Heating and cooling in Austin
Austin Energy's residential rebates page says you can earn a rebate averaging $800 to install a new, energy efficient air conditioning system. That page also lists $1,000 for a heat pump water heater, which is a different appliance, so read the air conditioning line only. For the permit itself, Austin Development Services lists a stand-alone Mechanical Change Out permit for change-out work that does not need formal plan review, and a separate Mechanical Repair permit.
The contractor must be registered before applying, and applications go through the AB+C portal. The city's exempt list covers replacing a minor part of the equipment and replacing supply and return duct runs, while a like-for-like equipment change-out uses the Mechanical Change Out permit. No fee is printed for it on the permit pages that name it, so you'll need to call 512-978-4000 for the current amount. You can ask for a Homestead Permit instead.
It lets a person without a Texas license do mechanical work on their own homestead and principal residence, though the permit cannot be transferred, needs picture ID on site, is limited to one per 12 months and must be bought with its fees before work starts. Residential plan review checks work against the 2024 International Residential Code and the city's local technical codes. Austin's housing reaches a median year built of 1994 (ACS, 2020 to 2024). Choose between a registered contractor on the change-out permit and your own Homestead Permit with its 12-month limit.
What heating and cooling work costs near Austin
Nobody's given us a quote for work in Austin yet, so this page can't show a city price. The Texas page lists the estimates with what technicians earn (the Texas mean in May 2025 BLS wage data is $28.43 an hour, which is their pay, not your price) and some city permit fees. How we estimate costs.
Permits for heating and cooling work in Austin
Texas cities issue the permit for replacing a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump, and each city sets its own fee; the ones cited on our Texas page all require one. TDLR licenses the air conditioning and refrigeration contractor, so ask for that license number as well as what your city's permit office needs.
Heating and cooling jobs in Austin
Sources for Austin
- Austin Energy: Residential Rebates Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Austin: Work exempt from building permits Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Austin: Types of Permit Applications Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Austin Development Services: Homeowner's (Homestead) Permit Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Austin Development Services: Types of Permit Applications Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Austin DSD: Residential Plan Review Read Oct 23, 2026.
- ACS 5-year B25035 Median Year Structure Built