Federal sources give repair and maintenance figures as inputs to their equipment models, not as repair-shop prices. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published central AC and heat pump inputs for its 2017 rule, in 2015 dollars. It published furnace inputs for its 2023 rule, in 2022 dollars. A March 2023 study prepared for the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) adds maintenance estimates in 2022 dollars. These are federal modeling inputs, not 2026 quotes, and we did not adjust them for inflation or combine figures from different dollar years. We found no government source that publishes prices for single repair visits.
Maintenance and repair in DOE's model
DOE's 2017 rule for central air conditioners and heat pumps separates the two. It says, "Maintenance costs are associated with maintaining the proper operation of the equipment, whereas repair costs are associated with repairing or replacing components that have failed."
The same rule lists the parts its repair model covers: "the indoor coil, outdoor coil, indoor blower (except for coil-only unit), outdoor fan, indoor TXV, outdoor TXV (heat pump only), reversing valve (heat pump only), and controls." It treated the compressor separately. It says, "Compressor failures were not considered in the LCC and PBP analysis but, rather, were included in the shipments and national impact analyses."
Expected yearly repair costs by equipment age
DOE's technical support document, dated December 2016, gives repair costs by age band for 3-ton split systems. These are expected yearly costs in each age band, not the price of one repair.
| Age band | 3-ton blower-coil AC, 13 to 14 SEER (2015$) | 3-ton split heat pump, 14 to 15 SEER (2015$) |
|---|---|---|
| Years 2–5 | $71 | $83 |
| Years 6–10 | $91 | $114 |
| Years 11–20 | $91 | $114 |
| Years 21–30 | $114 | $136 |
Source: DOE technical support document (December 2016), Tables 8.2.48 and 8.2.51. Model inputs in 2015 dollars.
DOE expected yearly repair cost by equipment age, 3-ton split systems (2015 dollars)
- AC, years 2–5 (2015$)$71
- AC, years 6–10 (2015$)$91
- AC, years 11–20 (2015$)$91
- AC, years 21–30 (2015$)$114
- Heat pump, years 2–5 (2015$)$83
- Heat pump, years 6–10 (2015$)$114
- Heat pump, years 11–20 (2015$)$114
- Heat pump, years 21–30 (2015$)$136
DOE says it "did not include repairs covered by a manufacturer's warranty in its repair cost." It assumes year 1 covers "All parts and labor" and years 2 to 5 cover "All components parts only." Years 6 to 10 cover "Compressor and coil parts only," years 10 to 20 cover "Coil parts only," and after year 20 nothing is covered.
DOE repair inputs for central AC and heat pump parts
The same document lists annual failure rates and repair costs for major parts. The table shows selected rows from the 3-ton column in 2015 dollars, with DOE's component names. Other rows include more motor types and an outdoor metering device.
| Component | Failure rate per year | Material (2015$) | Labor (2015$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 4.0% | $0 | $28 |
| Smart control | 4.0% | $73 | $81 |
| OD coil (outdoor) | 2.2% | $436 | $689 |
| ID coil (indoor) | 3.0% | $436 | $689 |
| OD motor/fan (outdoor) | 4.0% | $138 | $290 |
| ID motor/fan, ECM (indoor) | 5.0% | $399 | $290 |
| Metering device (ID) | 4.0% | $176 | $302 |
| Reversing valve (heat pumps) | 0.2% | $150 | $302 |
| Refrigerant | 1.0% | $84 | $50 |
Source: DOE technical support document (December 2016), Table 8.2.39, 3-ton column. Model inputs in 2015 dollars, not shop prices.
DOE does not list capacitors or contactors as separate parts. Its tables include a "Control" line. The refrigerant line is in 2015 dollars, and we found no current refrigerant recharge price from a federal source. Our R-410A phase-out guide covers the refrigerant rules.
DOE's 2023 furnace analysis, in 2022 dollars, also lists central AC and heat pump repair inputs. They are bare material costs and do not include sales tax or markups.
| Repair (central AC and heat pump) | Mean failure year | Repair rate | Bare material (2022$) | Labor hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controls, refrigerant change | 10 | 25% | $120.08 | 1.90 |
| Compressor | 14.3 | 12.5% | $455.00 | 7.93 |
Source: DOE consumer furnace technical support document (September 2023), Table 8J.4.12. Model inputs in 2022 dollars.
DOE furnace repair and maintenance costs
DOE's 2023 furnace rule says it "accounted for the likelihood that condensing furnaces require more maintenance and repair than non-condensing furnaces by adding costs to check the secondary heat exchanger and condensate system (including regular replacement of the condensate neutralizer fill material)." It also says, "Overall, DOE found that the maintenance and repair cost estimates applied in its analysis fall within the typical range of published maintenance and repair charges."
The furnace support document gives annualized costs for non-weatherized gas furnaces in 2022 dollars. Annualized repair cost is $27.41 at 80% AFUE and $29.32 at 90% to 98% AFUE. Annualized maintenance cost is $96.03 at 80% AFUE and $102.98 at 90% to 98% AFUE.
| Furnace repair | Bare material (2022$) | Labor hours |
|---|---|---|
| Ignition, controls, gas valve (baseline) | $227.99 | 2.25 |
| Ignition, controls, gas valve (condensing) | $289.61 | 2.75 |
| Fan blower | $268.11 | 3.43 |
Source: DOE consumer furnace technical support document (September 2023), Table 8F.3.2. Bare material does not include sales tax or markups.
DOE prices labor separately. Its document lists an RSMeans 2023 crew of one plumber and one plumber apprentice at $64.85 an hour bare and $99.95 including overhead and profit. We have not multiplied hours by rates, because that would be our estimate, not DOE's. Our furnace cost guide covers installed costs.
Maintenance costs from EIA and DOE
The EIA study lists annual maintenance of $20 to $150 for an air-source heat pump, in 2022 dollars. EIA says, "Ranges represent the span of typical values for maintenance costs." It describes annual maintenance as "preventative maintenance and services provided by HVAC professionals for maintaining product operation." Its examples include calibrating the thermostat, cleaning filters and coils, treating the condensate drain, checking refrigerant pressure and inspecting the fan blade.
DOE's 2023 furnace analysis lists maintenance labor of 1.17 hours for a heat pump and 1.11 hours for a central air conditioner. ENERGY STAR's maintenance checklist says, "Keep your cooling and heating system at peak performance by having a contractor do annual pre-season check-ups." It also says, "Airflow problems can reduce your system's efficiency by up to 15 percent."
Repair cost data we could not find
We found no government source that publishes the price of a single repair visit, such as a capacitor, contactor or compressor replacement in 2026. We also found no federal diagnostic or service-call fee for repair visits. If a repair is large, our guides to AC replacement costs and heat pump costs show DOE and EIA installed-cost figures. Our ductwork cost guide covers what federal sources say about ducts. Our guide to why an AC is not cooling covers common causes.
For an overview of all our cost guides, see what federal sources say about HVAC replacement costs.