Evaporator Coil Replacement Cost
Modeled $2,437 typical, $1,478–$4,461 depending on the part and how long the job takes. A diagnostic or service-call fee of about $110 may sit on top, and is often credited if you have the repair done the same visit. Every figure here is built from the model below, not an average we were told.
What the quote is actually made of
This is the part no cost guide shows you, and it is what lets you read your own quote. Replace an indoor evaporator coil, at a modeled HVAC technician shop rate of $86/hour billed:
| Line | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor (4.0–10.0 h at $86/h billed) | $344 | $517 | $861 |
| Part, as billed (1.5–3.0× retail) | $1,134 | $1,920 | $3,600 |
| Total | $1,478 | $2,437 | $4,461 |
The part at retail: Cased evaporator coils, 2-3.5 ton: Ducane $756.35-$900.00, Goodman CHPTA/CAPTA $861.00-$1,055.00, Oxbox by Trane $870.20-$1,200.79. Larger tonnage and upgraded replacements run higher. Recovery, nitrogen, brazing supplies and the refrigerant charge are billed on top of the coil itself. (Amazon listings, read 2026-09-17) You are not being cheated because a contractor bills more than the retail price — stocking, warranty and return risk are real. A quote far above this range is worth a question, not an accusation.
How long the work takes
The long one: recover refrigerant, cut and unbraze line connections, pull and fit the coil, braze, pressure test, pull a vacuum, recharge and verify superheat. The high end covers cased coils in tight closets and attic air handlers. We model 4.0–10.0 hours, typically 6.0. This is the model's weakest input. Wages are published; hours per job are not, in any authoritative public form. If you do this work and our hours are wrong, tell us on the corrections page and we will change them — the model version stamped on this page moves when they do, and the change is logged there.
Does where you live change it?
Less than you would think, for this job. The part costs about the same everywhere and only the labor moves with the local wage, so the typical figure varies about 11% across the metros below. That is why we are not publishing a separate page per city pretending otherwise.
| Metro | Median HVAC technician wage | Typical | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $37.50 | $2,595 | $1,584–$4,725 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $35.49 | $2,559 | $1,560–$4,665 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $37.48 | $2,595 | $1,584–$4,724 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $28.63 | $2,435 | $1,478–$4,459 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $28.34 | $2,430 | $1,474–$4,450 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $34.58 | $2,542 | $1,549–$4,637 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $31.05 | $2,479 | $1,507–$4,532 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $27.90 | $2,422 | $1,469–$4,437 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $29.41 | $2,449 | $1,487–$4,482 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $28.35 | $2,430 | $1,474–$4,450 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $37.75 | $2,600 | $1,587–$4,732 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $38.51 | $2,613 | $1,596–$4,755 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $34.41 | $2,539 | $1,547–$4,632 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $24.30 | $2,357 | $1,426–$4,329 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $30.37 | $2,467 | $1,498–$4,511 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $24.74 | $2,365 | $1,431–$4,342 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, release oesm25ma, occupation 49-9021 (Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers), 389 metro areas.
How to read your quote
- Ask what the part is and what it costs. A model number lets you check the retail price yourself in a minute.
- Ask whether the diagnostic fee is included or credited. Quotes differ on this and it is $75–$195 of difference.
- Ask how many hours are billed. Flat-rate pricing is normal and legitimate; it should still be explainable.
- Get a second quote if the number is more than double this range. That is a question about scope — often there is a second failed part, or the tech is quoting a replacement rather than a repair.
The model
total = ( hours × shop rate ) + ( part retail × markup ), where shop rate = local BLS wage × 3.0.
A shop's billed rate is not the tradesperson's wage. BLS reports what HVAC technicians are paid — a national median of
$28.70/hour. Shops bill payroll tax, insurance, vehicle, dispatch, warranty, overhead and profit on top of it.
Our 3.0× puts the national figure at $86/hour, inside the
$75–$150/hour that industry pricing guides report for residential trade service (fieldedge.com, housecallpro.com, invoiceowl.com). Like the hours, that
multiplier is an assumption, and it moves with evidence.
Model version trades-v3-2026-09, as of 2026-09-17.
It is a modeled estimate, not a quote: the actual price turns on what failed, what else is failing, and what your contractor's overhead really is.
How we build cost figures →