Replacement Cost

What a system swap costs, broken into equipment, labor and the lines that get added later.

4 articles

City

System size (tons)

How much does a 3-ton AC replacement cost in Federal Way, WA?

A central air conditioner replacement in Federal Way, WA

$8,575

3 tons · typical range $6,174 – $13,035

Typical total$2,858 per ton	$8,575
Range you should see in bidsthree bids on the same scope normally land inside this	$6,174 – $13,035
Labor portion45% of the job — this is the part that moves by city	$3,859
Material portion55% — bought at national prices	$4,716
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers pay near Federal Wayabout $41/hr · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro	$85,420/yr
U.S. mean for the same tradeSOC 49-9021	$64,780/yr
Versus the national pricetrade pay here runs +31.9% against the U.S. mean	+$1,075
Design temperatures86°F summer and 25°F winter at Seattle-Tacoma Airport — the two numbers a Manual J starts from, and the reason equipment sized for one city is wrong in another	—

Notes

Where the number comes from. The national price for a central air conditioner replacement is $2,500 per ton — central AC replacement pricing published for 2026, $1,800–$3,800 per ton installed. Labor is about 45% of that. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers near Federal Way, WA average $85,420 a year against a U.S. mean of $64,780 — a factor of 1.319 — so the labor half is scaled by that and the material half is not. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, SOC 49-9021.
Why the city matters, not just the state. Trade pay moves inside a state as much as it does between states. Crews do not commute across a state to bid a job, and materials ship at national prices either way — so a metro wage is the honest input here and a state average quietly rounds four different cities into one number.
Design temperatures. 86°F summer and 25°F winter at Seattle-Tacoma Airport — the two numbers a Manual J starts from, and the reason equipment sized for one city is wrong in another.
What is in the price: the condenser, the matching indoor coil, a new line set where the run allows, refrigerant charge, a pad, electrical connection, permit and labor.
What is not: ductwork repair or replacement, a new electrical circuit or panel capacity, asbestos abatement on old duct wrap, and any drywall work. These are the lines that turn a $8,575 quote into a $10,719 invoice, so ask about each one before signing.
Use this as a bid check, not a quote. It prices an average job in average condition. Difficult access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a per-unit average.

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