AC installation and replacement in Las Vegas, NV: local prices and installers

Las Vegas summers are among the hardest conditions an AC faces: long stretches of extreme dry heat, strong sun on the outdoor unit and dust in the air. Equipment here runs for many hours a day through a long season. Small installation errors that would go unnoticed in a mild climate show up as a house that will not cool at five in the afternoon.

A replacement normally includes the outdoor condenser or heat pump and the matching indoor coil or air handler. Many valley homes have the indoor unit and the ducts in the attic, where summer temperatures are punishing. That affects labor and it makes duct leakage and duct insulation worth real attention. Some homes have rooftop package units, which may need a crane.

The installer should check the electrical disconnect and breaker, the refrigerant lines, the return air size and the condensate drain. A new high-efficiency unit connected to undersized returns or leaky attic ducts will not deliver its rating.

The correct size comes from a load calculation based on your home's area, insulation, windows, orientation and ducts. Copying the tonnage of the old unit repeats any mistake made years ago. The AC tonnage calculator gives you a rough range to compare against each quote.

Two-stage and variable-capacity systems run longer at lower output, which evens out temperatures in two-story homes and during long hot evenings. They cost more than single-stage equipment. Ask for the installed price of each option on the same quote. If you have a gas furnace, decide whether to keep it, replace it with the AC, or move to a heat pump.

Nevada contractors are licensed by the Nevada State Contractors Board. Look up every bidder in the Board's license search before you sign; the Nevada license lookup guide shows how. Check that the record matches the company on the quote and that the classification and monetary limit cover your job.

Ask each contractor whether a permit applies to your replacement in Las Vegas or Clark County and have the contractor pull it. That matters beyond the inspection. The Board's Residential Recovery Fund, which can compensate owner-occupants when a licensed contractor fails to perform, is not available if the homeowner pulled the building permit, and it excludes work by unlicensed contractors.

• Brand, model numbers and tonnage for the outdoor unit and the indoor coil, air handler or furnace.
• The SEER2 rating of the matched system, with the AHRI reference number.
• Whether the load was calculated (Manual J) or the size was copied from the old unit.
• What happens to the ducts: inspected, sealed, repaired or left as they are.
• Electrical work, the disconnect, the thermostat, the condensate drain and the pad or roof stand.
• Permit and inspection, removal of the old equipment and recovery of the old refrigerant.
• Equipment and labor warranty terms in writing, and who registers the equipment.

Compare the quotes line by line. A low total often means a missing line.