AC repair in Garland

About 85% of Garland residents have one electricity option: GP&L. The remaining homes sit outside its area and pick a retail provider, as in the other Dallas County ZIP codes checked on Power to Choose, where Oncor delivers the power. Before you compare efficiency upgrades, find out which group you are in; the city answers that at custserv@garlandtx.gov.

Oncor runs its efficiency programs through independent service providers when programs are open, and Oncor is not a party to your contract with them. A GP&L household is outside Oncor's wires, so ask GP&L directly what, if anything, it offers before a contractor promises a utility incentive.

Garland AC equipment rules

Texas falls in the federal Southeast efficiency region. A split-system central air conditioner installed on or after January 1, 2023 must reach at least 14.3 SEER2 below 45,000 Btu/h, or 13.8 SEER2 at 45,000 Btu/h and up. New residential systems are also limited to refrigerants with a global warming potential of 700 or less from January 1, 2025, though equipment whose parts were all made or imported before that date has no installation deadline. Ask which refrigerant a quoted unit uses and when it was built.

Start a Garland budget from HomeGuide's national figures and treat them as a range to question, not a local quote.

If a repair quote climbs into the top of that band, ask for the replacement price too and compare the two in writing. The full Texas cost guide is on our AC repair and HVAC page.

Anyone who installs, repairs or maintains air conditioning or heating for hire in Texas needs a TDLR license, and every HVAC company must employ a licensed contractor at each permanent location. Search the company or the person on TDLR's License Data Search, which lists Air Conditioning Contractors and A/C Technicians.

• Read the license number. It shows the class and endorsement, for example TACL/A/000000/C. Class B covers cooling systems of 25 tons or less; Class A covers any size.
• Ask about the technician. Helpers who work under a licensed contractor must be registered with TDLR as technicians.
• Ask for insurance. Class B contractors must carry at least $100,000 per occurrence of general liability; Class A at least $300,000.

The license is statewide, and since September 1, 2021 Texas cities may not charge TDLR-licensed HVAC contractors a registration fee, though they can still collect permit fees. State rules also bar a licensee from misrepresenting the need for a repair to win the job.

Garland Building Inspection publishes a residential permit application for A/C replacement, and the Development and Permitting Center takes submissions Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Texas rules require HVAC licensees to give cities a list of the agents allowed to pull permits under their license, so ask the contractor who will file yours.

Your task: before the old unit comes out, ask for the permit number in writing, and keep the final inspection result with your house papers. Questions about pricing or contractor registration go to permits@garlandtx.gov. If the job needs a new circuit or panel work, hire through our Garland electricians list as well. Garland's other local rules are on the Garland city page, and if you live near the line, compare AC repair in Richardson.