AC installation in Burbank

About AC installation in Burbank

Short answer

A central AC replacement in Burbank starts at $7,900 installed with Airwork, including the permit from City of Burbank Building and Safety, HERS testing and haul-away. We size it with a Manual J load calculation and quote a fixed price in writing.

What we see in Burbank homes

Replacing a central AC in Burbank usually means fitting modern equipment into a house planned around a floor furnace. The new condenser has to fit the same side yard and keep clear of the property line. It also has to stay quiet, since the neighbor's bedroom window may be a few feet away. Inside, the attic often has room for a horizontal air handler but not for the old duct layout. In that case we redraw the supply runs instead of reconnecting tired flex duct.

Load calculations matter here because many homes have grown. A converted garage or a rear addition changes the cooling load far more than the original floor plan suggests. We measure each room, note which way the windows face and check the attic insulation. The equipment size comes from those numbers, not from the old unit's label. The electrical panel comes next. A 100-amp service can often carry a new AC, but a later EV charger may not fit on top of it. We tell you before you buy which path leaves room for both.

Hillside homes above Glenoaks need a different plan, with the condenser on a terrace or pad and longer line sets. Those lots also see ash and leaves, so we place units where debris is easiest to clear. In the Rancho, equipment goes away from stables and dusty paddocks where possible. A new system also gives a chance to move the thermostat from the old furnace hallway to a better spot.

Where the equipment goes in Burbank homes

On the flats, the condenser almost always returns to the side yard, so its size and sound level decide the model. A slimmer, quieter unit leaves room to walk past it and keeps the neighbor's window calm. In the Burbank Hills, a level pad on a terrace or a wall bracket is often the only option. Attic air handlers in post-war houses go where the joists allow a service platform and a clear path from the hatch. Closet furnaces in hallways can be swapped for a heat pump air handler in the same closet when the dimensions fit.

Questions to settle before a Burbank install

• Does the 100-amp panel have room for the new system and a later EV charger?
• Should the floor furnace or wall heater stay as backup heat or come out?
• Can the old attic ducts be sealed, or do the main runs need replacing?
• Does the converted garage or rear addition need its own small system?
• Will a heat pump qualify for BWP's rebate, since it replaces gas heat?

After the install

The city inspector and a HERS rater both check the work, and we are on site for both visits. You get the permit card, the HERS certificate, the equipment registration and the warranty papers in one packet. The first maintenance visit is set for the following spring.

Most Burbank replacements are like-for-like in location but not in size. Older houses often carry an oversized unit from a past quick swap, and a load calculation usually shows a smaller system will cool better. A smaller system also runs longer cycles, which removes more humidity and keeps rooms even. We show the calculation so you can see where the number comes from.

Burbank Water and Power customers should compare a straight AC replacement with a heat pump before deciding. The heat pump also replaces the gas furnace, and BWP pays toward it when gas heating is removed. For many older homes, the price difference after the rebate is small. We put both options on the same written quote.

The NOAA weather station 2 miles from Burbank, Burbank Valley Pump Plant, averaged 24 days a year at 95°F or hotter and 6 days at 100°F or hotter in 2016-2025. Its hottest reading was 114°F on September 5, 2020.

California requires a permit for a new or replacement central system, and most replacements also need a third-party HERS test of duct leakage and system performance. We pull the permit, schedule the HERS rater and meet the inspector.

Burbank takes mechanical permit applications online through its Citizen Access Portal. Its permit list calls for an energy report when a replaced unit sits on the roof or at the rear of the property and for any new system or new ducts, and work that needs plan check is reviewed electronically in ProjectDox.

In Burbank (ZIP codes 91501, 91502, 91504, 91505 and 91506), 51% of homes were built before 1960 and 72% before 1980; 72% of households heat with natural gas, and 44% of homes are detached single-family houses.

Burbank is served by BWP. $1,000 per ton, up to $5,000, when a ducted or ductless heat pump replaces a gas heating system. That is far more than for a standard AC, so we price both options.