Florida AC replacement quote: license, efficiency and refrigerant

Who can install it

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) lists installing a central air-conditioning unit for compensation as work that needs a license. Florida's contractor law describes several license types that cover it (section 489.105(3)): a Class A air-conditioning contractor, whose services are unlimited; a Class B air-conditioning contractor, whose services are limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system; and a mechanical contractor, whose services are also unlimited. A Class C air-conditioning contractor's business is limited to servicing systems.

The Class A definition also covers replacing, disconnecting or reconnecting power wiring on the load side of the dedicated existing disconnect on single-phase systems, repairing or replacing the wiring, disconnects, breakers or fuses of dedicated HVAC circuits, and installing a condensate drain to an existing approved disposal. If a quote includes any other electrical work, ask who will do it and check that person's license too. Look up every contractor on DBPR's license search before you sign.

The permit, and the notice of commencement

Ask your building department whether your replacement needs a permit, and get it in writing from the contractor who will pull it. Florida law prohibits starting or doing work that requires a building permit without the permit being in effect (section 489.127).

One lien-law step works differently for air conditioning. Section 713.135(1) requires the office that issues a building permit to print a notice-of-commencement warning on the permit card and to hold later inspections until it receives a copy of a recorded notice of commencement. That subsection does not apply to a direct contract to repair or replace an existing heating or air-conditioning system for less than $15,000. Our lien law guide explains what a notice of commencement does and how releases keep you from paying twice.

Efficiency: the minimum for Florida

Federal efficiency standards for central air conditioners depend on where the unit is installed, and Florida is in the Southeast region. Under 10 CFR 430.32(c), a split-system central air conditioner installed in the Southeast on or after January 1, 2023, must have a rating of at least 14.3 SEER2 if its certified cooling capacity is less than 45,000 Btu/hr, and at least 13.8 SEER2 if it is 45,000 Btu/hr or more. The same rule says an outdoor unit with a certified combination rated below the regional level cannot be installed in that region.

For heat pumps, the national standard applies: split-system heat pumps manufactured on or after January 1, 2023, must have at least 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2. A higher rating can cost more up front, so ask each contractor for the rated SEER2 of the exact outdoor unit and indoor coil or air handler they propose, and compare the same combination across quotes.

Refrigerant: what changed in 2025 and 2026

The Environmental Protection Agency limits the refrigerants allowed in new residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump equipment to a global warming potential of 700. For factory-sealed, self-contained products, the limit applies to products manufactured or imported from January 1, 2025. For systems assembled in the field, such as a typical split system, the installation compliance date is January 1, 2025, but EPA's reconsideration rule, published in the Federal Register on May 26, 2026, removes that date for systems whose specified components were all manufactured or imported before January 1, 2025.

In practice, a 2026 quote may offer a system built for an older refrigerant from equipment made before 2025, or a newer system built for a lower-GWP refrigerant. Ask which refrigerant the system uses, when its components were made, and how that choice affects the price, parts and future service.

EPA describes R-410A, the most common refrigerant in air-conditioning systems for years, as a blend of two hydrofluorocarbons, and it prohibits knowingly venting refrigerants, including R-410A, while servicing, repairing or disposing of equipment. Ask how the old system's refrigerant will be recovered, and, in EPA's words, work with dealers whose service technicians are EPA-certified to handle refrigerants.

What a complete AC quote should spell out

Each quote should name the outdoor unit and the indoor coil or air handler by make and model, give the size in tons, and say how that size was chosen. A replacement sized to match the old unit is not the same as one sized from a load calculation for your house; our HVAC quote guide explains why that matters.

Look for the SEER2 (and HSPF2 for a heat pump) of the matched system, the refrigerant, whether the refrigerant lines are replaced or reused, any duct work, the thermostat, the condensate drain, removal and disposal of the old equipment, and who handles the permit. Get the parts and labor warranties in writing, along with the payment schedule; our Florida deposit guide covers what a contractor may ask for up front.