Home of the $100 OFF AC REPAIR SUMMER SPECIAL | 0% Interest for 24 Months
Home of the $79 SPRING TUNEUP | 0% Interest for 24 Months
Home of the $79 SPRING TUNEUP | 0% Interest for 24 Months
Home of the $100 OFF AC REPAIR SUMMER SPECIAL | 0% Interest for 24 Months
Home of the $79 SPRING TUNEUP | 0% Interest for 24 Months
Home of the $79 SPRING TUNEUP | 0% Interest for 24 Months
Most AC repairs in Charleston run between $150 and $900, with common fixes on the lower end and major component work costing more. Here is what each repair typically costs, our diagnostic fee, two coastal cost factors most companies leave out, and how to tell whether to repair or replace.
Call (843) 708-8735Typical parts-and-labor prices for residential systems across the Charleston area. Your exact cost depends on the part, the brand, how far the failure has reached, and, on the coast, the two factors below. The diagnostic confirms it before any work begins.
| Repair | Typical Charleston price | How urgent |
|---|---|---|
| Capacitor | $150 to $300 | Fix now |
| Contactor | $150 to $350 | Fix now |
| Refrigerant leak repair | $250 to $800 | Fix soon |
| Blower motor | $400 to $900 | Fix now |
| Evaporator coil | $1,000 to $2,500 | Plan promptly |
| Compressor | $1,500 to $3,500 | Repair or replace |
R-410A refrigerant costs have risen since the 2025 production phase-down, so leak and recharge work on older systems can land at the higher end.
We charge a flat $110 diagnostic for a Charleston service call, and you hear that number when you book, not after. The technician finds the actual fault, gives you a written flat-rate price before touching anything, and if you approve the repair we apply the $110 to the job. Comfort Club members pay $0 for the service call. No surprise trip charges, no guesswork.
Charleston is not an inland market, and two things about living near the water can move the price of a repair or replacement. A good quote accounts for them up front. Most do not.
On waterfront and near-water homes, from the peninsula to the islands and deep-water creeks, salt-laden air corrodes condenser and evaporator coils years faster than inland. When a coil finally needs replacing it sits at the higher end of the range, and a corrosion-resistant replacement coil costs more up front, though it buys back years of life on the coast.
Common near the water, rare inlandHomes in a FEMA flood zone may need the outdoor condenser re-set on an elevated platform or stand to meet flood requirements. That platform, plus the labor to lift and re-connect the unit, adds cost to a replacement or relocation that an inland quote would never include. We flag it before the work, not after.
Applies in mapped flood zonesMinor repairs, like a capacitor or contactor, do not need a permit. A full system replacement, and most equipment-level repairs, require a mechanical permit from Charleston County Building Inspection Services, and the permit fee scales with the value of the work. A licensed contractor pulls the permit for you, schedules the inspection, and builds the fee into the written quote, so it is never a surprise line item.
If your home sits inside an incorporated town or the City of Charleston rather than unincorporated county, the permit is issued by that municipality instead, and we handle whichever applies to your address.
Multiply the age of your system by the cost of the repair. If the result is over $5,000, replacement is usually the smarter money; under that, a repair makes sense. A 12-year-old system facing a $450 repair lands at $5,400, which leans toward replacing, while that same repair on a 4-year-old system is an easy fix.
A full system replacement typically runs $7,000 to $14,000 installed, depending on the size of your home, the efficiency rating you choose, and the ductwork. On the coast, a corrosion-resistant system or a flood-zone platform can push the high end higher. We put the repair and replacement numbers side by side, and financing is available. See our Charleston repair vs. replacement guide if you are weighing the two.
Book a $110 diagnostic and we will give you a written price before any work, coastal factors and all. Same-day AC repair across Charleston and the Lowcountry.
Call (843) 708-8735