AC repair in San Marcos

SMTX Utilities, the city's utility, publishes its rates on the city's electric rates page: a residential minimum charge of $12.94 plus the per-kWh charge, effective October 1, 2026. PEC also lists San Marcos among its primary cities. Which provider serves an address depends on location, and neither municipal nor co-op areas have retail electric choice. Ask your utility whether it offers an AC rebate before you count one in the price.

Higher efficiency still matters on a city rate. A split-system air conditioner installed in Texas since January 1, 2023 must be at least 14.3 SEER2 under 45,000 Btu/h, or 13.8 SEER2 at 45,000 Btu/h and up.

San Marcos runs permits and inspections through MGO Connect; its Permit Center page lists residential, commercial and plumbing categories among others. Ask the contractor whether your replacement needs a permit and for the number if it does. State law has barred Texas cities from charging TDLR-licensed HVAC contractors registration fees since September 1, 2021, though permit fees still apply.

Checking a San Marcos HVAC contractor's TDLR license

Every Texas company that installs, repairs or maintains heating and cooling for hire needs a TDLR license, with a licensed contractor at each permanent location. Search TDLR's License Data Search for Air Conditioning Contractors. Read the license number: in TACL/A/000000/C, the A or B is the class. Class B is limited to cooling systems of 25 tons or less, and Class A has no size limit. Class A contractors need at least $300,000 per occurrence in liability insurance, Class B at least $100,000.

Getting a license takes 48 months of supervised experience within 72 months, or 36 months within 48 for someone who has held a technician certification for a year, plus a TDLR exam. Techs who help on the job must be registered with TDLR.

San Marcos quotes vary, so compare them with HomeGuide's 2025 national figures, which put most AC repairs at $150 to $650, technicians at $75 to $150 an hour and tune-ups at $70 to $200. Big out-of-warranty repairs run $650 to $2,500 or more, and a standard-efficiency replacement $5,000 to $8,300. New systems are limited to refrigerants with a global warming potential of 700 or less from January 1, 2025, though units built entirely from earlier parts can still be installed. The Texas HVAC guide has more.

Texas rules bar HVAC licensees from misrepresenting the services you need, so ask for the failed part in writing before agreeing to a replacement.

Plumbing and water heater work is covered under San Marcos plumbers. City rules are on the San Marcos hub, and Kyle AC repair is the next list north.