Whether your current system is beyond repair or you are adding cooling to a home for the first time, a new AC is only as good as the installation behind it. We size every Malibu system with a real load calculation, not a square footage guess, and back the work with our installation warranty.
Repairing an aging system is not always the wrong call, but sometimes a new install is the smarter financial decision. These are the clearest signs it is time to stop repairing and start planning a replacement.
Most residential AC systems are built to last 12 to 15 years. Past that mark, efficiency drops and the odds of a major component failure rise sharply, even with regular maintenance.
If you have called for repairs more than twice in the last two summers, or a single repair quote is approaching half the cost of a new system, replacement usually saves money over time.
An aging or undersized system loses efficiency gradually. If your cooling bills have crept up without a change in habits, the system is likely working harder than it should to do the same job.
R-22 was phased out of production in 2020. If your system still uses it, refrigerant for a leak repair is expensive and getting harder to source, and replacement is often the more practical route.
Some rooms cold, others warm, no matter the thermostat setting, often means the system was undersized or poorly matched to the home from the start, not just a maintenance issue.
A system that short cycles or runs nearly nonstop is either the wrong size for the home or losing efficiency fast. Either way, a proper load calculation on a new install usually resolves it for good.
A system sized off a generic square-footage chart is often wrong for Malibu specifically, since coastal exposure changes the calculation as much as square footage does. A beachfront home dealing with constant ocean breeze and salt air has a different load profile than a canyon property that runs 10 to 15 degrees hotter once the marine layer clears each morning, and a load calculation that treats them the same will get one or the other wrong. We run a full Manual J load calculation for every installation, factoring in square footage, insulation, window count and orientation, and coastal exposure, rather than sizing off a rule of thumb.
Equipment choice matters just as much as sizing. On oceanfront and PCH-adjacent properties, we default to condensers with coil coatings built for coastal environments, since standard equipment corrodes noticeably faster this close to salt water. Canyon properties on larger lots sometimes have different placement constraints and longer line-set runs than a standard beachfront lot, and we plan for that during the initial site visit, not after the equipment is already on order.
We measure the home, inspect existing ductwork, and run a Manual J calculation to determine the correct tonnage for your specific property.
You get a clear, itemized quote showing the equipment, SEER rating, and total cost before anything is ordered.
Old equipment is removed, new line sets are brazed, and the system is installed to manufacturer and code specifications, typically in a single day.
We verify refrigerant charge with digital gauges, test airflow at every vent, and walk you through the new thermostat before we leave.
Final pricing depends on tonnage, SEER rating, and your home's specific ductwork condition. These are typical ranges for a full installation in Malibu.
| System Type | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| 2 to 2.5 ton, standard SEER2 | $5,500 – $8,500 |
| 3 to 3.5 ton, standard SEER2 | $6,500 – $9,500 |
| 4 to 5 ton, standard SEER2 | $8,000 – $12,000 |
| High-efficiency upgrade (18+ SEER2) | Add $1,500 – $4,000 |
| New or replacement ductwork | $2,000 – $6,000 |
TOP CLUB members and financing options are available. Every quote is written and itemized before any work begins.
Free load calculation, written itemized quote, and financing options available.
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