What is it doing?
Pick the closest description. Nothing is sent anywhere and there is nothing to sign up for.
Every repair, with both numbers
The call-out alone is $100–$250 before anyone touches anything, plus $40–80/hr on top, evenings and weekends. Worth remembering when the fix turns out to be a filter.
| Repair | Part | Contractor bill | Part share | Can you do it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run capacitor | $8–$45 | $80–$400 | ~15% | Partly yours |
| Clogged condensate drain | $0–$15 | $75–$200 | ~5% | You can do this |
| Dirty air filter | $8–$40 | $100–$250 | ~14% | You can do this |
| Frozen evaporator coil | — | $100–$250 | — | Partly yours |
| Tripped breaker or blown fuse | $0–$15 | $100–$250 | ~4% | Partly yours |
| Contactor | $15–$70 | $220 | ~19% | Pay a professional |
| Dirty outdoor condenser coil | $10–$25 | $75–$250 | ~11% | You can do this |
| Thermostat | $0–$250 | $150–$450 | ~42% | Partly yours |
| Condenser fan motor | $80–$300 | $300–$700 | ~38% | Pay a professional |
| Blower motor | $150–$450 | $200–$700 | ~67% | Pay a professional |
| Low refrigerant / leak | — | $175–$550 | — | Not legal for you to do |
| Control board | $150–$600 | $300–$900 | ~63% | Pay a professional |
| Compressor | $600–$1,500 | $1,300–$3,000 | ~49% | Pay a professional |
| Full system replacement | — | $3,800–$7,500 | — | Pay a professional |
Two things worth more than any repair instructions
A refrigerant recharge without a leak search is a subscription, not a repair. Refrigerant is not consumed. A system that is low has a leak, and topping it up without finding that leak guarantees you will be paying again next summer. This is the most common way homeowners quietly overpay in this trade.
Compare every repair quote to $3,800–$7,500 — the cost of a whole new system. It makes a $400 capacitor quote obviously absurd, and it makes a $2,800 compressor quote on a twelve-year-old unit a genuine argument rather than a foregone conclusion.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure here is curated and sourced by hand, and each repair page lists what it came from. Nothing on this page is generated by a language model — a made-up price would destroy the only thing this page is for. Prices are ranges because real prices vary by region, by season, and by how urgent you sound on the phone.
If a number looks wrong for your area, it may well be. Tell us and we will check it.
Get a plan for your exact situation
The free FixAC First-Aid wizard turns your symptom, system age, and ZIP into safe step-by-step checks — plus a briefing on what a fair repair should cost.