A restaurant losing AC on Friday lunch loses $5,000–$15,000 in service revenue. An office sending employees home compounds productivity loss. Commercial AC failures cost real money, which is why commercial customers care about scheduled PM contracts and priority dispatch in ways residential customers usually don’t. We dispatch commercial AC service with priority response and pre-stocked truck inventory for fastest restoration. CSLB C-20 covers commercial systems up to 65,000 BTU per unit. For chiller plants and industrial process cooling, we refer to C-38 specialist contractors.
Commercial AC repair
Most common emergency repairs we see, with commercial-scale pricing:
- RTU compressor failure (most expensive — full replacement quote): $4,500–$12,500 depending on RTU size
- Capacitor replacement ($295–$485 commercial sizing — larger than residential)
- Contactor replacement ($385–$585)
- Refrigerant leak repair ($685–$1,485 — commercial coils are larger, more refrigerant)
- Blower motor replacement ($1,200–$2,500 — commercial sizing)
- Economizer actuator failure ($385–$785)
- Control board / DDC controller fault ($585–$1,485)
- Thermostat failure ($385–$885 with commercial-grade replacement)
Diagnostic visit: $89 standard, $149 after-hours (waived with repair). After-hours labor surcharge $50–$80 over standard rates. We carry common commercial-failure parts on every truck and pre-stock for established PM contract customers.
Commercial AC installation
For new install or replacement, our process:
- On-site survey (free) — measure existing equipment, evaluate ductwork, assess electrical, identify code requirements
- Manual N commercial load calculation (commercial equivalent of Manual J — required by Title 24)
- Equipment selection considering Title 24 commercial requirements and operating-cost projections
- Permit application (LADBS for City of LA, individual cities for others — see our California HVAC Code 2026 pillar)
- Equipment delivery and roof crane scheduling for RTU installs
- Installation (typically 1–3 days for single RTU, 3–5 days for multiple-unit projects)
- Title 24 ATTCP acceptance testing via certified test technician
- Commissioning and customer training
- PM contract setup
Typical installation costs
- 5-ton RTU replacement: $11,500–$16,500 installed including roof crane
- 7.5-ton RTU: $14,500–$20,000 installed
- 10-ton RTU: $18,500–$26,500 installed
- 15-ton RTU: $24,500–$34,500 installed
- 20-ton RTU: $32,500–$48,500 installed
- Multi-unit replacements: 10–15% discount on equipment cost
Commercial maintenance contracts
Three tiers, sized to actual downtime risk:
- Quarterly PM: $150–$250 per RTU per quarter
- Bi-annual detailed PM: $200–$400 per RTU per visit
- Premium with priority dispatch: $1,200–$2,500 per RTU per year
What’s included in a standard PM visit:
- Filter inspection and replacement (commercial-grade MERV 8–13)
- Refrigerant level verification
- Condensate drain cleaning
- Electrical connection tightening
- Belt inspection (RTU with belt-driven blowers)
- Bearing lubrication
- Thermostat calibration
- Combustion analysis on gas-heat RTU
- Performance testing (delta-T verification)
- Written report with findings
Honest opinion: most LA commercial HVAC chains push the most expensive contract on every customer. We size the contract to the actual risk and downtime cost. A small dental office with one 5-ton RTU and a backup window unit doesn’t need premium dispatch. A 24/7 medical office building does.
Composite real-world example
Beverly Hills boutique retail, 2,800 sq ft, single 5-ton Lennox Strategos RTU:
- Existing 12-year-old Lennox unit, customer reported gradual capacity loss
- Diagnosis: refrigerant 30% low, evaporator coil leak at U-bend (typical age-related failure)
- Customer options:
- Option A: leak repair + recharge, $1,485 (likely 1–2 year fix on 12-year-old unit)
- Option B: full RTU replacement, Lennox Strategos 5-ton heat pump, $16,800 installed
- Customer chose Option B (long-term operational cost favored replacement)
- LADWP commercial heat pump rebate available (varies by capacity, $500–$1,500 typical): −$1,000
- Net cost after rebate: ~$15,800
- Bi-annual PM contract added at $750/year
Federal IRA Section 25C ($2,000 heat pump credit) is no longer in this math — it terminated December 31, 2025 under OBBBA. For commercial rebate detail by utility territory, see our 2026 rebate guide.
Service area for commercial AC work
Light commercial AC service across all 5 SoCal counties:
- 📞 West LA / Beverly Hills / Santa Monica: (424) 766-1020
- 📞 Pasadena & SGV commercial: (626) 499-5530
- 📞 Orange County commercial: (949) 785-5535
- 📞 Ventura County commercial: (805) 977-9940
- 📞 San Bernardino commercial: (909) 757-6455
- 📞 Riverside commercial: (951) 577-3877
Related: commercial HVAC hub, commercial heating, emergency HVAC dispatch.
CSLB License C-20 #1138898 | Roman HVAC 777 LLC dba Venta Heating & Air | TECH Clean California Certified