[Bryant]

Originally Posted by DangeloInspections

Biker1 is correct...I'll expound a bit.

The two most common higher cost items for a central Florida home are typically the A/C unit and the roof. You are wise to preface your question with the words, "well maintained", as this is quite important to expected lifespan of both systems.

A typical A/C unit, and I am assuming you really mean an electric heat pump unit is 12-16 years or so. One should start budgeting for replacement after 10 years or so, as the typical A/C system replacement runs from around 5k to 7k. The upside to this is that usually a new unit will be more efficient. Efficiency is measured by it's SEER rating.....new units are typically 15 seer, but can go higher, of course with increasing costs. One would have to do some number crunching to see if paying more for a more efficient unit is cost effective.

Good maintenance is key, as I have seen units only last 6 years or so if not cared for properly. Although I am not usually big on extended warranties, many feel having an extended warranty on your A/C is good to have in case costly problems occur.

As to your roof, despite what some roofing manufacturers say, a typical roof here will last 15-20 years, if well kept and free of overhanging trees, moss, mold build-up, etc. Dependant on the size, a replacement roof usually costs between 6-10k to replace.

Using those timelines to budget for replacement should serve you well. Putting away $100 per month for replacement of both systems in 15 years would not be too far off. Of course, size of the home, etc, could modify that plan somewhat.

Hope that helps!

I'm beginning to feel sick. My A/C and roof are originals (1999).