One chance to find it first
In September 2026, 1,129 homes closed across the Southern Arizona MLS at a median price of $365,000, after a median 36 days on market, with five months of supply listed (MLSSAZ report of October 5, 2026). Every one of those buyers had 10 days to send an inspector through the house. If your AC has a problem, someone will find it. Better that it's you, while you still set the timeline and choose who fixes it.
The contract already puts the AC on you
Section 5a of the Arizona purchase contract has the seller warrant that the heating and cooling will be in working condition at the earlier of possession or close of escrow. An AC that quits during escrow is still yours to fix.
Section 4a has you deliver the SPDS, the Seller's Property Disclosure Statement, within five days of acceptance. Known HVAC problems and repair history belong on it. A pre-listing report gives you accurate answers to write there, with dates and readings in place of a guess.
The parts that fail here, and what they cost
Rite Way audited 100 Tucson AC repair calls in June 2026, and the five below turned up most. Every one of them is on my pre-listing checklist. The shares add up past 100 because 62 percent of those calls had two or more problems. The prices are typical Tucson ranges; my flat-rate table is on the services page.
Low charge
Low refrigerant means a leak, usually at the evaporator coil. I look for the leak before anyone talks about adding refrigerant, since a recharge alone leaks back out. The leak check is part of the visit, and the repair depends on where it is.
Blower motor
The fan in the air handler, which in a lot of Tucson houses sits in an attic that reaches 140 F in summer. A motor runs $300 to $600.
Capacitor
A small cylinder that gives the compressor and the outdoor fan their push to start. Heat shortens its life. Replacing one runs $150 to $300.
Condensate drain
The line that carries water off the indoor coil. Dust gets in and it clogs, and then a safety switch shuts the system down or the water finds a ceiling. Clearing it runs $100 to $200.
Contactor
The switch that tells the outdoor unit to run. Its contacts pit over years of use until the unit won't start or won't stop. A new one runs $200 to $400.
Repair or replace before you list
A failed capacitor is one part. Covenant Aire's March 2026 Tucson guide puts a full system replacement at $9,000 to $16,500. Those are very different checks to write, and the report shows which one you're looking at: the readings, the age of each piece of equipment and a written price for anything that needs work. You decide with that in front of you, and the same pages go to your listing agent.
The report you hand over
You get the written report with the readings and the age of the equipment, a repair quote for anything I find, and a copy to attach to the SPDS or give to the buyer's agent. Tucson home inspectors themselves recommend bringing in a licensed HVAC technician on older systems, so when the buyer's inspector writes that line, the answer is already in your listing packet. The home sale inspection page has the full checklist.
Questions sellers ask
Should I replace the AC before selling a house in Arizona?
Only if the readings say the system is finished. Section 5a asks for heating and cooling in working condition at close, and a repaired system with a clean report meets that. If a part has failed, I'll quote the part.
What does the pre-listing report include?
Refrigerant pressures, temperature split, amp draw on the compressor and fan motors, the drain, the age of each piece of equipment, and a written price for any repair.
Can I give the report to the buyer?
It's yours to give. Attach it to the SPDS, put it in the listing packet or send it to the buyer's agent.
Do you fix what you find before the listing?
I do, once you've seen the quote in writing and told me to go ahead.
Get the report before the listing photos
Text me the address and roughly when you plan to list, and I'll give you a time for the visit.