AC installation and replacement in Columbia

Installed price ranges

Equipment	Installed, published range	Source
Central air conditioner	$5,800 to $14,400, $8,750 average	Fixr, August 2025
Heat pump	$5,000 to $15,000, $8,350 average	Fixr, January 2026
Ductless mini split	$4,577 to $8,328, $6,357 average	Fixr, January 2025

These come from national price guides. They are a yardstick for a Columbia bid, not a local average and not an offer.

Get the tonnage right before anything else

Per the Department of Energy, a unit that is too big short cycles and leaves moisture behind, and one that is too small runs flat out without catching up. Columbia makes the first mistake costly. With 31% of the airport's yearly rain falling between May and July, a condenser that knocks the temperature down fast and shuts off leaves a house that reads 72 on the thermostat and still feels like a locker room. The right number comes from an ACCA Manual J load calculation built on this house's windows and insulation and the way it faces the sun. Square footage alone is a starting guess. Columbia Utilities also reserves the right to turn down a rebate when the unit is oversized for the home. Sizing a 2,000 square foot house.

SEER2 floors and the rebate bar

Missouri falls in the DOE's northern region, where a new split-system air conditioner installed since 2023 has to rate at least 13.4 SEER2, and a split heat pump at least 14.3 SEER2. The Columbia Utilities rebate sets its bar higher, at 15.2 SEER2. Have each bid state the SEER2 figure in writing, and confirm the condenser and indoor coil are listed together as a rated match.

New refrigerants

Equipment assembled from components made on or after January 1, 2025 has to run on a refrigerant under 700 GWP. R-32 and R-454B are the common ones. Coming off an R-410A system, plan on a new indoor coil along with the new condenser. The rule in plain terms.

Permit and rebate paperwork

A system replacement inside Columbia needs a mechanical permit pulled by a licensed master mechanic, and the utility will not pay the rebate without the final permit. You have to be a City of Columbia Utilities electric customer, the new unit has to replace an existing system (new construction doesn't qualify), it must be rated at least 15.2 SEER2, and the application and paid receipt are due within six months of installation. The city's final mechanical permit is required, and the utility may deny a rebate for a unit that is oversized for the house. Rebate steps.

Don't count on the federal side. The IRS says the 25C credit for central air and heat pumps does not apply to equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025.

What a complete bid includes

Put two written bids side by side and check that each one names:

• The brand and the exact model numbers for the condenser and the coil
• The SEER2 figure
• Tonnage, and the load calculation behind it
• Any duct changes
• Who pulls the city permit
• Parts and labor warranty terms

For a purchase in the five figures, a second bid is ordinary diligence, not an insult to the first company.