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MCL 339.5801 (Michigan Legislature) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MCL 339.5807 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA: Find / Verify a Licensed Professional or Business Read Oct 19, 2026. Our reading of the source, not something it states outright. Confirm before you rely on it.
A tool for this job
Repair or replace, by age and quote
If you smell gas or a carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, leave first. Otherwise four taps give a direction based on the one age fact we could source: ENERGY STAR says equipment more than 10 years old, or not keeping the house comfortable, should be evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor. It marks when to get an evaluation and gives no lifespan, and the tool asks for and prints no prices.
Open the toolQuestions people ask
How often should an air conditioning unit be serviced?
ENERGY STAR recommends annual pre-season check-ups by a contractor, cooling in spring and heating in fall, with filters changed or cleaned monthly. It is advice, and no Michigan rule requires it.
Why is my AC running but not cooling?
The filter, the thermostat setting, the breaker and water near the indoor unit are the first checks. If those look normal, stop there: refrigerant work can only be done by a certified technician, and we cannot diagnose from here.
How much does AC repair cost in Michigan?
We have not collected Michigan quotes, so the first row of the table is a statewide estimate, a model and not a quote. The wage row shows what technicians are paid, not what you are charged. Ask for the diagnostic fee and repair price in writing first.
Can I add refrigerant to my own air conditioner?
No. EPA's sales restriction lets only certified technicians, or their employers, buy refrigerant for stationary air conditioning. That is our reading of the rule as it applies to a homeowner.
Is R-22 banned, and can my old AC still be repaired?
EPA says US production and import of R-22 ended on January 1, 2020, and you may keep using it in an existing system for as long as necessary.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers (SOC 49-9021), Michigan statewide Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DTE Air Conditioners Read Oct 19, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (data service) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (data service) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (data service) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- 1991-2020 U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals Documentation Read Oct 19, 2026.
- ENERGY STAR: Maintenance Checklist Read Oct 19, 2026.
- ENERGY STAR: Heating & Cooling at Home Read Oct 19, 2026.
- EPA-430-FR-20001: Residential AC and the Phaseout of HCFC-22 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- EPA: Stationary Refrigeration Resources for Homeowners Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DTE Energy: Natural Gas Emergency Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Consumers Energy: Emergencies Read Oct 19, 2026.
- HVACMatch: how we estimate costs (editorial policy) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates (tables B01003, B25034, B25077) Read Oct 19, 2026.