Commercial HVAC Repair: RTU $2,400 to $4,200 per Ton (2026)

How much does a commercial rooftop unit cost

PickHVAC, May 2026, installed. One publisher: we found no second national cost guide for commercial rooftop units, so treat these as a starting range.

Do this now: rooftop unit down at a business

Clear people out of danger first: a gas smell or a carbon monoxide alarm means everyone goes outside and someone calls 911 from there, and CPSC says do not go back in until responders say it is safe.

1. Smell gas? Get everyone out without flipping switches or lighting anything, then call 911 and the gas utility from outside.
2. Carbon monoxide alarm? Get outside, call 911, and wait for responders before anyone goes back in (CPSC).
3. Over 90 F inside? The CDC says a fan can raise body temperature at that point. Move staff and customers to a cooled part of the building or close.
4. Check the controls. Thermostat or building controls on Cool, and the unit's breaker. Reset it once; if it trips again, leave it off.
5. Leave the rooftop panels closed. Refrigerant work requires EPA Section 608 certification.
6. Note the nameplate. Tonnage, brand and age of each unit and which zones are out, then call the heating and AC line.

Is it an emergency? Signs to call a commercial HVAC company today

A commercial HVAC failure is an emergency when people are at risk: a gas smell, a carbon monoxide alarm, or indoor temperatures above 90 F, where the CDC says fans stop helping.

• Gas smell or a CO alarm. 911 first, the HVAC company after.
• Heat with people inside. Over 90 F in a store, office, school or care home. The CDC names people 65 and older, infants and young children, and people with asthma or heart disease among those at higher risk.
• A refrigerant leak on a large system. For comfort cooling with 50 pounds or more of refrigerant, EPA requires a repair within 30 days of finding a leak above a 10% annual leak rate, or a plan to retrofit or retire the unit.
• Water coming through the ceiling under a unit. ENERGY STAR says a plugged condensate drain can cause water damage; a leak at the roof curb is a roofing job (commercial roof repair).
• A breaker that trips again after one reset.

Can it wait? A unit that runs but falls behind on a mild day can usually wait for business hours. PickHVAC puts commercial technician labor at $75 to $125 an hour in 2026; ask what after-hours work adds before anyone is sent.

PickHVAC's May 2026 guide prices installed rooftop units at about $2,400 to $4,200 per ton, from $8,000 to $22,000 for a 5 ton unit up to $45,000 to $150,000 for 30 tons. It says labor plus crane and rigging on hard-to-reach roofs often equal or exceed the equipment cost.

Commercial HVAC services: what the work covers

Most commercial cooling is on the roof: the DOE says rooftop units cool about 60% of US commercial building floor space. Commercial HVAC companies service packaged RTUs, split systems, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems and larger chiller plants, plus the controls that run them. The repair calls mirror residential ones on a larger scale: a unit that will not start, a failed compressor or fan, a refrigerant leak, or a clogged condensate drain.

Rooftop unit (RTU) repair or replacement

An old RTU can cost more to run than to replace. The DOE's Advanced RTU Campaign says inefficient units can waste $900 to $3,700 per unit each year, and that Target averaged a 50% efficiency gain across 40 stores after upgrades. Ask the technician for the unit's age, its efficiency, and the repair price next to a replacement price, and use the same tests homeowners do: frequent repairs, an old refrigerant, and a repair that costs a large share of a new unit. On the residential side, AC repair lays out the 50% and $5,000 rules.

What adds cost on a commercial HVAC job

Single publisher. Permits, after-hours work and roof repairs around the curb add to these.

A unit swap can also mean roof work at the curb. If the roof around the unit leaks, see commercial roof repair; a new unit may need electrical changes, covered on commercial electrician.

Refrigerant leak rules for larger systems

Owners of larger systems have federal leak repair duties. EPA's rule covers appliances holding 50 pounds or more of ozone-depleting refrigerant: once a comfort cooling system leaks more than 10% of its charge in 12 months (20% for commercial refrigeration), the owner must repair it within 30 days of finding the leak, or adopt a plan to retrofit or retire it, with verification tests after the repair. EPA Section 608 also requires certification for any technician who services equipment that could release refrigerant.

For new equipment, EPA's Technology Transitions rule caps light commercial AC and heat pump systems at a GWP of 700 from January 1, 2025 (with an exception when all components were made or imported earlier), and VRF systems from January 1, 2027.

Commercial HVAC maintenance contracts: what to ask

We found no reliable national price for commercial maintenance contracts, so compare them on what they include:

• Visits per year and what each covers: filters, belts, coils, drains, electrical connections, refrigerant checks and controls.
• Response time for emergency calls and whether after-hours labor is discounted.
• Parts and refrigerant: included, discounted or billed at list.
• Records: written reports per unit, which help if a unit falls under EPA's leak repair rule.
• Who does the work: Section 608 certification for anyone handling refrigerant, the contractor's license number and proof of insurance.

Commercial AC repair near me: hiring a contractor

License rules vary by state. In Texas, TDLR regulates contractors who install, repair or maintain air conditioning, refrigeration and heating, and warns that hiring unlicensed people for that work can be hazardous. Ask any contractor for the license number and check it with your state board, ask for proof of insurance, and get a written scope that names the units, tonnage and refrigerant.

For plumbing on the same building, see commercial plumbing. Residential pages: HVAC repair, AC replacement cost, emergency HVAC repair and duct cleaning. Costs for every trade are on home repair costs.

Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job. Ask for its license number and proof of insurance yourself. How calls work.