HVAC replacement

[tyler2016]

My evap coil in a 15 year old R22 central air system with a gas furnace has a leak so bad that I lost all refrigerant within a few days. It is a 3 ton system, in attic coil. I'm probably going to replace the whole system due to the R22 phase out in a few years. I've looked on various sites about what the ballpark cost should be, and the first bid was about 70% more than what I found. I was wondering how accurate sites like home advisor are? What is reasonable for an area with an average cost of living?

[Roots&Wings]

This is going to be very location specific. Definitely get more quotes or talk to frugal neighbors for recommended contractors. I just had this done to remove an old system and the new 3 ton HVAC system - AC, gas furnace plus all new insulated ductwork, permit, labor warranty - was $9,480 in average cost of living area. By paying cash I got a 3% discount. Also, check your gas/electric company for possible rebates. I'm getting an additional $500 rebate for installing a new efficient gas furnace.