Your Mar Vista system has failed, or the repair bills have stacked up, and you want the HVAC system replacement cost before you decide. A full central air unit installation in Mar Vista, including duct sealing and permit fees, typically lands between $8,500 and $14,000. Ask for a written replacement quote and we will put your exact number on paper.
What the replacement price covers and what it leaves out
That range is for the central air side: the outdoor unit, the indoor coil and the install work, with duct sealing and permit fees inside it. See our AC installation service for what a cooling replacement involves.
Heating is priced as its own line. A new furnace or a heat pump is scoped in the same written quote, and the total for a whole-house change-out is the sum of the lines. The heating number is set at the walkthrough, because it depends on the equipment you pick and the gas or electrical work behind it.
The factors that move your number inside the range:
- Capacity, which comes from a load calculation of your house
- Equipment tier, from a basic single-stage unit up to a variable-speed system
- The condition of the existing ducts and how much sealing they need
- Where the condenser can go, which on a small Mar Vista lot may be a tight side yard
- Permit scope and testing
- Removal of the old equipment
Replace the whole system or only part of it
Some quotes should cover everything. Others should not. Tell us what failed and we can price three paths:
| Path | What it covers | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling only | New outdoor unit, coil and install | The furnace works and only the AC has failed |
| Cooling and heating | Central air plus a new furnace or heat pump | Both sides need replacing |
| Ductless | Mini split heads and outdoor unit, no ducts | Rooms without ducts, or ducts too costly to alter |
On the third path, for homes where duct modification costs would exceed $3,000, a ductless mini split system often makes more sense. Our heating installation service covers furnaces and heat pumps, and our ductless mini split service covers the ductless route.
If a repair would still bring the system back, tell us and we price the repair next to the replacement. You choose with both totals in front of you.
The permit and Title 24 are part of the cost
Replacing a furnace, heat pump, AC or ductwork in California is permitted work. In Mar Vista the permit comes through LADBS. The central air range above already includes permit fees, and your written quote still shows the line so you can check it.
Depending on the scope, Title 24 Part 6 can require duct sealing and a duct leakage test, verified by a third-party HERS rater who is not the installer. We schedule that test with the inspection when your job calls for it.
A bid that leaves out the permit or the duct work is not the same job as one that includes them. Put two quotes next to each other and check that the permit, the testing and the removal of the old system are named.
Efficiency ratings and refrigerant on a new system
New systems are rated in SEER2 and HSPF2, the current federal efficiency ratings. A higher-rated unit costs more up front, and the quote shows the tier so you can see what the extra buys you.
Since 1 January 2025, new residential split AC and heat pump systems are made with lower-GWP A2L refrigerants such as R-454B or R-32. A replacement installed now uses one of those. That is part of why equipment prices come from current models and not from what your old unit cost.
Fitting a new system into a smaller lot
Mar Vista has post-war bungalows, 1950s duplexes and ADUs, where a tight side yard is often the only place a condenser can go. We plan the condenser position and the noise toward the neighboring property before the quote is final, so placement is not a surprise on install day.
If you own a duplex or a small multi-unit building, tell us how many systems. We quote them together or separately, as you prefer.
From request to install
The sequence is short:
- You send the form or call with your address and what you have today
- We walk the house, the existing equipment, the ducts and the electrical panel
- You get a written quote with the scope, the equipment and the total
- You approve it, and we schedule the install
Nothing is ordered until you approve the number. We work across Mar Vista, Palms, Del Rey, Venice and Culver City.
Replacement cost questions
Does the $8,500 to $14,000 range cover a furnace too?
No. That range is the central air install. A furnace or heat pump goes in the same written quote as a separate line.
Is the permit extra?
For a central air install the permit fees sit inside the range, and the quote lists them so you can see the line.
Can I get cooling and heating quoted together?
Yes. Tell us on the form and the walkthrough ends with one quote that has each system on its own lines.
Can you quote a ductless system instead of ducts?
Yes. We write the ductless option as its own quote so you can set it next to central air.
What if my old unit can be repaired?
Then we price the repair and the replacement together, and you decide with both totals.
Want your own number? Call (877) 552-7520 and Mar Vista AirCon will book your walkthrough and write the replacement quote.
Need Professional HVAC Service?
Our HVAC-experienced technicians are ready to help with all your AC and heating needs. Contact Mar Vista AirCon today for expert service throughout the West LA service area.
