Tell us about the job
Takes about a minute. No obligation.
Sizing central AC for a Kendall County home is a question of the house first: its layout, its insulation, how it sits on the lot. 55 severe weather events were recorded in Kendall County, Texas between 2015 and 2024. At that rate, severe weather is an occasional event in a system's life, not a constant pressure on it. A contractor who lets the weather record drive the sizing decision is reaching for the wrong number. What actually determines whether a new system runs efficiently for years is how carefully it is matched to the structure and how cleanly the install is executed.
Ductwork laid in a house from around the turn of the century was designed for a forced-air system from the start. Half the homes in Kendall County, Texas were built in 2002 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). That means a contractor scoping a new central AC unit here is less likely to find ductwork that was originally run for something else and later adapted. The electrical service, the trunk lines, the register placement: these were sized with cooling in mind. What a contractor has to open and measure is still real work, but the building itself is less likely to be the reason a quote changes.
What a Central AC System Includes
The indoor air handler sits inside the house, usually in a utility closet, attic, or basement, and it holds the evaporator coil that pulls heat out of your indoor air. The outdoor condenser unit sits on a concrete pad beside the house and carries the compressor, which does the heavy lifting of the refrigeration cycle. Refrigerant lines run between the two units, carrying heat from inside to outside.
The thermostat mounts on an interior wall and is the control point the homeowner sees and touches every day. A condensate drain line runs from the air handler to the outside or to a floor drain, removing the moisture the coil pulls from the air. An electrical disconnect box sits near the outdoor unit and gives the contractor a safe shutoff point close to the equipment.
The drawing alongside this text shows the general layout of these components, and a licensed contractor determines exactly what applies to your house and its existing setup.
Get matched in Kendall CountyKendall County, by the numbers
55 severe weather events were recorded in Kendall County, Texas between 2015 and 2024.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, bulk CSV export, events 2015-01-01 through 2024-12-31.Half the homes in Kendall County, Texas were built in 2002 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesKendall County, Texas holds 19,213 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 79.5% of the occupied homes in Kendall County, Texas (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesRules & Standards Governing Central AC Installation in Kendall County, Texas9 sourced rules and standards
What the Installation Actually Looks Like
Split-system central air conditioners rated below 45,000 Btu/h manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Split-system central air conditioners rated at or above 45,000 Btu/h manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Split-system central air conditioners manufactured between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2022 had to meet 13 SEER, the metric that preceded SEER2.
Single-package central air conditioners manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Space-constrained central air conditioners manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 11.7 SEER2.
Federal efficiency standards for split-system central air conditioners and heat pumps are set on each certified combination of outdoor unit and indoor coil rather than on the outdoor unit alone.
Residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump systems assembled in the field, including mini-splits and unitary systems, may not be installed on or after January 1, 2025 using a refrigerant with a global warming potential above 700.
A field-assembled system whose specified components were all manufactured or imported before January 1, 2025 carries no installation compliance date under the refrigerant restrictions and may still be installed.
Licensing and Legal Requirements in Kendall County, Texas
In Texas a person may not engage in air conditioning and refrigeration contracting unless that person holds a license issued under the state air conditioning and refrigeration contractor law.
Severe Weather Events in Kendall County
Weather puts a measurable load on HVAC equipment, and that load varies by where you live. A system sized and installed for what Kendall County actually sees will run more reliably than one built to a generic standard.
55 severe weather events, 2015–2024. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database.