Costs
What HVAC work costs in Longwood, FL
Published Orlando-metro guides put a whole air conditioning system replacement at $5,800–$15,500, with $7,500–$10,500 typical for a 1,500–2,500 sq ft home. Repairs run $150–$650. On top of any Longwood job sits the City permit at $246.61. Those are researched third-party ranges, not quoted rates.
Everything on one page
The ranges, and what moves them
These are researched market estimates, not a quote
Every money figure on this page is a published third-party range, compiled in September 2026 from the pricing guides listed in the sources at the foot of the page. They are here so you can sanity-check what a contractor offers you before you sign, not so you can hold anyone to a number they did not write. The one exception is the City of Longwood permit fee, which is the City's own published figure and is linked to its fee schedule.
| What is being priced | Researched range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-system replacement | $5,800–$15,500 | Whole-system replacement across the Orlando metro, everything from a small straight-cool swap to a high-efficiency variable speed heat pump with new duct. |
| Typical 1,500–2,500 sq ft home | $7,500–$10,500 | What Orlando-metro guides call typical for a 1,500–2,500 sq ft home — the band Longwood's 1,594 sq ft median living area sits inside. |
| Duct replacement | $2,500–$6,000 | Duct replacement, added to a changeout rather than instead of one. |
| Compressor replacement | $1,500–$3,500 | Residential unit out of warranty. Quoted averages fall between $1,550 and $2,800, with an outer range of $1,100–$4,650 installed once refrigerant recovery and recharge are counted. |
| Capacitor replacement | $80–$400 | Installed, nationally, averaging around $175. Florida-specific sources cite $85–$200 for a job that takes under half an hour. |
| General repair band | $150–$650 | The general Florida AC repair band once a part and labour are involved, diagnostic included. |
| Diagnostic / service call | $75–$200 | Commonly cited Florida diagnostic or service-call fee. Some sources put Florida contractors at $65–$95, and the fee is frequently waived or credited toward the repair if the work proceeds. |
The one local number that is not an estimate
The Longwood permit line: $246.61
The permit is a real line on the quote, and in Longwood it is a hard number rather than an estimate: $246.61 for a residential mechanical change-out under Resolution 26-1724, effective 1 July 2026. Against a typical $7,500–$10,500 changeout that is between two and three per cent of the job. If your address is west of I-4 or anywhere in ZIP 32779 you are not in the city and the fee is Seminole County's instead.
There is a second reason the total matters. Longwood requires a Notice of Commencement recorded with Seminole County, with a certified copy delivered to the City at application or before the first inspection, and states that if no NOC is on file when an inspection is scheduled “the inspection will not be completed and all work must remain open.” A mechanical permit to repair or replace an existing heating or air conditioning system valued under $7,500 is excepted, per §713.135(d), Florida Statutes. Read those two numbers together: the typical Orlando-metro changeout of $7,500–$10,500 straddles the $7,500 line, so on a mid-size Longwood job whether you have to record a document at the county courthouse can come down to whether the duct work is in the contract.
Priced one topic at a time
Go deeper on a single number
Replacement
Full changeout pricing, what the 1,594 sq ft median living area implies, and where the permit and the rebate land.
Repair
The common failures on Longwood's 1970s and 80s stock, priced, and the point at which repairing stops making sense.
Capacitor
The single most common Florida AC repair, and why it is the one most often over-charged.
Compressor
The repair that is really a replace-or-not decision, especially on an R-410A system.
Ducts
Fifty-year-old attic runs in a 130°F attic, and the Duke duct rebate that pays part of the fix.
Maintenance
What a plan should contain under an oak canopy, and what it is worth against a manufacturer warranty.
Sources
- Airborne Tech Service, Orlando AC replacement cost guide (third-party pricing guide). https://airbornetechservice.com/ac-replacement-cost-orlando/
- Comfort Control Systems, “How Much Does AC Repair Cost in Florida?” 2026 price guide (third-party pricing guide). https://my-ccs.com/blog/how-much-does-ac-repair-cost-in-florida-2026-price-guide/
- HomeGuide, AC capacitor replacement cost (third-party pricing guide). https://homeguide.com/costs/ac-capacitor-replacement-cost
- This Old House, AC compressor cost (third-party pricing guide). https://www.thisoldhouse.com/heating-cooling/ac-compressor-cost
- HomeGuide, AC compressor cost (third-party pricing guide). https://homeguide.com/costs/ac-compressor-cost
- Service Experts, HVAC diagnostic fee (third-party pricing guide). https://www.serviceexperts.com/resources/hvac-diagnostic-fee/
- Smart Home Air & Heating, Orlando AC permit and replacement guide 2026 (third-party guide). https://smarthomeairheat.com/our-blog/ac-permit-replacement-orlando-2026/
- City of Longwood Fee Schedule (Resolution 26-1724, effective 1 July 2026). https://www.longwoodfl.org/702/Fee-Schedule
- Florida Statutes §713.135 — Notice of Commencement, including the §713.135(d) exception for HVAC repair or replacement under $7,500. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/713.135
- Seminole County Property Appraiser CAMA extract (Parcels.csv, dated 5 September 2026), tax district L1 — Longwood; improved residential parcels, DOR codes 01 and 04. https://www.scpafl.org/
Figures are dated. Permit fees, rebate amounts and code cycles change — re-check the primary source before you rely on a number here.
Ask for the permit line before you sign
Any Longwood quote should show the mechanical permit as its own line at $246.61, or explain why it does not. We will tell you which building department your street files with before we start the job.