HVAC installation Company in Chapel Hill, NC

We handle AC installation, furnace installation, and ductless mini split installs for homes throughout the area, plus fast, same-day repair when something breaks. One crew, NATE certified, flat rate pricing quoted before any work starts.

BBB A+ Accredited
1,014+ Google Reviews
17+ Years of Experience

About Alternative Aire HVAC Contractors

We’ve been in business since 2009, and between the technicians on our team right now, there’s more than 30 years of combined HVAC experience. That’s not a number we picked for the website. It’s how long it took to get good enough that we stopped guessing and started sizing systems the right way.

A lot of what we do is installation: a new AC sized to the actual house, a furnace replaced correctly the first time, a mini split added where ductwork was never an option. When something breaks instead, a failed capacitor, a furnace that won’t fire, a heat pump stuck in defrost, we fix what’s actually wrong, not what’s easiest to sell. That includes custom ductwork for homes where the standard setup doesn’t fit.

Every technician we send out is NATE certified, tested on the actual equipment they’re working on. We don’t subcontract that work out.

AC Installation, Furnace Installation & HVAC Repair Services

AC Installation & Maintenance

New systems get sized to your actual house, not a number pulled off a square footage chart. Maintenance plans keep it running that way.

Furnace Installation

We size the replacement to the house it's going into, not the one that was there before.

Ductless Mini Split Installation

Built for additions, garages, sunrooms, and older homes that were never built with ductwork in the first place.

AC Repair & Replacement.

Warm air, a unit that won't shut off, or one that's just done for good. We diagnose it first and tell you straight whether it's worth fixing.

Heat Pump Repair.

A heat pump stuck in defrost, or blowing cold air when it should be heating, is usually a control board or reversing valve problem. One visit, and we'll know which.

Furnace Repair

Won't start. Short cycles. Trips the breaker. We find the actual cause instead of swapping parts until something works.

HVAC Service for Historic Homes

There are three local historic districts in town, and if your house sits inside one, that changes the job before we show up. Franklin Rosemary is the oldest, mostly Federal and Greek Revival homes near campus. Cameron-McCauley filled in through the 1940s. Gimghoul is the smallest, just 37 houses built between 1924 and the late 1930s, added to the National Register in 1993.

Here’s what matters for the job itself: any exterior change visible from the street, including a new condenser location or a mini split line set, needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the town first. We’ve pulled that paperwork before, so it doesn’t slow things down. Ductwork in these homes is often original or heavily modified, sometimes missing entirely, and we size around what’s actually there instead of assuming a standard layout.

Our HVAC Installation Process

1. You call or book online

Same-day slots are usually open, even during peak summer weeks.

2. We inspect before we quote

A flat rate price after we've actually looked at the system, never a number guessed over the phone.

3. Most installs finish in one visit

Same-day in most cases, assuming the right equipment is on the truck.

4.We stand behind it

If something's not right after we leave, we come back and fix it.

Why Choose Our HVAC Technicians

Licensed & Insured:

NC H3-Class 1 #30223, insured on every job, nothing left to chance.

Flat Rate Pricing, Sized Right:

Every install starts with a real load calculation, not a guess, and pricing gets quoted after we've inspected the system.

BBB A+ Accredited:

Not a badge we bought, a rating built on real complaint history. Backed by more than 1,014 Google reviews.

NATE Certified Technicians:

Our own team, tested on the actual equipment they work on. Never subcontracted.

17+ Years in Business:

Founded in 2009. We've sized systems for everything from a 1930s bungalow to a house built in the early 2000s.

Workmanship Guarantee

An install or repair that doesn't hold up gets fixed. No separate fee, no argument.

Financing for AC & Furnace Installation

New equipment isn’t cheap, and covering it in one shot isn’t realistic for most households. We work with the Wells Fargo Home Projects Credit Card to spread that cost out, whether it’s a full installation or a repair bill that landed bigger than expected.

What that actually looks like:

  • Monthly payments instead of one lump sum due at the end of the job
  • Applies to repairs too, not just new equipment
  • Approval is fast, nothing that drags the project out waiting on paperwork
  • Makes it easier to say yes to a system your home needs right now

Bring it up on the call, and we’ll walk through the numbers before you commit to anything.

How Climate Affects Your HVAC System

Not every neighborhood sizes the same way. Southern Village opened in 1994, built with houses close together and garages tucked behind on alleys, small lots. That limits where an outdoor unit can physically sit. Meadowmont broke ground in 1999 off Raleigh Road and NC-54, and it’s the opposite: bigger lots, newer building envelopes, more room to work with.

Most of the area sits under a tree canopy ordinance requiring 20 to 60 percent lot coverage depending on size, and it’s been a certified Tree City USA town since the 1990s. Good for shade. Harder on a cooling system, since a shaded, humid lot loads a compressor more than an open one at the same square footage. We size for the actual site, not just the number on a listing.

HVAC Customer Reviews

Our overall rating sits at BBB A+, built from more than 1,014 Google reviews across the Triangle. That’s a number you can go verify right now.
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Mark Murray profile picture
Mark Murray
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Our technician Solomon Lopez was great. He was very thorough in walking me through what needed to be done and why. The price was on the low end compared to other estimates that I received too!
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Andrew profile picture
Andrew
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I called my go to company alternative Aire to help me with an issue with my HVAC and Phil came out and did a great job! Great customer service, he diagnosed the issue quickly and had it fixed within 15 minutes. He even took a look to make sure everything else was looking Okay. Cool air coming into the house now feels great. Thanks for your help Phil!
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Marie Martinez profile picture
Marie Martinez
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Phillip came in a timely manner and was so professional. He worked so quickly and was extremely thorough, checking every part of my system on such a hot day. I would highly recommend this company and especially the technician named Phillip.
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Quinn Schwartz profile picture
Quinn Schwartz
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Charles is very helpful and attentive
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CCS 762 profile picture
CCS 762
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Charles has been my guy for 3 years. Always comes through. Thank you.

HVAC Services FAQ

What HVAC services do you offer?

AC installation, AC repair, furnace installation, furnace repair, heat pump repair, and ductless mini split installation. The same crew handles all six, and every technician is NATE certified on the equipment they’re working on.

It depends on system size, efficiency rating, and the condition of your existing ductwork and electrical setup. We give you a real, written quote after inspecting your home, never a number guessed over the phone.
Yes. We work with the Wells Fargo Home Projects Credit Card, and it covers repairs as well as new installations, so a bigger-than-expected bill doesn’t have to derail the budget.
A straightforward swap is usually finished the same day. Rerouting ductwork or upgrading the electrical panel adds a second day sometimes, and we’ll flag that during the estimate, not once we’re already on site
If your home is in Franklin-Rosemary, Cameron-McCauley, or Gimghoul, any exterior change visible from the street needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the town first. We handle that paperwork as part of the job.
Yes. We’re licensed under NC H3-Class 1 #30223, fully insured, and BBB A+ Accredited. Every technician on the team is NATE certified, not a subcontractor brought in for the day.
Yes, that’s one of the most common reasons homeowners choose a mini split. It’s a straightforward option for additions, garages, sunrooms, and older homes that were never built with central ductwork.
Usually, yes. We keep room in the schedule for repair calls and put homes with no heat or no cooling at the front of the line.

Twice a year works for most homes, once before summer humidity sets in and once before the first hard freeze. Regular maintenance catches small issues before they turn into a full system failure.

Areas We Serve in Durham & Nearby Communities

We provide professional AC installation services throughout Durham and the surrounding Triangle area, including: