According to the United States Department of Energy, 66 percent of homes in this country make use of a central air conditioning system. The benefits of this cooling method are clear: it is both efficient and effective. Central air can bring the entire building to a comfortable temperature while utilizing less energy than most of its competitors. It can also provide a nice boost in the value of the home.

In the following blog post, our HVAC experts will break down the key factors that influence the total price of a central AC system installation in a building. We’ll help you determine what the installation of a central air conditioner can be expected to cost so you can budget effectively for your cooling needs.

Consider the Square Footage

It’s crucial to choose a unit that is the correct size for your building because the wrong one can prove to be costly in terms of operations and maintenance. A condenser that is too small for a building will waste a great deal of energy as it struggles to provide enough cooling. It will also require additional maintenance as it performs extra work. Conversely, a system that is too large will prove incredibly inefficient and waste energy as a result.

Air conditioning units receive a BTU rating from their manufacturers. The acronym BTU stands for British Thermal Units, which measure the amount of heat energy an HVAC system can generate (or remove, in the case of an air conditioner). The greater your home’s square footage, the higher the BTU rating required and, therefore, the more the installation of a central air conditioner will cost.

To get an idea of how the size of your home will influence the final price tag of your air conditioner, multiply the square footage by 20. The resulting number will roughly indicate the BTU rating you need for your house. A smaller system with a rating of around 18,000 BTUs averages around $2,500 to $5,000, depending on the other variables mentioned in this post. Larger systems will cost more, with bigger homes requiring systems that can cost as much as $8,000 to $9,000 or more.

Think About Energy Efficiency

Another factor that will greatly influence the cost of your central AC unit is the energy efficiency of the system you choose. More energy-efficient systems cost more up front simply because they are more complex and more technically advanced. However, they can also save you a great deal of money over time due to their reduced power requirements. For this reason, an energy-efficient HVAC system can be considered an investment. It just depends on whether you’re thinking short or long term.

To determine how the energy efficiency of your HVAC system will ultimately impact the price tag, look at the system’s seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) rating. This is a ratio of the amount of power required to remove a certain number of BTUs of heat energy from the home. A higher SEER rating means a more efficient system, which brings with it a greater up-front cost.

AC units with the lowest SEER ratings will usually average around $2,000 to $3,000, contingent on other variables. Systems with the highest ratings can cost as much as $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the size of the home. However, these systems will directly translate to a lower electricity bill, which can help to offset the greater up-front price in the long term.

Ductwork Modifications

If you have a newly built home, it likely already has most of the infrastructure in place for central AC—the home probably already has ductwork and vents in place for the system to use. On the other hand, ductwork modifications to a previously built home will increase the installation cost. For instance, if you need to run ductwork where it didn’t previously exist or upgrade the current ducts to improve their energy efficiency, such as adding zoning, installation is going to take longer and cost more.

Many older homes, particularly those constructed before the 1960s, do not have ductwork in place at all because central air simply wasn’t a common feature when they were constructed. For these homes, ducts must be installed before a central air conditioner can be added to the building. Because ducts are hidden above ceilings and behind walls, this is a fairly invasive process and can be expensive. The average cost of adding ductwork to a home in the United States is around $5,000, but this can be significantly higher or lower depending on the building and region.

Labor Costs

The cost of the AC unit itself is fairly simple to determine: The size and energy efficiency are directly proportional to the ultimate price tag, with higher numbers equaling more expensive systems. Other variables can be somewhat more complex because they will differ greatly depending on the home. This is particularly true when it comes to determining the cost of installation itself.

To determine how much installation of a central air conditioner might cost for your specific home, first consider how much work you can expect it to be for an installer. Are they building an HVAC system from scratch or just upgrading an existing one? Will ductwork need to be installed? Are there any challenges inherent to your home—such as a large size or remote location—that might make the task harder? Consider these factors when calculating your central air conditioner installation budget.

The cost of labor varies greatly depending on where you are located but averages around $100 to $200 per hour. While some contractors may offer much lower numbers than this, it’s important to remember that you get what you pay for. A skilled, certified HVAC professional will provide a great deal of expertise and meticulous effort, which does come with a certain cost. At the same time, however, a reputable company will not price gouge its consumers and artificially inflate the cost.

To ensure your air conditioning installation is done by a certified professional who will treat the job as the investment it is, contact experts like All Weather Heating & Cooling. We’ll provide you with an HVAC system that will keep your home safe and comfortable while also providing your home with the added value that a high-quality central air conditioner creates.