Hi Mark,

I have been in the HVAC for 4 years so I will give you my best opinion, I do both residential services and installs in California. The only thing I can't give you specificly on is pricing due to the cost of living. So getting another bid is a wise choice. American Standard is a good brand, probably one of the best in my opinion as long as it is installed per manufacture. The quality is way better than other brand. I serviced thousands and thousands of units and I am totally in love with American Standard or Trane (Same company). Beside brand, what you also need to consider is the contractor that install them (Which is the most important factor). Make sure they are licensed and have insurance. A bad/hack install will give you alot of problems down the road. Go with your instant feeling when choosing contractor, Does he seems honest? Is he pushy? is he legit? Big company doesn't mean that they will do a good job, it all come down to the people who put it in (which is me :-). The company might be legit, the sale guy are nices, but what about the installers? So my advise to you is be nice to the installers, treat them with respect. Make sure to offer them drinks. The 4 inch media filter is a must. This thing is so good at capturing particle/mold/ that it is just amazing. Make sure you get the HEPA 4 inches filter. Since you are getting a new evap coil, It would take awhile before it grows bacteria, so in my opinion, UV light is something you can wait until later on. Extended Warranty? That's totally up to you. Good luck Mark, Remember it is not the brand, the company, the sale guy, IT IS THE INSTALLERS! By the way I used to live in Austin Texas, right over there by I35 and Palmer Lane. Just moved to CA about 4 years ago.