Not required
Running the AC in cold weather
The inspector is not required to "operate cooling systems when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause equipment damage." (Arizona Standards of Professional Practice, 10.3)
HVAC inspections for home sales in Tucson
I inspect the heating and cooling in a house that is under contract and put the readings in writing. The Arizona purchase contract (Rev. 02/26, section 6a) gives the buyer ten days after acceptance to inspect unless another number is written in, and the HVAC finding has to reach the seller on the BINSR before those days run out. Section 5a makes working heating and cooling at close the seller's warranty, so a problem found inside the ten days is the seller's to fix.
Property
The home under contract
Licence
Phone
Service area
Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Vail, Sahuarita
The limits of the general home inspection
Arizona home inspectors work to the AZ ASHI Standards of Professional Practice, the October 27, 2023 edition the state adopted in May 2024. Section 10.3 lists what they are not required to do on the cooling system, and the general limitations call the whole inspection "not technically exhaustive".
Not required
Checking that every room gets enough cold air
Nor to "observe the uniformity or adequacy of cool-air supply to the various rooms." (same section)
So a Tucson house that closes in December can change hands without anyone switching the AC on. The standard has no test for refrigerant pressure, the capacitor, amp draw or the temperature split. Those are the numbers that say whether the system gets through next July, and they are the numbers I take.
The inspection, item by item
- System age, make and model, read off the data plates
- Refrigerant charge and operating pressures, with a leak check if the charge is low
- Temperature split between the return and the supply air
- Electrical parts: capacitor, contactor and amp draw
- Airflow, the filter and the condition of the ducts I can reach
- Condensate drain, pan and float switch
- Safety controls and the thermostat
- A remaining-life note: what is likely to need work in the next few years
If you are buying a rental, the remaining-life note is the line to budget against, since the replacement becomes yours the day you close.
The report and the price
I send the report the same day I inspect.
The inspection is $125 to $199 per unit, built from my $125 service call rate. Tell me how many units the house has when you book and I'll give you the exact figure.
For comparison, a standalone sale inspection runs $150 in Las Vegas and averages $310 in Phoenix (Angi, 2026). Mine includes an hour of diagnostics at the unit.
The report, line by line
Verdict: working
Each report ends in a plain verdict, then the items to watch, each with a reason and a rough date. The sample page below shows the layout with made-up numbers.
Sellers
Inspect before you list
The same inspection, done before the house goes on the market, means you see the finding first. You can fix it on your own schedule with a contractor you pick, or disclose it and price the house to match.
Section 5a of the purchase contract makes working heating and cooling your promise at close. An AC problem that turns up on day eight of escrow still has to be fixed, only with less time and less choice about who does it.
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). With that much choice, a buyer's agent reads the BINSR closely.
Request an inspection
Or call or text 520-820-5422
Your message is ready
It opens in your texting app or your email. Press send there and it reaches me. The text goes to 520-820-5422 and the email to jim@honestlyacaz.com.
Text works from a phone. On a computer, email the message or copy it into your own app.Questions agents ask
Is an HVAC inspection necessary if the home already has a general inspection?
The general inspector works to an Arizona standard that doesn't require running the cooling when the weather could damage it, or judging whether every room gets enough cold air. I measure what that standard leaves out: refrigerant pressures, the temperature split, the capacitor and the amp draw.
What does the HVAC inspection include?
System age and model data, refrigerant charge and pressures, the temperature split, the capacitor, contactor and amp draw, airflow and duct condition, the condensate drain, the safety controls, and a note on how much life the system has left.
How much does an HVAC inspection cost for a home purchase in Tucson?
$125 to $199 per unit. The price is built from my $125 service call rate, which doesn't change. Give me the number of units when you book and I'll quote the exact figure.
How soon do I get the report?
You get the report the same day as the inspection, in time to write the BINSR.
Can you inspect inside the 10-day inspection period?
That ten-day window is most of my inspection work. Text the address and your deadline to 520-820-5422 and I'll reply with a time.
Can you quote and do the repairs the report finds?
I'm a licensed contractor, ROC 362811, so the visit that finds the problem can also price the fix. A home inspector can't do the repair, and Arizona requires a licensed contractor for corrective work of $1,000 or more (A.R.S. 32-1121, as quoted in the AAR BINSR form).
Call me, or send the details
Call 520-820-5422, or send your name, number, address and what the system is doing, and I'll come back to you with a time.