Central Air Costs?

Hello All,

I am trying to put together an offer for a home that does not have central Air. Anybody have a rough estimate on Cost to Add CentralAIr?

Thanks in Advance,

Jay

Comments(14)

  • tclifford103rd February, 2004

    It would depend on a couple of things. How old is the house and does it have forced air heat? Also would need to know the size of the home, two story or ranch? In any event, you can figure anywhere from $2 K to $ 4K installed.

    Chill'in

  • davmille3rd February, 2004

    I would say that it will roughly cost you between $5k and $7k but of course its like anything else. Other than the obvious fact that prices vary by location, they also vary depending on installer, hvac unit chosen, size of house, difficulty of installation, etc. Also, the above price is for installing new ductwork. You didn't mention if the house had ductwork, or if it was usable. Many communties are now requiring new more efficient ductwork if a new hvac unit is installed.[ Edited by davmille on Date 02/03/2004 ]

  • NC_Yank3rd February, 2004

    You didnt say the size of the house, however if you figure $1500 - $2000.00 per ton...then you should be ok.

    1 ton typically equals about 600 sq. ft., not including high ceilings etc.

  • tsjhope3rd February, 2004

    Thanks to All that replied. The house does have duct work and is about 1600sf.

  • InActive_Account3rd February, 2004

    1600 sq feet would cost me from $1800-$2600 depending on what time of the year I would get it put in, and they didn't have to do any additional work, such as extra cold air returns, beef up the blower or whatever else you can think of.

  • NC_Yank4th February, 2004

    One thing that should be mentioned as well, is NOT to over size the unit.

    Oversizing a unit will cause it to "short cycle" making it inefficient.

    gl

  • duck2swan4th February, 2004

    Here in Florida, which has to be the allergy capital of the world, we have lots of mold , dust, pollen,etc., etc., etc., that builds up in duct work. Duct "cleaning" services are a scam. If I had to put central A/C in a house with old forced air ducts, I would rather run new ductwork than blow all that junk out on my happy new buyers.

  • VictoryNorth21st June, 2005

    There are a couple of things to consider before hiring an HVAC contractor (as with ANY contractor).
    Specifically, experience is a big factor, but, more importantly, make sure he/she is up to date on the current engineering advances available.
    Total square footage, room sizes, ceiling heights, window types and locations, condition of insulation as well as R- factor rating, return air location/ availibility,
    position of the dwelling as well as exposure rating throughout the year, humitidy......
    All of these should be taken into consideration and covered (with you) by a competant contractor.
    The old days of "oh, it will work" are simply not acceptable by todays standards, and will almost always cost you more in the long run anyway.
    But, to answer your question, I am on the Gulf Coast where an average cost (quoted today, actually)
    is $1400-$1800 per ton, installed, starting from scratch in a new home, turnkey, including all ductwork too.
    Check around before you buy, and USE REFERANCES!!!!!

  • jam93721st June, 2005

    I would avoid HVAC people with big ads in the phone book. I happened to be driving around town (inner city) and got a number from a sign on a building for $1,300 installed (1k for furnace). Just check some references.

    Do a search on Google for "wholesale ac" and you will get some interesting hits. Will give you idea what installers pay.

  • dgc5831920th June, 2005

    I guess I am in the same boat as you....and I ask a follow on question to the orginal above. If you set-up the REI within an LLC, can you get a business loan to establish your new entitiy and then use this capital as investment monies to finance property acquisition through commerical lenders? Unless you can sell fast, it seems hard money lenders take a big slice of your pie, but I realize that that is ready capital to use for a rehab to. Comments?

  • BrianB_Cereniti21st June, 2005

    Jam,

    That is a fairly typical hard money program. Keep looking as there are not-quite-so-hard money programs out there. Regardless they are expensive, will eat into your profits, but are great for getting started as they are easy to get.

  • BrianB_Cereniti21st June, 2005

    Quote:
    On 2005-06-20 11:18, dgc58319 wrote:
    I guess I am in the same boat as you....and I ask a follow on question to the orginal above. If you set-up the REI within an LLC, can you get a business loan to establish your new entitiy and then use this capital as investment monies to finance property acquisition through commerical lenders? Unless you can sell fast, it seems hard money lenders take a big slice of your pie, but I realize that that is ready capital to use for a rehab to. Comments?


    Most commercial lenders require at least 2 years credit history before they will loan to a corp or LLC.

  • karensilver21st June, 2005

    If you do mica get the edges belved it makes a big difference. But as far as putting in granite it depends on the market some areas it is a must some it is a plus and others it is a over improvement.

  • dgc5831922nd June, 2005

    I have seen and read some about CAMBRIA quartz counter -tops. Anyone installed them? They are supposed to be cheaper than granite but have the look of granite.

Add Comment

Login To Comment