AC Repair & Installation in Irvine, CA

Irvine’s Dual-Licensed AC & Electrical Contractor

Smartchoice Air Conditioning, Heating & Electrical is one of the few Orange County contractors licensed in both HVAC (CSLB C-20 #1120994) and electrical (CSLB C-10 #1120145). In Irvine that matters more than you might expect: a new AC or heat pump in a 1970s or 1980s home often needs a bigger panel or a new circuit, and so does the EV charger that seems to be in every other Irvine garage. You call one company instead of two: one crew, one schedule, one warranty. We’ve completed many AC installations and panel upgrades across Irvine.

$65 HVAC service call, applied to your repair · electrical repairs from $149 first hour · free estimates on new systems, panels and EV chargers · same-day when you call by noon: (949) 229-6766

What Makes Irvine Homes Different

Irvine is one of the largest master-planned cities in the country, and each generation of villages has its own HVAC and electrical needs:

• The first villages (1970s): University Park, Turtle Rock, Culverdale, College Park, Walnut Village. Most of these homes are on their second or third AC system. Original ductwork in hot attics has lost insulation, and original panels are often too small for a modern AC, a heat pump or an EV charger.
• Woodbridge, Northwood and Westpark (late 1970s–1990s). Large neighborhoods of single-family homes and townhomes. Many systems from the 2000s are now at the end of their life, and some still run on R-22 refrigerant.
• Newer villages (2000s–today): Quail Hill, Woodbury, Stonegate, Portola Springs, Orchard Hills, Cypress Village and the Great Park neighborhoods. High-efficiency and variable-speed systems, zoning, and heat pumps in the newest homes, many still under the manufacturer’s warranty. Yearly maintenance by a licensed contractor keeps that warranty valid.
• Townhomes and condos. Furnaces and air handlers in closets and attics, condensers on small patios, balconies or rooftops, and shared walls. Replacing equipment in tight spaces takes planning, and the right size matters more than ever.
• HOAs. Most Irvine villages have an HOA, and many require approval for new or relocated outdoor units, mini-split heads on an exterior wall, or an EV charger in a shared garage. We provide the equipment specs, photos and documents your HOA asks for.

AC Repair in Irvine

Call before noon and we can usually have a technician at your Irvine home the same day. The HVAC service call is $65; it covers the diagnosis and is credited toward the repair, and you get a flat price before any work starts. Our trucks carry the parts that fail most (capacitors, contactors, fan motors and control boards), so most repairs are finished on the first visit. We service every major brand, whoever installed it.

Common Irvine repair calls:

• An AC that runs but isn’t cooling, usually a capacitor (from $250), a contactor (from $239) or low refrigerant. See AC not blowing cold air.
• An upstairs that never cools on hot afternoons in a two-story home: often attic ducts, a weak blower or a system that needs zoning.
• A refrigerant leak on an older R-22 system. You get the repair price and an honest repair-or-replace comparison.
• A condensate drain that backs up and shuts the system off, common with air handlers in attics and closets.
• An AC that trips its breaker. We’re licensed to check the breaker, the wiring and the compressor.

AC Installation & Replacement in Irvine

A replacement starts with a free in-home assessment. We measure the home, run a load calculation, test the ductwork for leakage (California’s Title 24 HERS test requires it) and look at the panel. Then you get a flat written price. In Irvine we pull the permit online through the city’s instant permit system (Symbium), usually the same day, so the permit never holds up your install.

What we install. Goodman and our AC Pro line, in standard and high-efficiency variable-speed models, plus heat pumps and ductless mini-splits for rooms that never cool, additions and ADUs.

What it costs.

• AC systems: from $5,950 for 2 tons to about $8,450 for 5 tons, installed.
• AC and furnace together: from $7,500 to about $12,000.

New ducts, rooftop or long line-set runs and zoning add to those numbers, and we confirm the final price on site. Every install includes the City of Irvine permit, the HERS test and inspection, a 10-year parts warranty, a 5-year labor warranty, removal of the old equipment and a year of our maintenance membership. See your starting price in 60 seconds or book the free visit.

Repair or replace? We’re a repair-first company. The honest test is the $5,000 rule: multiply the system’s age by the repair estimate. Under $5,000, repair it; over $5,000, replacement usually makes more sense. We show you both numbers.

Financing: 0% interest for 12 months on qualifying HVAC installations, subject to credit approval.

AC Maintenance in Irvine

A tune-up is $79 per system. For most Irvine homes the Smartchoice Membership makes more sense: $265 a year (or $22 a month) covers a spring cooling visit and a fall heating visit, 15% off labor on any repair, and priority scheduling in July. Newer systems need documented yearly service to keep the manufacturer’s parts warranty, and older systems fail far less often when the coil is cleaned and the capacitor and contactor are checked every year.

Heat Pumps & Furnaces for Irvine Homes

Irvine’s mild winters are close to ideal for a heat pump: one system heats and cools efficiently all year, and it pairs well with rooftop solar. Installed heat pump systems run $6,500–$10,000 for 2.5–3 tons and $9,500–$13,500+ for 4–5 tons. We’re an enrolled contractor with TECH Clean California and confirm current SCE incentives before you commit. If you’d rather keep gas heat, furnace replacements start at $4,500 and run to about $7,250.

Electrician in Irvine

The dual license matters most when a project crosses trades, and in Irvine it usually does.

• EV charger installation. A dedicated 240-volt circuit runs $350–$1,250 for labor and materials (charger and permit not included). Tesla Wall Connector and every Level 2 charger, including in townhome and condo garages, with the documents your HOA asks for.
• Panel upgrades: 100A to 200A, and 400A. A 200-amp upgrade runs $4,500–$5,000, including the panel, grounding and bonding to code, the permit and the inspection. We coordinate with Southern California Edison and the City of Irvine, and we’ve done many panel upgrades in Irvine homes.
• Breakers and circuits. Dedicated circuits for AC, heat pumps, kitchens and laundry, AFCI/GFCI upgrades, and whole-house surge protectors.
• Electrical repairs and wiring for remodels, additions and ADUs. Electrical repair visits are $149 for the first hour (diagnosis or labor, parts and materials extra), then a flat-rate quote for any remaining work.

Irvine Neighborhoods We Serve

• University Park, Turtle Rock, Culverdale and College Park: 1970s homes; second- and third-cycle AC replacements, attic ducts and panel upgrades.
• Woodbridge, Northwood and Westpark: late-1970s to 1990s homes and townhomes; R-22 replacements, zoning and EV chargers.
• Quail Hill, Woodbury, Stonegate and Portola Springs: 2000s and 2010s homes; warranty maintenance, variable-speed repairs and upgrades.
• Orchard Hills, Cypress Village and the Great Park neighborhoods: the newest homes; heat pumps, smart thermostats and EV charging.
• Townhome and condo communities citywide: closet and attic air handlers, patio and rooftop condensers.

We serve all of Irvine, including 92602, 92603, 92604, 92606, 92612, 92614, 92617, 92618 and 92620. We also serve nearby Tustin, Santa Ana, Lake Forest, Newport Beach and Aliso Viejo.

What We Charge in Irvine: Transparent Pricing

Estimates are free for new AC and HVAC systems, heat pumps, panel upgrades and EV chargers. The $65 service call applies to HVAC repair visits and is credited to the repair. Electrical repair visits are $149 for the first hour (diagnosis or labor, parts and materials extra).

0% for 12 months on qualifying HVAC projects.

Our Irvine Promise

• An upfront, flat-rate price before any work starts
• Load calculation and duct test on every replacement
• Permit pulled online, usually the same day, plus the HERS test and City of Irvine inspection, all handled and included
• HOA documents provided on request
• Licensed, bonded and insured: CSLB C-20 #1120994 + C-10 #1120145
• Shoe covers, floor protection and full cleanup
• One warranty across HVAC and electrical work
• Repair first: we only recommend replacement when the numbers favor it

Irvine AC, HVAC & Electrical FAQs

Schedule Your Irvine AC Service Today

Licensed, insured and based in Fullerton, serving Orange County since 2017. CSLB C-20 #1120994 + C-10 #1120145. Call (949) 229-6766, book online, or get an instant quote for a new system.