Contractor matching
AC Installation & Replacement
Cooling gets replaced on its own more often than people expect. A condenser fails while the furnace still has years left, or a house with radiators and window units finally gets central air. That is a different project from a whole-system replacement, and it has its own traps.
HVACandRoof does not install air conditioning. We match your project with a small number of screened, independent installers so you can compare their written estimates. Each one measures your home, checks what the existing equipment and ductwork can support, and quotes their own work.
Signs you may need this
- The outdoor unit has failed or is no longer worth repairing, but the furnace is comparatively young
- Your system still uses R-22, which is no longer produced — recharging it has become expensive or impossible
- The house cools unevenly, or cools but stays humid and clammy
- You are adding central cooling to a home that has only window units, or none at all
- Electricity bills climb every summer while the system runs almost continuously
Questions worth having answers for
These are the questions our request form — and any good contractor — will ask. “I don't know” is always an acceptable answer.
- Are you replacing existing cooling, or adding it for the first time?
- How old is the furnace or air handler the new equipment would pair with?
- Is there existing ductwork, and is its condition known?
- What is the approximate square footage, and which rooms are the problem ones?
- Would you like a ductless or heat-pump alternative quoted alongside conventional AC?
What happens after you submit a request
- 1
We confirm screened installer coverage for your ZIP before anything is shared.
- 2
Your project goes to a small number of screened, independent installers — never sold broadly.
- 3
Each contractor visits and sizes the equipment to your home. Be wary of anyone quoting a system sight-unseen.
- 4
You compare written estimates on equal footing and decide, with no obligation to hire anyone.
HVACandRoof is a contractor-matching marketplace. The contractors who quote and perform your work are independent businesses, and we may earn a fee when a request is matched or a job is completed. Read more about what our screening includes.
AC Installation questions, answered plainly
Can I replace just the outdoor unit and keep my old indoor coil?
Sometimes, but it is often a false economy. The outdoor condenser and the indoor coil are engineered and rated as a matched pair; putting a new condenser on an old coil can cost you the efficiency you paid for and, on some equipment, the manufacturer warranty. Ask each contractor to quote both the matched-pair replacement and the condenser-only option, and to explain what changes between them.
What is happening with refrigerants, and does it affect me?
It affects what gets installed and what an old system costs to keep alive. R-22 has not been produced in the United States since 2020, so servicing an R-22 system now means paying for reclaimed refrigerant. Newer equipment has also moved off R-410A onto lower-global-warming refrigerants. Ask which refrigerant a quoted system uses and what servicing it will look like in ten years — a serious contractor will have an answer.
How is the right size decided?
By a load calculation, not by square footage and not by matching whatever is there now. Insulation, windows, orientation, air leakage and duct condition all change the answer, and the old system may have been the wrong size all along. Oversized cooling is a specific and common failure: it chills the air quickly, shuts off before it has pulled the moisture out, and leaves the house cold and clammy.
Is a heat pump worth considering instead?
Often, yes — a heat pump is an air conditioner that can also run in reverse to heat. If you are replacing cooling anyway, the extra cost of getting heating capability with it can be smaller than you expect, and rebates or tax credits may apply. Whether it suits your climate, your ductwork and your existing heating is a question for the contractors you compare, so ask each to quote it as an alternative.
Does it cost me anything to be matched?
No. Requesting a match is free for homeowners. HVACandRoof may earn a disclosed fee from contractors for qualified introductions or completed jobs — that is our business model, and it never changes what a contractor quotes you or their obligation to put it in writing.
Related services and guides
- Heat Pump InstallationPlanning a heat pump? Get matched with screened, independent installers who size for your climate, ductwork and existing heating. Free estimator, no obligation.
- Furnace & Whole-System HVAC ReplacementReplacing a furnace, boiler or an entire heating and cooling system? Get matched with screened, independent installers and compare written estimates side by side.
- Mini-Split InstallationPlan a ductless mini-split installation and get matched with screened, independent local installers. Free planning estimator, no obligation, clear next steps.