How do we replace the heating and air conditioning system in our HOA clubhouse?

By OurHOA · General information · Revised September 27, 2026

How an HOA board replaces clubhouse heating and air conditioning: repair or replace, load sizing, 2026 refrigerant and efficiency rules, licenses, bids and a timeline.

Part of the HOA board handbook: vendors, projects and upkeep.

The short answer

Get a written diagnosis before anyone quotes a new system, then bid a scope that starts from a load calculation, not the size printed on the old unit. Hire only a contractor licensed for commercial work in your state or city, make the contractor pull the permit, and schedule the swap for spring or fall, when the clubhouse can go a week without cooling. The 2025 refrigerant change does not force you to replace a system that still works. Rules differ by state, by city and by what your governing documents say about who maintains the clubhouse, so treat this as general education, not legal advice.

Decide whether to repair or replace

Start with the reserve study. It gives the system a remaining life and a replacement cost, and the board should compare both with what a technician finds. Ask your service company for a written report that names the failed or failing part, the repair price, the age of each outdoor and indoor unit from the data plate, the refrigerant type, and whether the coils, ductwork and thermostat are worth keeping. One compressor failure on a 7-year-old unit is a repair. A second major failure on a unit near the end of its reserve life usually means replacement, and a new outdoor unit bolted to an old indoor coil is money spent twice. Don't let a salesperson rush you with refrigerant news. Under EPA's Technology Transitions rule, new residential and light commercial air conditioning systems made or imported from January 1, 2025 must use a refrigerant with a global warming potential of 700 or less, which rules out R-410A in new equipment. The rule does not restrict existing systems, which may be serviced and repaired for their useful life, including with replacement components. On May 26, 2026, EPA issued a final rule that removed the January 1, 2026 installation deadline for R-410A equipment made or imported before 2025, so that older stock can still be installed until supply runs out. The catch is service cost later. Under the federal HFC phasedown, allowed production and import of HFCs falls to 30 percent of the historic baseline in 2029. If you buy a leftover R-410A system at a discount, expect refrigerant for future repairs to cost more.

Size the new system for how the clubhouse is used

The old unit's tonnage is a guess someone made 20 years ago, before you added the fitness room or replaced the windows. The Department of Energy's Building America program warns that rules of thumb produce oversized systems, which cost more, waste energy and cycle on and off too often. In humid places like Houston or Tampa, a unit that short-cycles also fails to pull moisture out of the air, and the clubhouse ends up cold and clammy. Require each bidder to do a written load calculation, using ACCA Manual J or a recognized commercial method for larger buildings, and attach it to the bid. Tell bidders how the building is actually used. A party room that holds 60 people on a July Saturday and sits empty on weekdays needs a different answer than an office open 40 hours a week. Ask whether two smaller systems or zoning would serve the rooms better than one large unit, and require a programmable or remote-access thermostat with a locked setpoint range, so nobody leaves the space at 64 degrees overnight after an event.

Federal efficiency floors in Texas, Florida and Colorado

Most clubhouses use split systems or package units that federal rules treat as central air conditioners: single-phase, air-cooled and rated below 65,000 Btu per hour, under 10 CFR 430.2. For equipment made since January 1, 2023, 10 CFR 430.32(c) sets the minimums. Texas and Florida are in the Southeast region, where a split-system air conditioner must reach 14.3 SEER2 below 45,000 Btu per hour and 13.8 SEER2 at or above it. Colorado falls under the national floor of 13.4 SEER2 for split air conditioners. A split heat pump must reach 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2 everywhere. Larger or three-phase rooftop units fall under separate commercial equipment standards, so ask the contractor to state which rule the proposed unit is rated under. The minimum is legal, not always smart. Ask for two prices, one for a unit that meets the floor and one for a step above. Then weigh the difference against how many hours the clubhouse is cooled. A building that runs its air conditioning all day in Florida can recover the premium. A Colorado clubhouse used for a few meetings a month rarely will.

Licenses, permits and old refrigerant

In Texas, Occupations Code 1302.251 says no one may do air conditioning and refrigeration contracting without a state license, and 1302.252(b) bars a company that has no license holder on staff from collecting a fee under the contract. A Class B license under 1302.253 covers systems up to 25 tons of cooling and 1.5 million Btu per hour of heating. Look the license up on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation site. In Florida, section 489.105(3) licenses Class A air-conditioning contractors without size limits and Class B contractors up to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system. Under section 471.003(2)(h), a licensed contractor may design the system it installs only when the work is valued at $125,000 or less and, for air conditioning, stays at or under 15 tons per system. Lee County's permit guide applies the same line to change-outs: a commercial job needs a design professional at $125,000 or more, 15 tons per system or more, or a space designed for 100 or more people. A large clubhouse can hit that last test. Colorado leaves contractor licensing to cities and counties. Denver's residential-only heating and air certificate covers one- and two-family homes and IRC townhomes, so a clubhouse job needs a contractor with the commercial Class A supervisor certificate. Denver also offers a quick permit for replacing a unit of 300,000 Btu per hour or less in the same location with no new electrical load. The old system holds refrigerant. EPA's Section 608 rules prohibit venting refrigerants, including HFCs like R-410A, and require certified technicians to recover it. Write both into the contract.

Lines to put in the bid request

Send the same package to at least three licensed contractors. Adapt this: 'Scope: remove and replace the heating and cooling equipment serving the clubhouse listed in Attachment A, including outdoor units, indoor coils and air handlers or furnaces, line sets where needed, condensate drains and thermostats. Attach a written load calculation. State the make, model, refrigerant, capacity and certified SEER2 or other efficiency rating of each unit, and the federal standard it meets. Quote a base option at the federal minimum and an alternate at higher efficiency. Contractor obtains all permits, including any electrical permit, and passes final inspection before final payment. Refrigerant is recovered by EPA Section 608 certified technicians. Contractor inspects the ductwork and quotes any sealing or repair as a separate line. Contractor provides a startup report, owner manuals, warranty registration in the association's name, and a one-year labor warranty. Work is completed within [5] working days of starting.' Our guide on how to write an HOA request for proposal covers scoring the replies and checking references.

Bid rules, reserves and the board vote

In Florida, section 720.3055 requires competitive bids when a contract costs more than 10 percent of the association's total annual budget, including reserves, and says the board does not have to take the lowest bid. It also lets the association buy needed services in an emergency without bids, which matters if the system dies in August. In Texas, Property Code 209.0052(c) requires an association contracting for services that cost more than $50,000 to solicit bids through its own bid process. In Colorado, follow the declaration, the bylaws and any procurement policy the board has adopted. If the money comes from reserves, check the rules on using it. Florida section 720.303(6)(h) limits reserve funds to authorized reserve expenditures unless the members approve another use in advance. Motion you can adapt: 'Move to accept the bid of [contractor] dated [date] to replace the clubhouse heating and cooling system for an amount not to exceed $[amount], paid from the [HVAC reserve component / operating fund], with final payment released after the city's final inspection and the startup report are received.' If the clubhouse is getting other work, our guide on planning an HOA clubhouse renovation explains how to fold the system into that closure.

A sample timeline and owner notice

Three months before the replacement window: get the diagnosis, pull the reserve figures and write the scope. Ten weeks out: send the bid package with a three-week deadline. Six weeks out: the board votes and signs the contract. Four weeks out: the contractor orders equipment and applies for the permit. Two weeks out: notify owners and move any rentals booked for work days. Install week: a director checks in on day one. Within two weeks after: final inspection, startup report, walk-through, then final payment. Owner notice: 'The clubhouse heating and air conditioning system will be replaced from [date] to [date]. The clubhouse and restrooms will be closed on those days. Reservations for those dates have been moved or refunded. The pool [will / will not] remain open. Questions go to [name] at [email].'

Mistakes boards make

Ordering a same-size unit over the phone because the old one was 5 tons. Hiring the handyman who services the pool pump, who may not hold the license the state requires. Letting the contractor skip the permit to save a week. Replacing the outdoor unit and keeping the 20-year-old indoor coil. Waiting until the system dies in the first heat wave, when contractors are booked and the emergency price is the only price. Forgetting to register the equipment, then finding out the manufacturer's longer parts warranty never took effect.

Sources

These guides are general education for HOA boards and residents, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by your community's governing documents - check with a professional for your situation.

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