The short answer
Air conditioners cannot go in household trash, at the curb without arrangement, or on a scrap pile, because every one of them contains refrigerant.
The flat prices: window unit under 8k BTU $87, window unit 8k BTU and above $109, portable floor unit $85, outdoor condenser or heat pump $115. A dehumidifier, which works the same way internally, is $77.
Carry-out, disposal and the certified refrigerant recovery are all inside those numbers. Minimum per visit is $75.
Why refrigerant changes everything
Federal rules require that refrigerant be recovered by a certified technician before a unit is destroyed, rather than vented to the atmosphere. Compressor oil gets handled the same way.
That single requirement is why an AC unit is not like any other piece of metal in your garage. It is why scrap haulers who will happily take a washer from your curb will leave a window unit sitting there. It is why dumpsters and general loads are not an option. And it is why the unit needs to go to an operation that routes it properly.
On a flat-price pickup that routing is simply part of the job. There is no environmental fee, no refrigerant fee, no handling charge. The number on the page is the number.
San Antonio runs on air conditioning
Five months a year this city is genuinely dependent on it, and that produces a steady supply of dead units.
Window units are still everywhere in the older housing stock, in the 1920s to 1940s bungalows around Beacon Hill, Woodlawn Lake, Dignowity Hill, Prospect Hill and Highland Park, where retrofitting central air into a small house with no ductwork was never worth it. Those units run hard from May to October, and they last a few seasons.
Portable floor units get bought in a panic in July when the central system cannot keep up with a west-facing room, then live in a closet.
Outdoor condensers get replaced across the whole metro after a brutal summer, and the old one gets left on its pad beside the house because the installer's price to remove it was separate.
Second units in the garage, which in this climate never had a chance.
The price list
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Window AC Unit (Small, under 8k BTU) | $87 |
| Window AC Unit (Large, 8k+ BTU) | $109 |
| Portable AC Unit | $85 |
| AC Condenser / Heat Pump (Outdoor Unit) | $115 |
| Dehumidifier | $77 |
| Mini Fridge | $115 |
| Freezer (Chest) | $146 |
| Refrigerator (Standard) | $164 |
Everything in that table contains refrigerant and gets the same handling. No stair charge, no walk-up fee, no same-day surcharge.
Worked examples
Two large window units out of a bungalow: $109 + $109 = $218, against a quarter-truck load at $241. Item pricing wins.
Three window units: $109 + $109 + $109 = $327, against a 3/8 load at $338. Items still win, by $11.
The old condenser and a window unit: $115 + $109 = $224, under the $241 quarter truck.
A summer's worth of failures: condenser $115 + large window unit $109 + portable unit $85 = $309, against a $338 three-eighths load. Items win.
AC units are dense rather than bulky, so item pricing tends to stay ahead longer than it does with furniture. The quote calculates both.
Getting a window unit out safely
The single most dangerous part of this whole subject is removing a window unit from an upstairs window, and people do it alone constantly.
A large unit is heavy, the weight is all at the back, and the moment it clears the sash it wants to go outward. Two people, one supporting from outside or bracing, and the sash locked or supported. Do not remove one alone from a second-floor window.
Also expect what is behind it: a decade of accumulated grime, sometimes a wasp nest under the exterior housing, and in the older bungalows, a window frame that has been quietly rotting because condensate has been running down it all summer.
Carry-out is included in the price, so if it is still in the window and you would rather not, say so when you book and leave it there.
The condenser on the pad
When a central system gets replaced, the installer removes the old outdoor unit or they do not, and it depends what you agreed. Plenty of San Antonio houses have a dead condenser sitting on its pad next to a new one, with the line set cut and capped.
That is $115 to remove. Two points. First, the refrigerant should already have been recovered by the HVAC contractor when they decommissioned it, which is part of their job. Second, the pad stays. Concrete removal is demolition, and most people leave the pad because the new unit is next to it anyway.
Copper line set and any ductwork that came out during the replacement can go on the same load.
The other routes
Retailer or installer haul-away. If you are buying a replacement window unit or having a system replaced, ask whether removal of the old one is included. Installers usually will for central systems. It is the cheapest route and it is a point-of-purchase question.
Utility programs. Electric utilities sometimes run efficiency or appliance recycling incentives, and window AC units are a common target. Terms change from year to year, so check what is currently offered rather than what was offered before.
City drop-off. Appliances with refrigerant are handled as their own category. Check the current accepted list and locations on your city's solid waste page before you load anything into a car.
Scrap haulers. Generally not, for the reason above. Do not be surprised when a unit left at the curb is the one thing that does not disappear.
Frequently asked questions
How much does AC disposal cost in San Antonio?
A window unit under 8k BTU is $87, a large 8k+ unit is $109, a portable floor unit is $85, and an outdoor condenser or heat pump is $115. A dehumidifier is $77. The minimum per visit is $75.
Is there an extra charge for the refrigerant?
No. Refrigerant has to be recovered by a certified technician rather than vented, and that routing is part of the flat price. There is no environmental fee, refrigerant fee or handling charge added at the door.
Can I put a window unit at the curb?
Not without arrangement. Refrigerant-bearing appliances are handled as their own category, and scrap haulers will not take them, which is why a window unit left at the curb tends to be the one thing still sitting there a week later.
Do you take it out of the window for me?
Yes, and it is worth letting someone else do it. A large unit is heavy with the weight at the back, and removing one alone from an upstairs window is genuinely dangerous. Carry-out is included in the price.
What about the old condenser next to my new one?
That is $115. The refrigerant should already have been recovered by the HVAC contractor when they decommissioned it. The concrete pad stays, because slab removal is demolition and a different trade.