AC Installation in Leesburg, VA
A new air conditioner in Leesburg will run from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Loudoun County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
What summers in Leesburg ask of a new AC
Your air conditioner works four months a year here, June through September, with afternoons averaging 85°F. Loudoun County has also seen 279 damaging wind events and 62 hail events over the past ten years, so a new unit's outdoor coil and cabinet are out there through those storms.
Any central air conditioner installed now has to meet 14.3 SEER2, the federal minimum. That rating measures how efficiently the unit turns electricity into cooling, and it is a floor, not a ceiling.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 62 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 13.4 SEER2
- the federal minimum any new unit must meet
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Going above the federal minimum saves little here, about $10 a year.
Estimates for a typical Loudoun County home, from EIA household energy data, Virginia fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Board for Contractors tests and keeps a record of the contractor, not of each job it takes on. That license follows the business, so it stands behind every installation it does in Virginia, including this one. Work under $1,000 falls outside that requirement, but installing an air conditioner runs well past that mark.
For a job like this, the license is what makes the contractor accountable for the work itself. Most cities and counties also require a permit from the local building office for an air conditioner installation, along with an inspection once the work is finished. That inspection checks the installation was done right, separate from anything the license covers.
Sources: Virginia General Assembly · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- A contractor needs to run a load calculation on your actual house to answer that. Square footage alone does not tell you the size. They have to account for how much sun hits your walls and windows, how much insulation is in your attic, and how many people live there before they can size the unit. Getting this wrong in either direction costs you. Too small and it runs constantly without keeping up on an 85°F afternoon. Too big and it cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the humidity out.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases you replace both the outdoor unit and the indoor coil together. The two are matched to work at a specific efficiency. Pairing a new outdoor unit with an old coil usually means you lose the efficiency gain you paid for, and it can void the warranty too. A contractor can look at the age and condition of your indoor coil and tell you whether it can stay. If your system was installed before 2023, it may also be running below the current 14.3 SEER2 minimum, which is worth factoring into the decision.
- Do HVAC contractors in Leesburg need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license through the Board for Contractors, and installing a central air conditioner falls under that requirement. The license is tied to the contractor, not to any single job. It is worth confirming before work starts rather than after. You will also need a permit from the local building office for the install, with an inspection once the work is finished.