AC Replacement Cost in Miami: What 804 County Filings Show

In South Florida an air conditioner is not optional, and a replacement usually comes when the old one fails. The county records give you a baseline before the quotes arrive.

What the records show

From November 2025 through October 2026, 804 AC replacement jobs were filed on houses in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. The middle job was valued at $4,800, meaning half were valued above that and half below. The middle half of jobs fell between $2,500 and $7,887. The work was filed by 259 different companies.

Why the values spread

Tonnage, efficiency rating, and whether ductwork or the air handler is replaced alongside the condenser all move the declared value. A condenser-only change-out and a full system with new ducts sit side by side in this data.

One caution: the value in these records is the declared value written on the permit when the job was filed. It is not a quote and not the final bill. The real cost can land higher or lower.

How to use the middle value

Treat $4,800 as a reference point, not a price. If a quote is far below the $2,500 to $7,887 range, ask what is left out. If it is far above, ask for a written breakdown. Then check that the company has filed similar jobs near you recently.

How we counted

• Source: Radar's permit database, built from Miami-Dade County building department records (permits issued by the County, which means unincorporated Miami-Dade). It does not include cities with their own building departments (City of Miami, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Miami Beach, Homestead and others). Data as of 2026-11-04.
• Coverage: permits issued 2025-11-03 to 2026-10-29. Every month in the window has filings (no gap): 2025-11 49, 2025-12 75, 2026-01 66, 2026-02 48, 2026-03 54, 2026-04 64, 2026-05 50, 2026-06 88, 2026-07 87, 2026-08 77, 2026-09 75, 2026-10 71.
• Which permits count: County MECH permits classed as AC work with no master permit; new-construction, addition and generator permits excluded; residential (ResidentialCommercial R), single-family or duplex use, issued 2025-11-01 to 2026-10-31.
• Values: EstimatedValue kept if 1000 <= value <= 100000; null/zero/outside excluded from value stats only. 578 of 804 permits had a usable value. Median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) use those.
• What the value is: the declared permit valuation, not the final price.
• Groups with fewer than 20 permits are not shown. No homeowner names or addresses are used.