What AC repair actually costs in Mississippi
Every HVAC company is happy to tell you "it depends" and refuse a number over the phone. That's not helpful when your house is 88 degrees and you're trying to budget the fix. Here's what real Coast AC repairs run in 2026, based on the ~3,000 calls Keith's dispatches every year across Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, and the rest of the Coast.
The diagnostic fee
Every honest company charges to come out and diagnose. Ours is $80 flat for residential, $95 for commercial. That fee applies to your repair if you approve the fix, so if we quote you $400 to swap a capacitor and you say yes, you pay $400 total, not $480.
Watch for shops that advertise "$29 service call." That fee gets made up somewhere: in inflated part prices, "trip fees," or a hard upsell to a new system. A fair upfront diagnostic protects you.
Capacitor replacement: $150-$350
The single most common repair on the Coast. A capacitor is a small cylindrical part that gives the compressor and fan motors the electrical kick they need to start. They fail from heat, age, and voltage spikes. Salt-air humidity accelerates the failure.
Symptoms: AC won't start, or hums but won't kick on, or the outdoor fan doesn't spin when the compressor runs. A tech can diagnose in 5 minutes with a multimeter and swap the part in 15. Most stock trucks carry the common sizes.
Why the $200 spread: dual-run capacitors (compressor + fan combined) cost more than single-run. Higher-tonnage systems need bigger capacitors. Some brands have proprietary shapes that require ordering.
Contactor replacement: $180-$320
A contactor is the electrical relay that switches the outdoor unit on and off. The contacts pit and burn over years of switching. When they fail, the compressor doesn't get power even when the thermostat calls for cooling.
Symptoms often overlap with capacitor failure. A good tech tests both before quoting the fix.
Refrigerant recharge: $275-$650
Refrigerant is the working fluid that moves heat out of your house. It doesn't get "used up" in a properly sealed system. If your AC is low on refrigerant, you have a leak. Period.
The $275-$650 range covers: - R-410A recharge (older systems installed 2010-2023) - R-454B recharge (new systems installed 2024+) - Leak detection with electronic sniffer - Small line repair or coil patch
Big-ticket refrigerant leaks (evaporator coil, condenser coil) run $1,200-$3,500 to repair properly. At that price point on a 10+ year system, replacement usually wins.
R-22 (old "Freon") is essentially unavailable now. Any shop still recharging R-22 is either using recycled stock (fine) or lying about the fluid (illegal). If your system runs R-22 and leaks, you're at the replacement decision point.
Blower motor replacement: $450-$950
The blower moves air through your ductwork. When it dies, you get no airflow inside, even if the outdoor unit is running fine.
ECM (electronically commutated) motors last longer and are more efficient than the older PSC (permanent split capacitor) motors, but cost more. We install both; if your system was originally designed for PSC and you want to upgrade to ECM, that's an extra $200-$300.
Compressor replacement: $1,800-$3,400
This is the expensive one. The compressor is the heart of your outdoor unit; it costs 30-50% of a whole new system.
At this price point, we always quote replacement alongside repair. If your system is 12+ years old and the compressor is failing, replacement almost always wins the math. The comparison is: - New compressor: $2,500ish, warranties the compressor for a year, but the rest of your 12-year-old system is at end-of-life - New system: $7,000ish, 10-year manufacturer parts warranty plus 1-year labor from Keith's, modern efficiency saves $50-$80/month on bills
Full system replacement: $5,800-$14,500
When repair costs exceed 40% of a new system on equipment older than 10 years, replacement is the honest answer. Standard 3-ton system replacement runs $6,400-$8,900. High-efficiency 3-ton with variable speed runs $9,200-$12,800. Full ductwork replacement adds $3,000-$6,000.
Financing through Service Finance, FTL Finance, or Synchrony brings the monthly cost down to $85-$185/month with 0% APR options for approved credit.
What drives Coast pricing higher (or lower)
Higher: - Beach-front homes need salt-corrosion coatings on outdoor equipment (+$300-$600) - Older homes with cramped attic access add labor time - Emergency after-hours calls (our rate increases to $125 after 5 PM and on weekends; still lower than many competitors' after-hours markups) - Long refrigerant line runs on additions or detached structures - Multi-story installs requiring crane placement
Lower: - Same-day availability means no waiting-and-worsening - Care Plan members get 15% off any repair - Financing spreads the hit over 12-60 months - Ductwork you already have in decent condition
The one Coast tip that saves the most money
Sign up for a Care Plan or annual tune-up program before your system fails. Two tune-ups a year (spring cooling, fall heating) catch the small stuff (dirty coils, weak capacitors, worn contactors) before they become emergency $600 midnight repairs.
Keith's Care Plan is $199.99/year for two tune-ups, priority scheduling, 15% off any repair, and waived after-hours fees for members. Do the math against one avoided emergency call and it pays for itself.
Questions? Call (228) 265-8609. Answered 24/7.