Is this AC quote fair?

Published prices for the usual repairs

Repair	Published range, installed	Source
Capacitor	$80 to $400, $175 average	This Old House, April 2026
Capacitor	$100 to $400	Fixr, January 2026
Contactor or relay	$100 to $450	This Old House, March 2026
Contactor	$150 to $400	Fixr, July 2026
Condenser fan motor	$300 to $800	This Old House, March 2026
Refrigerant recharge	$250 to $900, $400 average	Fixr recharge guide, January 2025
Refrigerant leak repair and recharge	$200 to $1,600, $800 average	Fixr, July 2026
Compressor	$600 to $3,000	Fixr, January 2026
Compressor	$1,000 to $3,000 or more	This Old House, March 2026

These are national figures from the two price guides, not a San Joaquin County survey and not a price from us. Where Fixr and This Old House each publish a range, the table carries both, since they don't quite agree.

Most of what you pay is the visit and the hands, not the hardware. A capacitor on its own runs $8 to $45 by This Old House's count; labor is the bulk of the bill.

What California law gives you

• License. Any job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, or any job that needs a permit, requires a licensed contractor. For AC that means a C-20. Look up the number on the CSLB site before you sign.
• Down payment. The CSLB says the down payment on a home improvement job can't be more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. Later payments shouldn't get ahead of the work done.
• Written contract. A home improvement contract needs a written payment schedule, according to the CSLB.
• Time to think. For goods or services sold to you at home, the CSLB's contract guide says the buyer gets three business days, or five business days if the buyer is 65 or older to decide. Read the cancellation notice on any contract you sign at your kitchen table.

Signs to slow down

Three warnings straight from the FTC's guide to home improvement scams:

• An unannounced visit from a crew that says it happens to be working nearby.
• A deal that is only good if you decide right now.
• Full payment before the work, or a cash-only price.

Add a few of my own: a number that climbs after the technician comes down from the attic with no part to show you, a whole new system pitched for a fault the tables price in the hundreds, and an offer to knock money off if the permit gets skipped. In Stockton a replacement needs a city permit and a field test, so that last one is not a favor.

Six things to ask before you sign

1. Which part failed? Show it to me, or send a photo.
2. Write down the cost of just that fix.
3. Does the service call fee come off the bill if I say yes?
4. For a refrigerant job: where exactly is it leaking, and are you sealing the leak or adding gas?
5. How long is the warranty on parts, and separately on labor?
6. What is your CSLB license number?

On a big repair or a replacement, it is reasonable to get a second opinion. You can say no to any quote.