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 Santa Monica 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 almost always wrong for Santa Monica, and the mistake usually runs the same direction: oversizing. North of Montana Avenue, the large prewar and midcentury estates can absorb a bigger system without much penalty, but the small 1920s and '30s bungalows in Sunset Park and Ocean Park are exactly where an oversized unit does the most damage, short-cycling instead of running the full dehumidification cycle our marine-layer climate actually calls for. We run a full Manual J load calculation for every installation, built around Santa Monica's own cooling-degree-days, not a rule of thumb pulled from an inland comp.
Ductwork condition matters just as much as sizing. Many of the older bungalows in Sunset Park and Ocean Park still run original 1920s and '30s ducting, if they have any central ductwork at all, and it was never designed around a modern system's airflow requirements, so we evaluate duct condition and static pressure before recommending equipment. Condo and apartment buildings closer to Ocean Avenue and the Third Street Promenade often have tighter placement constraints for outdoor units, sometimes calling for rooftop or through-wall equipment instead of a standard side-yard condenser, 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 Santa Monica.
| 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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