Air Conditioner
Repair prices for the parts that fail most here, like capacitors, drain pans and condensate pumps, plus replacement prices by size and efficiency so you can weigh one against the other.
Repair Costs Replacement Costs
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Cost guide for DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia homes
What Will HVAC Repair or Replacement Cost Your DMV Home?
Most HVAC repairs in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia cost $110 to $650. A new central air conditioner runs about $4,600 to $8,400 installed, and a furnace and air conditioner together about $8,700 to $17,400. At Nero’s Heating & Air, a repair visit starts with a $75 diagnostic, waived when you go ahead with the fix. New systems get a free written estimate that’s binding once you sign it. Either way, our local team gives you the price before any work starts.
Our Service Fees, No Surprises
- Diagnostic visit
- $75
- Sunday, after-hours or rooftop visit
- $169
- Estimate for a new system
- Free
- Maintenance agreement, one cooling and one heating visit
- $150 a year
- Air duct cleaning, first system
- $499
- Air duct cleaning, each additional system
- $429
- First job with us
- 10% off, up to $300
- Financing through GreenSky
- Promotional rates for qualified customers
The $75 diagnostic comes off your bill when you go ahead with the repair. The $169 covers Sundays, after-hours calls and rooftop units. It takes the place of the diagnostic rather than adding to it, and you’ll hear it before the visit is booked. The first-job discount can’t be combined with other offers.
New System Prices Across DC, Maryland and Virginia
| System | Installed price range |
|---|---|
| Central air conditioner | $4,600–$8,400 |
| Gas furnace | $3,800–$10,000 |
| Ducted heat pump | $5,500–$10,000 |
| Furnace and air conditioner together | $8,700–$17,400 |
| Ductless mini-split, one zone | $3,000–$5,500 |
| Ductless mini-split, several zones | $6,000–$13,000 |
| Tank water heater | $900–$2,500 |
| Tankless water heater | $1,400–$4,000 |
Market estimates for the DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia area. Your written quote from us replaces them.
Find the Cost Guide for Your System
Repair and replacement prices for each system, side by side.
Furnace
What common furnace repairs cost before the first cold snap, plus standard and high-efficiency replacement prices and the venting work that can change a quote.
Heat Pump
Repair prices for heating and cooling faults, installed prices for a new heat pump, and what backup heat adds for the coldest DMV nights.
Ductless Mini-Split
One-zone and multi-zone pricing, what each added indoor unit costs, and why ductless suits rowhouses, additions and attic rooms with no ductwork.
Repair Costs Replacement Costs
Water Heater
Tank and tankless prices side by side, what common repairs cost, and when a tank past its tenth year is worth replacing instead.
Repair Costs Replacement Costs
Two Quotes for the Same Home, Thousands of Dollars Apart
Usually that’s because they aren’t pricing the same job.
Equipment Choice
A single-stage system and a variable-speed one do the same job very differently, and the price gap follows.
Home Setup
Tight duct runs, a full electrical panel or venting that has to be rerouted all add work. Rowhouses and older DMV homes tend to need more of it.
Quote Scope
One quote lists the permit, the connections and the start-up test. Another leaves them out, and those costs still exist.
Before you compare two totals, check that both quotes cover the same items listed below.
Everything a Nero’s Heating & Air Quote Covers
Replacement
- Written estimate, binding once signed
- Equipment and installation labor
- Full system test before we leave
- One-year labor warranty
- Check-in at six months
Repair
- Diagnostic waived if you go ahead
- Price approved before work starts
- Parts and labor
- 30-day labor warranty
Compare any other quote against these lists.
Repair or Replace, You’ll See Both Prices
When the choice is close, we price both so you can compare them before spending anything. A system under about ten years old with one failed part is usually worth fixing, and we’ll tell you when that’s your best move. Past about fifteen years, with a repair quote running into the thousands, a new system often makes more sense once you count the repairs still ahead. The cost guide for your system above has the full comparison.
Still weighing it? Read the signs an older air conditioner can’t keep up, or see which furnace faults are worth fixing.
Pay for a New System Over Time With GreenSky
Financing runs through GreenSky. Promotional rates are available to qualified customers, with your rate set by your application and approval.
Rebates can lower the price too: EmPOWER Maryland through Pepco or SMECO, and the DC Sustainable Energy Utility in the District. We check what applies at the estimate.
HVAC Cost FAQs for DMV Homes
Most land between $110 and $650. Small electrical parts like capacitors sit at the bottom, while a compressor or coil can climb into the thousands. You approve the price before we start.
No. Quoting a replacement costs nothing. The paid diagnostic applies only when something has broken and we need to find out why.
Plan on about $4,600 to $8,400 installed. The size of the house, the efficiency rating you choose and the state of the ductwork decide where yours falls.
Roughly $3,800 to $10,000 for a gas furnace and $5,500 to $10,000 for a ducted heat pump. Venting changes and extra electrical capacity push a job toward the top.
A rough range, yes. A number we’d stand behind needs someone to see the equipment, the ducts and the access, which is why the estimate visit is free.
Often, when both are near the end. One visit and one set of connections usually cost less than two separate jobs a year apart. A younger furnace in good shape is worth keeping.
Get a Price You Can Plan Around
Tell us what the system is doing, or what you’re thinking of replacing. We’ll look, explain what we find, and give you the number before any work starts.