Your furnace and your AC in West Los Angeles went in around the same time, and now both are tired. One is making noise, the other barely keeps up, and you would rather not pay for two separate jobs a year apart. For HVAC Los Angeles homeowners in that spot, the cleaner move is often one replacement: heating and cooling sized together, permitted together and installed on a planned schedule.
Why one job beats two
Heating and cooling share more than a thermostat. In most West LA houses the furnace blower also moves the cooled air, and the AC coil sits right on top of the furnace. Replace one and the other still sets the limits.
Doing both at once means:
- One room-by-room load calculation that fits both the heating and the cooling side.
- A coil, condenser and furnace matched to each other instead of to an old unit.
- One mechanical permit with LADBS and one final inspection.
- Duct and return changes made once, while the equipment is out.
- One install window instead of two rounds of crews in the house.
Ready to see the numbers for your house? Use the replacement survey request to tell us what is installed now, and we will come measure.
What the written price is built from
The figure on your proposal comes from the survey, not from the old unit's nameplate. For cooling, the site's own line is a useful anchor: a 3-ton, 17 SEER2 system installed in a typical West LA home runs between $8,500 and $12,000 depending on ductwork condition and electrical panel capacity.
A combined furnace and AC replacement adds the heating side to that. What moves the total:
- The tonnage and furnace size the load calculation calls for.
- Whether the ducts and return can carry the new airflow, or need rework.
- Panel capacity, and whether a heat pump changes the electrical load.
- Where the furnace sits: garage, hall closet, attic or under the house.
- Title 24 testing, which can require duct sealing and a duct leakage test verified by a HERS rater, depending on the scope.
Each of those is priced on its own line, and you sign off on the total before any equipment is ordered.
Three ways to replace both systems
Most West LA homes end up choosing between three setups. We write them up side by side when more than one fits the house.
- Gas furnace with a new central AC. The familiar pairing. Heat comes from SoCalGas, cooling from a new condenser outside. Good when the gas line and flue are in fair shape.
- Heat pump with an air handler. One outdoor unit heats and cools. The flue goes away, and electrical capacity becomes the question to settle on the survey.
- Heat pump with a gas furnace as backup. The heat pump carries most of the year and the furnace steps in when you want it. It costs more up front and keeps both fuels.
For a closer look at the heating side, our heating installation page covers furnace and heat pump choices for Rancho Park and Cheviot Hills homes.
How the install days run
A full replacement is a planned job, not a rush. The crew arrives with the equipment staged and the permit pulled. Old equipment is disconnected, refrigerant recovered and the units hauled out. The new furnace or air handler goes in, the coil sits on top, and the condenser or heat pump is set on its pad.
If the ducts need work, it happens while the house is open. Many older West LA traditionals have a small return that chokes a new system, so the return is often enlarged in the same visit. See duct replacement and sealing for what that part of the job includes.
Before the crew leaves, both heating and cooling are started and checked, the thermostat is set up and you are walked through it. The final inspection is booked with the city.
FAQ
Can I replace only the furnace now and the AC later?
You can. The survey will tell you whether the existing coil works with the new furnace. If it does not, we price the coil swap so you know the cost of waiting.
Will a combined replacement need two permits?
No. A furnace and AC change-out on the same job is filed as one mechanical permit with LADBS, with one final inspection.
Do new systems use different refrigerant?
Yes. New split AC and heat pump systems are made with lower-GWP A2L refrigerants such as R-454B or R-32. The survey checks whether your current line set can be reused.
Can you install a system that heats and cools in a condo?
Often, yes. Building rules decide where the outdoor unit can go, so we check HOA requirements during the survey before writing the price.
How soon after the survey do I get the price?
The written proposal follows the survey, with each option priced line by line. You decide in your own time; nothing is ordered until you sign.
Book the survey
If both systems are near the end, get one plan and one price instead of two surprises. Call (877) 748-5845 and WLA Climate Group will set up a survey at your house in West Los Angeles.
Need Professional HVAC Service?
Our HVAC-experienced technicians are ready to help with all your AC and heating needs. Contact WLA Climate Group today for expert service throughout the West LA and Rancho Park service area.
