Furnace & heating
AC repair
Heat pumps
Ductless mini splits
Trane
GoodmanSeasonal tune-up and full diagnostic on your Carrier, Trane, or Goodman system - readings shown to you before any repair is proposed
Diagnosis first, numbers second - you approve the repair price before a single part goes in.
Get your free estimateFast, Reliable AC Installation Across San Antonio
AC installation in San Antonio typically runs between $3,500 and $7,500 for a complete system, and most jobs take one to two days. That number covers the equipment, labor, new supply plenum, condensation lines, and a written price locked before we unload the truck. If your current system is limping through another triple-digit summer or freezing up every August, call us at (903) 623-6784. We serve every corner of San Antonio, from Stone Oak to Helotes, with live arrival tracking and a price you approve before any work begins.
Why Halden Heating and Air San Antonio Is San Antonio’s Preferred AC Installation Company
We’ve been installing and replacing air conditioning in San Antonio since we started serving this market from our San Antonio office, and the call we hear most is the same: “The old unit was fine until it wasn’t.” That’s why every Halden Heating and Air San Antonio job starts with a written price and a written guarantee. No door-step surprises, no overtime charges, no vague service windows. You book online, see exactly who’s coming, and track the tech to your door like a rideshare.
The AC Installation team at Halden is background-checked, uniformed, and certified on Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem, York, Daikin, Bryant, and American Standard systems. We’re part of the Relay Home Co. network and held to The Relay Visibility Guarantee, which means every completed job is backed by our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If something isn’t done right, we come back and make it right, in writing.
Led by Andre Fuller, our crews work daily in San Antonio’s north and west side neighborhoods and know the housing stock well enough to spot duct and panel issues before the install starts. That local knowledge is the difference between a unit that works and a unit that keeps working through 100°F weeks.
Styles & brands we work with
AC Replacement in San Antonio
AC Replacement in San Antonio means more than pulling a 20-year-old condenser and sliding a new one onto the same pad. In homes built between the 1960s and 1980s, especially across the north and west sides of San Antonio, the original ductwork and return-air design were never built for today’s high-efficiency equipment. If we swap like-for-like without addressing those issues, the new system starves for air and the evaporator coil freezes on the hottest July afternoon.
Most San Antonio homeowners replace instead of repair when the compressor fails, the system uses R-22 refrigerant (which is no longer produced), or the repair estimate crosses $1,500 on a unit older than 12 years. At that point, you’re spending real money on a system that will fail again. A full AC replacement in San Antonio runs the same $3,500 to $7,500 range as a new installation, and that’s where the 365-Day Done Right Promise genuinely matters: if the replacement underperforms, we correct it without a second invoice.
When Replacement Beats Repair
If your compressor is dead and the system is 15 years old, you’re looking at a repair cost that makes no financial sense. We’ll tell you straight: putting $2,000 into a unit with a leaking evaporator coil and original single-pane windows is not a smart move. The written estimate before any work means you see both options on paper, with real numbers, and decide with your brain instead of under pressure.
Panel Checks Before the Install
A lot of San Antonio’s older pier-and-beam bungalows near downtown and Alamo Heights still run on 100-amp electrical panels. A modern compressor and variable-speed blower motor can pull more startup current than the panel is rated to handle, and then breakers trip the first time the system kicks on at full load. We check the panel before we quote the job. If an upgrade is needed, it’s in the written scope, not a surprise line item after the fact.
Central Air Conditioning Installation in San Antonio
Central Air Conditioning Installation in San Antonio usually falls between $3,500 and $7,500, and the final price comes down to two things: the size of the home and the condition of the existing ductwork. A new 2,400-sf house in the far north or west with builder-grade flex duct might take a straightforward two-day install. A 1,400-sf 1970s tract home off Wurzbach Road with original metal ducts and a single undersized return will take more work to do correctly.
We see this pattern constantly in the older subdivisions. The builder put in one return near the hallway ceiling, ran 6-inch flex to every room regardless of load, and called it done. When you put a new high-SEER2 system on that network, the blower pulls harder, the ductwork can’t keep up, and the evaporator coil freezes solid. So before we install a single piece of equipment, we measure static pressure, count the returns, and check supply runs. If the ductwork is the problem, we say so, and we quote the correction in the written price.
Ductwork Corrections That Matter
In many San Antonio homes from that era, the fix is a dedicated return in the main living area or a larger plenum at the air handler. It’s not glamorous, but it’s what makes the difference between a system that holds 72°F at 45% humidity and one that runs constantly and still leaves the bedrooms at 80°F. We’ll tell you before we touch the unit what the ducts need.
High-Humidity Sizing Logic
San Antonio’s humidity is the silent variable in every AC installation. An oversized unit cools the air fast but never runs long enough to pull moisture out, leaving you with a cold, clammy house and mold risk. We size systems using Manual J load calculations that account for our long, humid summers, not just square footage. That’s why a like-for-like swap based on the old unit’s tonnage often gets it wrong: the original unit was likely oversized to begin with.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Antonio
We install and service Goodman, Rheem, York, and Daikin equipment, among other major brands, and we keep common parts stocked locally so San Antonio customers don’t wait a week for a capacitor or control board. The brand on the cabinet matters less than the quality of the install and the match between the system and the home’s ductwork. A well-installed Goodman in a properly balanced duct system will outlast a premium Rheem fighting a starved return. We’ll recommend the equipment that fits your home and your budget, and we’ll put the model and warranty terms in writing before you sign.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon AC Installation Problems We See in San Antonio Homes
- Undersized return-air ducts starving new high-SEER2 systems. In 1960s-1980s tract homes across the north and west sides, the original return was sized for a much less efficient unit. The new blower pulls harder, the coil gets too cold, and the system freezes on a 100°F day. We add dedicated returns or resize the existing duct before the install.
- Electrical panels that can’t handle the modern starting load. Older pier-and-beam bungalows near downtown often still have 100-amp service. A modern compressor and variable-speed blower can trip the main breaker the first time everything starts at once. We inspect the panel as part of every install quote in San Antonio.
- Like-for-like swaps on unbalanced floor plans. A single-zone system was never right for a two-story home with sun-facing rooms. Replacing it with the same tonnage guarantees the upstairs stays 10 to 15 degrees hotter all summer. We look at the floor plan and zone the system where it’s needed.
- Builder-grade equipment failed early due to poor initial installs. Newer subdivisions on the far north and west often have units installed quickly with barely adequate commissioning. We find kinked flex ducts, unsealed plenums, and incorrect refrigerant charge. A proper install corrects all of it and locks in the written guarantee.
Pricing for AC Installation in San Antonio, TX
Here’s the honest pricing picture for AC installation in San Antonio:
| Service | Price Range |
|---|---|
| AC Installation | $3,500 – $7,500 |
| AC Repair | $150 – $650 |
| Furnace Repair | $150 – $700 |
| Tune-Up | $80 – $200 |
The spread on a full install comes down to system size (tonnage), duct correction work, electrical panel needs, and the brand you choose. You’ll get a written fixed price before we start, not a range that shifts after the old unit is on the curb. Call (903) 623-6784 for a free estimate with real numbers, from a real person, no four-hour windows.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Antonio
Our San Antonio crews regularly work in Universal City and Helotes, bringing the same written pricing and live arrival tracking to the entire metro. If you’re just outside the city limits and wondering whether we cover your neighborhood, call and ask. We’ll give you a straight answer and a set arrival window, not a voicemail tree.
Serving San Antonio, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Antonio area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About AC Installation in San Antonio
Because the original ductwork was undersized for today’s high-efficiency systems, a like-for-like swap starves the new evaporator coil and leads to freeze-ups on 100°F days. The home needs duct corrections, additional returns, or a properly sized system to perform correctly, not just a new condenser on the old pad.
Some do, especially pier-and-beam bungalows near downtown still running on 100-amp panels. A modern compressor and variable-speed blower can trip the breaker at startup. We check the panel during the estimate and include any required upgrade in the written price before work starts, so it’s never a door-step surprise.
Many 1920s-1950s homes in Alamo Heights and Olmos Park have radiant barrier gaps and undersized return ducts, which causes the evaporator coil to freeze on the hottest afternoons. In Alamo Heights, we replaced a 1990s Carrier with a properly sized Trane heat pump after discovering a single undersized return and radiant barrier gaps causing repeated coil freeze-ups. Our crew added a dedicated return, corrected the static pressure, and the system now holds 72°F at 45% humidity during triple-digit afternoons.
Yes, for most San Antonio homes a heat pump is a strong fit because it cools efficiently through the long humid summer and provides heat during our occasional freezes. It also eliminates the need for a separate furnace in many cases. We’ll size it with San Antonio’s humidity and 100°F days in mind, not a generic national average.
High humidity means the system must run long enough to dehumidify, not just blast cold air. An oversized unit cools fast and shuts off, leaving the house clammy and increasing mold risk. We use Manual J load calculations calibrated for San Antonio’s climate so the system is sized properly for both heat and moisture removal.
Call (903) 623-6784 for a free estimate. You’ll talk to a live person, get a written price, and know exactly when we’ll arrive. No phone tag, no surprises, no runaround.
Written by Andre Fuller, Owner at Halden Heating and Air San Antonio, serving San Antonio since 2004.