AC repair in Clear Lake

Anyone who installs, repairs or maintains air conditioning or heating in Texas for pay needs a TDLR license, and each company location must employ a licensed contractor. The license is statewide, so no separate city license applies. Search the company or technician on TDLR's License Data Search, and check the class: a Class B license is limited to cooling systems of 25 tons or less and heating of 1.5 million BTU per hour or less.

Since September 1, 2021, cities can't charge TDLR-licensed contractors a registration fee, though permit fees still apply. Inside Houston, permits come from the Houston Permitting Center through iPermits; ask the contractor whether yours needs one and for the permit number.

HomeGuide puts the national cost of AC repair at $150 to $650 on average, with technicians at $75 to $150 an hour. Replacing a standard-efficiency central unit runs $5,000 to $8,300. Clear Lake contractors set their own prices, so treat these national figures as a range.

A new split-system central air conditioner installed in Texas since January 1, 2023 must be at least 14.3 SEER2 under 45,000 Btu/h. ERCOT set an all-time peak demand record of 91,089 megawatts on July 22, 2026, unofficial until final settlement, so book maintenance before summer. See the Texas HVAC guide, the Clear Lake guide or Clear Lake plumbers.