Replacing an old air conditioner, or adding central air to a Toronto house that has never had it, starts with the house itself: the ducts, the lot and the electrical panel. We plan around all three and give you one price.
*Includes standard installation only. Any extra work your home needs is quoted before we start.
Prices before HST. First-time installations are priced after a free in-home visit.
📞 Call (647) 677-003758% of Toronto homes were built in 1980 or earlier, many of them long before central air was common. If the house already has a forced-air furnace, central air can usually go on top of it. We check four things before quoting: space above the furnace for the coil, enough return air to carry the cooling, a route for the copper lines to the outside, and room in the electrical panel. Houses heated by radiators have no ducts to use, and for them a ductless system is normally the better route.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile: Toronto, checked October 26, 2026.
Semis and row houses are 12% of Toronto's homes, often on lots with a side yard barely wider than a walkway. The outdoor unit needs the clearances its manufacturer lists, a level base, and a spot that keeps its noise away from bedroom windows, yours and next door's. On a tight lot we weigh:
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile: Toronto, checked October 26, 2026.
Central air needs ducts. In a house heated by hot-water radiators, adding them means opening walls and ceilings, so a ductless heat pump is usually the better route, from $2,800 installed for one room. How that works alongside radiators is on our Toronto heat pump page.
About 30% of Toronto homes are condominiums. If yours is a condo townhouse, the condenser may sit on common elements, and the corporation can set rules on its location, size, appearance and noise, or require an application before it is replaced. Ask your property manager first; we will supply the model number, dimensions and sound rating they usually want.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile: Toronto, checked October 26, 2026.
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| Central AC replacement, installed | From $4,000* |
| Central AC rental | $44.95 a month, $0 upfront* |
| First-time central air | Priced after a free visit |
| Central heat pump instead | From $4,500 installed* |
| Ductless, one room | From $2,800 installed* |
*Includes standard installation only. Any extra work your home needs is quoted before we start.
Before HST and identical to our Brampton prices. The final figure depends on the size and efficiency you choose and on the house.
Every level is installed the same way; the difference is how the unit runs. A Good single-stage unit is the simplest and the cheapest to buy. Better units are more efficient, which trims the summer hydro bill. Best units run at low speed for long stretches, which is quieter and pulls more humidity out of the air, and is worth it in a tall house with a hot top floor.
An older Toronto house may still have copper lines from an R-22 air conditioner, sometimes run inside finished walls. Today's units use a different refrigerant and oil, so we check the line size and condition before reusing them, and replace them if they are undersized, kinked or impossible to inspect. Whichever we use, the system is pressure-tested and evacuated to a deep vacuum before charging.
The new coil sits on top of the furnace and the furnace blower moves the cold air, so the two have to match. If your furnace is 15 years or older, pricing both together avoids a second visit later. See furnace installation in Toronto.
Prefer to pay monthly? Renting costs $44.95 a month with $0 upfront, and the plan covers repairs and a maintenance visit each year. AC rental details.
Prefer to repair the unit you have? See AC repair in Toronto, or every service on our Toronto HVAC page.