How hard Texas summers work an air conditioner
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals count 3737.1 cooling degree days a year at Corpus Christi, 3287.7 at Houston Intercontinental, 2995.9 at Austin Bergstrom and 1608.8 at Amarillo. Each cooling degree day is one degree of a day's average above 65 F, so a higher count means more hours of cooling over the year.
A repair estimate covers the diagnostic and the part. Ours comes from one national published range adjusted by Texas's wage ratio of 0.91.
What an AC repair costs in Texas
We estimate $115 to $680 per repair for this job in Texas. That's a model, not a quote: one national published cost range, widened by 15 percent each side and adjusted by the Texas wage ratio to the US (0.91).
Our range is $115 to $680 per repair, an estimate and not a quote. Refrigerant, parts and any permit are separate lines to ask for.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $115 to $680 per repair | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Texas HVAC technician wage ratio (0.91). Three Texas HVAC companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Technician wage, Texas mean | $28.43 an hour | What a Texas HVAC technician was paid on average in May 2025 (BLS), not what an AC repair costs. |
| Residential air conditioning repair permit, Garland | $150 | A 4.5% technology surcharge applies to permits from Building Inspections; the page prints no effective date. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. We have no counted Texas 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takes one published national range for this job (a cost guide from a third-party site that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies it by Texas's HVAC technician mean wage ratio to the US (0.91, BLS OEWS May 2025, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers). 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.
The federal rule on refrigerant during a repair
Section 608 of the Clean Air Act prohibits intentionally venting ozone-depleting refrigerants and substitutes such as HFCs while maintaining, servicing, repairing or disposing of air conditioning equipment, according to EPA. The rule is 40 CFR Part 82. EPA's page also lists a final rule on emissions reduction and reclamation published Oct 11, 2024. Beyond TDLR's license requirement, the Texas sources here don't say who may handle refrigerant, so ask the company how it recovers refrigerant.
Who is standing at your door
TDLR says anyone assisting an ACR contractor with maintenance or repair must register as a technician, work under the contractor's supervision and not advertise ACR services. The application fee is $20 and a registration lasts one year. Look up the contractor's number.
AC failures that can't wait
- You smell gas near the air handler or furnace: leave, then call 911 from outside.
- Smoke or a burning smell comes from the equipment: leave the house and call 911.
- The AC cools slowly or cycles often, and the house is still safe to stay in.
Before you book a repair
- Write down the unit's model number from the outdoor nameplate.
- Get the contractor's license number from the invoice or the truck and search it.
- Ask which part the company expects to replace and whether your city treats that as permit work.
Does an AC repair need a permit?
Garland's page says repairs to air conditioning units require a permit and names coil replacement; the residential permit is $150. Austin exempts replacing a minor part that doesn't alter the equipment's approval or make it unsafe. Houston's mechanical inspections page lists condenser replacement and evaporator replacement as permit-and-inspection work. Ask the permit office which applies.
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
Can a Texas AC company vent refrigerant during a repair?
No. EPA's Section 608 rule prohibits intentionally venting these refrigerants while servicing equipment. The rule covers ozone-depleting refrigerants and substitutes such as HFCs, and it applies to maintaining, servicing, repairing or disposing of air conditioning equipment. Ask how the company recovers what it removes.
Does the technician at my door need a license of their own?
A technician needs a TDLR registration and works under a contractor holding a license. TDLR's technician page says registered technicians may not advertise ACR services. The registration costs $20 and lasts one year, and the contractor's number is the one to check.
Should I repair the AC or replace it?
Put the repair quote beside the price of a new system. Compare the repair quote with our installed-system estimate of $3,950 to $8,800 per installed system, which is also an estimate and not a quote. The repair-or-replace tool takes your own answers.
How do I find out if my city wants a permit for the repair?
Call the city's permit office; the answers differ between cities. Garland requires a permit for AC repairs, Austin exempts a minor part replacement, and Houston lists condenser and evaporator replacement as permit work. Your city page names the permit office.
- BLS Public Data API v1, OEWS Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Garland: Air Conditioning Repairs Read Oct 23, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal station file Read Oct 23, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal station file Read Oct 23, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal station file Read Oct 23, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal station file Read Oct 23, 2026.
- EPA: Stationary Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (Section 608) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDLR: Apply for a Technician Registration Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDLR: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Austin: Work exempt from building permits Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Houston Permitting Center: Mechanical Inspections Read Oct 23, 2026.
- HVACMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDLR: License Search Read Oct 23, 2026.