A real AC or furnace tune-up costs $75–$200, with most homeowners paying $100–$150 for a standard visit. Annual maintenance plans that bundle a spring AC visit and fall furnace visit typically run $150–$350 per year. More involved visits on older, complex, or unmaintained systems can run $200–$350+.
Before you approve a repair
- 1What exactly failed, and what reading or test confirmed it? (“It was weak” isn’t a diagnosis — a number is.)
- 2What’s the exact replacement part — spec or rating — and does it match my system’s data plate?
- 3Is the diagnostic or service-call fee separate, and is it waived if I approve the repair?
- 4What’s the warranty on the part and the labor, in writing?
- 5If this fails again within a year, what does that tell us?
- 6Given my system’s age, does a repair still make sense here, or should I get a replacement bid too?
Cost table
| Service | Typical range | What drives the higher end |
|---|---|---|
| AC tune-up (spring) | $75–$200 | Older unit, dirty coils, no maintenance history |
| Furnace tune-up (fall) | $80–$200 | Heat exchanger inspection, complex system, first visit in years |
| Annual plan (both visits) | $150–$350/year | Service-priority scheduling, minor discounts on repairs |
| Complex or comprehensive visit | $200–$350+ | Ductwork inspection, refrigerant charge check, older system |
Peak-season pricing is real: scheduling an AC tune-up in late June when every tech in your market is booked solid costs more than scheduling in April. The work is identical; the timing isn’t.
📊 Deciding whether to repair or replace?
The cost data in this guide comes from real, itemized HVAC contractor bids analyzed with BidSmart, a bid-comparison tool from our team. Upload the quotes you’ve received and see how they compare line-by-line — scope, equipment tiers, and the items a low bid quietly leaves out — before you sign anything.
What a real tune-up includes
A 12–18 point AC tune-up should cover:
Electrical and mechanical:
- Tighten electrical connections at the disconnect, contactor, and capacitor terminals
- Test contactor (the switch the thermostat trips to start the compressor) for pitting and proper voltage drop
- Test capacitor with a meter — a reading more than 6% below rated µF means it’s going
- Check fan blade for cracks or imbalance
- Measure amp draw on compressor and fan motor against nameplate rating
- Inspect and clean condenser coil (externally, at minimum)
Refrigerant and airflow:
- Verify refrigerant charge by measuring superheat (on fixed-orifice systems) or subcooling (on TXV systems), not by guessing or “feeling the line”
- Check that the condensate drain is clear
Thermostat and controls:
- Confirm thermostat calibration and staging
- Verify system cycles off cleanly at setpoint
For a furnace tune-up, the checklist adds:
- Inspect the heat exchanger for cracks (this is the safety-critical check: a cracked heat exchanger leaks combustion gases into conditioned air)
- Test the igniter and flame sensor
- Inspect the flue for blockage and proper draft
- Check the filter and blower compartment
The clearest sign of a thorough visit: the tech shows you what they found, with measurements. The clearest sign of a surface visit: they tell you they “checked everything” with no specifics.
The sales visit pattern
This is the most common complaint about tune-up specials: a $79 promotional visit that ends with a tech in the driveway recommending $2,000 in repairs, followed by a pitch to replace the system.
Some of those recommendations are legitimate. Equipment does fail, and a tune-up is exactly the time to find it. But the pattern to watch for is:
- The refrigerant pitch. “Your system is low on refrigerant” is a diagnosis that requires a gauge reading and a leak search, not a visual. If a tech adds refrigerant without finding and fixing the leak, the system will lose charge again. A properly functioning system should not need refrigerant added annually. If yours does, you have a leak that needs repair.
- The compressor condemnation. A failed capacitor makes a healthy compressor hum and stall, which looks alarming on a diagnostic tablet. Capacitors are $150 installed; compressors are $800–$2,300. Insist on the capacitor swap before anyone tells you the compressor is gone.
- The “your system is on its last legs” replacement pitch on a 10-year-old unit with no specific failure to point to. Get a second opinion before committing to a $10,000 decision based on a $100 visit.
The question that changes the conversation: “What specific measurement or test result tells you that?” Good techs can answer it.
When to schedule
- AC tune-up: March or April. Before the first heat wave of the year, and before every tech in the market is booked. A system that’s been sitting idle all winter has had months for a contactor to corrode or a capacitor to weaken.
- Furnace tune-up: September or October. Same logic: before heating season, when scheduling is easier and you’re not calling because the house is already cold.
If you’re only doing one visit per year, the fall furnace tune-up includes the heat exchanger inspection, which is the safety-critical check. Prioritize it over the spring AC visit if you have to choose.
Are annual maintenance plans worth it?
Usually, for most households. At $150–$350 per year, the math works if you’d pay $100+ per visit anyway and value priority scheduling (no 3-week wait in July when your AC quits). Most plans also include discounts on repairs discovered during the visit.
What to check before signing:
- Does the plan lock you into that company for repairs, or just discounted parts?
- What’s the cancellation policy if you move or switch contractors?
- Are refrigerant additions during a visit included, or extra?
A plan that prioritizes your service calls in peak season is worth more than one that doesn’t, even at the same annual price.
Before you schedule
If this is your first tune-up with a new contractor or it’s been several years, check on two things before the visit:
- Ask for their service checklist in advance. Any reputable contractor should be able to email it. If they can’t tell you what’s on it, that’s a data point.
- Set the expectation on refrigerant. If the tech finds a refrigerant issue, you want to hear the gauge reading, not just a price. “We checked your refrigerant” with no number is not a diagnosis.
For questions to ask before any HVAC quote — tune-ups included. See The HVAC Quote Checklist.
For a comparison of what tune-ups cost relative to full repair and replacement decisions, see HVAC Repair and Replacement Costs.
And if your thermostat is calling for cooling but the system isn’t running, check our spring AC tune-up thermostat checklist before booking a service visit; several common symptoms come from the thermostat, not the equipment.
