833 HVAC contractors ranked by CR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
Best overall in Lake Forest: NexGen HVAC & Plumbing, CR Score 66/100; 4.8★ from 3,589 Google reviews; open 24/7.
Best for emergencies (open 24/7): Air Care, posts 24/7 hours; ranked #2 of 833.
Most-reviewed: Absolute Airflow Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing, 4,319 Google reviews at 4.8★, the most of 833 ranked; ranked #21.
Rankings can't be bought. Contractors can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
833 Lake Forest HVAC contractors are ranked here by CR Score, from ten published factors. 296 are open 24/7, 653 open Saturdays and 450 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 4.9★ across 833 rated businesses.
| Rank | Business | CR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NexGen HVAC & Plumbing | 66 | 4.8★ (3,589) | Laguna Hills, 3 mi away | 24/7 | Overall |
| 2 | Air Care | 65 | 5.0★ (1,350) | Rancho Santa Margarita, 5 mi away | 24/7 | Emergencies |
| 3 | Triton Air & Plumbing | 65 | 4.8★ (1,069) | Lake Forest | 24/7 | — |
| 4 | John Stevenson Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning | 65 | 4.9★ (680) | Lake Forest | 24/7 | — |
| 5 | Just Right Services | 64 | 4.9★ (846) | Laguna Hills, 3 mi away | 24/7 | — |
| 6 | Mission Viejo Heating & Air | 64 | 5.0★ (907) | Lake Forest | Sat · Sun | — |
| 7 | SoCal Airflow Pros | 64 | 4.9★ (1,005) | Rancho Santa Margarita, 5 mi away | 24/7 | — |
| 8 | Triton Air | 64 | 4.9★ (3,766) | San Clemente, 14 mi away | 24/7 | — |
| 9 | White Mechanical, Inc. | 64 | 4.9★ (478) | Foothill Ranch, 3 mi away | 24/7 | — |
| 10 | One Season Heating and Air Conditioning | 63 | 5.0★ (189) | Lake Forest | 24/7 | — |
Ordered by CR Score, a 0–100 score from ten published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Scores below: based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected. Hatched segments mark factors we don't have yet.
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 3,589 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Rancho Santa Margarita, 5 mi away
Ranked #2 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 1,350 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Lake Forest
Ranked #3 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 1,069 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Lake Forest
Ranked #4 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 680 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Laguna Hills, 3 mi away
Ranked #5 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 846 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Lake Forest
Ranked #6 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 907 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Rancho Santa Margarita, 5 mi away
Ranked #7 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 1,005 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in San Clemente, 14 mi away
Ranked #8 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 3,766 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Foothill Ranch, 3 mi away
Ranked #9 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 478 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Lake Forest
Ranked #10 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 189 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Santa Ana, 15 mi away
Ranked #11 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 2,852 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Dana Point, 9 mi away
Ranked #12 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 490 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Costa Mesa, 13 mi away
Ranked #13 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 1,328 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Laguna Hills, 3 mi away
Ranked #14 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 894 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Mission Viejo, 2 mi away
Ranked #15 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 118 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Corona, 17 mi away
Ranked #16 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.7★ from 4,107 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Anaheim, 17 mi away
Ranked #17 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 2,813 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Corona, 16 mi away
Ranked #18 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.7★ from 3,741 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Orange, 14 mi away
Ranked #19 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 1,840 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Lake Forest
Ranked #20 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 69 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Westminster, 21 mi away
Ranked #21 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 4,319 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Corona, 17 mi away
Ranked #22 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 1,325 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Irvine, 2 mi away
Ranked #23 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.7★ from 212 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Corona, 17 mi away
Ranked #24 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 1,213 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
Based in Anaheim, 16 mi away
Ranked #25 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.7★ from 2,250 Google reviews, listed on Google as “HVAC contractor”.
#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #50, in CR Score order; each links to its profile. We publish the top 50 of 833 ranked HVAC contractors here; the rest are on their profiles.
20 more HVAC contractors within 25 mi that we can't rank yet: too few reviews, or a trade we couldn't confirm. Listed A to Z.
| Business | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| A-Ames Plumbing & Heating, Corp, | 5.0★ (2) | 8 mi |
| Aced It Heating & AC Repair | 5.0★ (306) | 17 mi |
| ADVANTAGE HVAC | 3.5★ (2) | 5 mi |
| Affordable Air Conditioning & Heating | 3.0★ (2) | 7 mi |
| Air Care Experts | 1.0★ (2) | In Lake Forest |
| All Star Electrical Heating & Cooling | 5.0★ (2) | 5 mi |
| And heating and Air Conditionig | 3.0★ (2) | 10 mi |
| Chill Out Air Conditioning | 5.0★ (2) | 5 mi |
| Circle Airflow Heating And Air Conditioning. | 5.0★ (2) | 7 mi |
| Coastline Comfort Systems - Heating and Cooling | 5.0★ (67) | 5 mi |
| Comfort Interior Flooring | In Lake Forest | |
| Cool City | 5.0★ (2) | 6 mi |
| Heating & Air Conditioning | 5.0★ (2) | 7 mi |
| Icee Hot Air Conditioning & Heating | 5.0★ (236) | 15 mi |
| Martin Brothers HVAC & Plumbing | 4.7★ (109) | 8 mi |
| Pacific Comfort HVAC | 5.0★ (2) | 10 mi |
| Phoenix Air Conditioning & Heating | 4.9★ (34) | 3 mi |
| RT Olson Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning | 4.8★ (504) | 15 mi |
| Sears Heating and Air Conditioning | 1.0★ (1) | In Lake Forest |
| Williams Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning | 3.0★ (2) | 6 mi |
National price ranges in USD, not adjusted for Lake Forest. Each row names its basis and the month we checked it.
| Job | Low | Typical | High | Basis | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC replacement | $3,887 | $5,978 | $8,073 | Per system, installed (unit plus labor); typical range of customer-reported jobs. US national range | October 2026 |
| Furnace replacement | $2,823 | $4,814 | $6,896 | Per system, installed; typical range of customer-reported jobs. US national range | October 2026 |
In California, Contractors State License Board (CSLB) licenses C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning contractor license.
Jobs of $1,000 or more in labor and materials (from January 1, 2025).
No chip usually means we have not matched a state record yet. Check the lookup yourself before you hire.
Guide checked October 2026. How we verify licenses
California's HVAC demand peaks during summer heat waves and the first cold snaps. Spring and fall are the easiest times to book maintenance.
We scored 833 Lake Forest HVAC contractors on ten factors, weighted as shown. A business is ranked when its trade is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. A business with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed October 22, 2026.
Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Featured businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from | In Lake Forest data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 25% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it | Measured |
| Credentials | 15% | Active state license, bond and workers’ comp on file | Not yet collected |
| Review volume | 10% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed business on the list | Measured |
| Recency | 5% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 5% | Weekly open hours, Saturday, Sunday, 24/7 or same-day | Measured |
| Trade focus | 10% | How clearly the business does this trade (its Google category and name) | Measured |
| Proximity | 5% | Based in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is | Measured |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The business has claimed its ContractorsRanked profile (free or paid earn the same) | Measured |
| Partnered | 5% | The business links to ContractorsRanked from its own website with our badge, checked periodically | Measured |
| ContractorsRanked reviews | 10% | Verified customer reviews collected by ContractorsRanked: their rating and how many there are | Measured |