How much does air conditioning cost in Perth?
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Air conditioning installation in Perth costs $1,250–$2,625 for a small 2.5 kW split system, $1,900–$3,675 for a 5 kW unit (the most popular size for living rooms), and $2,300–$4,725 for a large 7 kW system. Ducted whole-home systems cost $8,400–$14,700 installed.
We've compiled pricing from HVAC installers across Perth as of October 2026. All prices include supply, installation, and GST.
Detailed Pricing — Air Conditioning Cost in Perth 2026
Cooling an office, shop or warehouse instead? See our commercial air conditioning cost guide for Perth.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split system 2.5 kW (supply + install) | $1,250installed | $1,900 | $2,625 |
| Split system 5 kW (supply + install) | $1,900installed | $2,625 | $3,675 |
| Split system 7 kW (supply + install) | $2,300installed | $3,350 | $4,725 |
| Split system 9 kW (supply + install) | $3,150installed | $4,400 | $5,800 |
| Multi-split system (2 heads) | $4,200installed | $5,800 | $7,900 |
| Multi-split system (4 heads) | $7,350installed | $8,900 | $12,600 |
| Ducted system (basic) | $8,400installed | $11,550 | $14,700 |
| Ducted system (premium/zoned) | $12,600installed | $16,800 | $23,100 |
| Ducted evaporative cooling, whole house (supply + install) | $2,950installed | $4,725 | $7,350 |
| AC service / clean | $105per unit | $210 | $335 |
| Ducted system service (per system) | $210per unit | $345 | $580 |
| AC repair (minor) | $160per job | $315 | $525 |
| AC repair (major / regas) | $315per job | $630 | $1,250 |
| Removal & disposal | $105per unit | $210 | $370 |
| Split system changeover (like-for-like, incl. old unit removal) | $1,575installed | $2,200 | $3,150 |
| Split system 3.5 kW (supply + install) | $1,475installed | $2,200 | $2,950 |
| Split system install only (customer-supplied unit) | $735installed | $1,000 | $1,575 |
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Get Perth quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Perth metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
How AC Costs Vary Across Perth
Inner & Western Suburbs
Subiaco, Mount Lawley, Cottesloe. Older homes may need switchboard upgrades and creative outdoor unit placement. Heritage homes have aesthetic restrictions on external equipment. Character home ceiling cavities may be too shallow for ducted systems. Apartments need strata approval (2–6 weeks) and designated outdoor unit locations.
Northern Suburbs
Joondalup, Wanneroo, Duncraig. Standard installations in 1980s–2000s homes. Good roof cavity access for ducted. Many homes in this belt have existing evaporative systems that owners are supplementing with split systems for bedrooms. Competitive installer availability keeps pricing sharp.
Southern Suburbs
Rockingham, Baldivis, Mandurah. Competitive area with good installer density. Newer homes often have pre-wired AC provisions. Most affordable area in metro Perth for installation. Coastal breeze in Rockingham and Mandurah reduces cooling loads compared to inland suburbs.
Eastern & Hills Suburbs
Kalamunda, Mundaring, Midland. Eastern suburbs run 2–5°C hotter than coastal Perth in summer, making system sizing critical. Hills properties enjoy cooler evenings but may need supplementary heating in winter (4–8°C overnight). Travel surcharges may apply. Larger properties on acreage may need higher-capacity or multiple systems.
What You'll Actually Pay — Common AC Scenarios
Single split system — bedroom (2.5–3.5kW)
Supply and install of an inverter split system. Includes indoor/outdoor units, up to 3m pipe run, electrical connection, and commissioning. Perth's hot climate makes cooling the main priority — ensure your system is adequately sized for Perth's extreme heat. A unit rated for 35°C ambient temperature may struggle when Perth hits 42°C. Premium brands (Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric) maintain performance at higher ambient temperatures.
Evaporative cooling — whole house
Roof-mounted evaporative unit with ductwork to all rooms. Very effective in Perth's dry heat, and much cheaper to run than ducted refrigerative cooling. Requires window or door openings for air exchange. Won't work well on humid days (above 60% humidity) or during evening entertaining when you want doors closed. Many Perth homes use evaporative as the primary system with a bedroom split for overnight comfort on the worst nights.
Ducted reverse-cycle — 3-4 bedroom home
Whole-house solution with zoning. Perth's single-storey homes with accessible roof cavities are ideal for ducted installation. Zoning (typically 3–4 zones) is essential in Perth — you can cool bedrooms at night without running the whole system. Pairs excellently with solar panels for daytime cooling at near-zero running cost. Perth's mild winters mean the heating function gets less use than in Melbourne, but it's still valuable for 2–3 months of cool mornings.
Evaporative to reverse-cycle conversion
Removing existing evaporative unit from roof and replacing with ducted reverse-cycle. The evaporative system's ductwork usually cannot be reused (different air volume requirements), so this is effectively a new installation. Growing trend in Perth as climate patterns shift — more humid days and hotter nights make evaporative less effective. The payback is improved comfort, year-round heating and cooling, and better air filtration.
Add split system to home with evaporative
The most popular AC upgrade in Perth: adding a split system to the master bedroom while keeping evaporative for the rest of the house. Provides refrigerative cooling for comfortable sleep on hot nights when evaporative isn't cutting it. Low installation cost, immediate comfort improvement, and manageable running costs since it's only one room.
Ducted air conditioning cost in Perth by home size (2026)
Ducted reverse-cycle quotes in Perth fall into two price bands. Which band your home lands in depends mostly on its size, how many storeys it has and how finely you want to zone it, more than on the brand.
| Home | System | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-bedroom, or a single-storey 4-bedroom with good roof access | Standard ducted system | $8,400 | $11,550 | $14,700 |
| Larger 4-bedroom and up, two-storey, or zoned room by room | Premium / zoned ducted system | $12,600 | $16,800 | $23,100 |
Ducted air conditioning for a 3-bedroom house in Perth: most quotes sit in the standard band, $8,400–$14,700, with $11,550 typical. A compact single-storey home with an accessible roof cavity lands toward the low end.
For a 4-bedroom house: a single-storey 4-bedroom with good roof space usually still fits the standard band, toward its top. Two storeys, a larger floor plan or room-by-room zoning moves it into the premium band, $12,600–$23,100 ($16,800 typical).
What moves a quote within its band:
- Roof space: a low or crowded roof cavity makes every duct run slower and harder.
- Zones: each extra zone adds its own damper and controls.
- Replacing evaporative cooling: the old roof unit comes out, and its ductwork usually can't be reused (see the conversion scenario above).
- Electrical work: a full or older switchboard may need upgrading before the outdoor unit can be connected.
Weighing ducted against split systems? The ducted vs split system comparison sets install and running costs side by side by home size.
Ducted air conditioning prices in Perth (2026): ducted, split systems and installation
Air conditioning installation in Perth costs $1,250–$4,725 for a split system supplied and installed, from a 2.5 kW bedroom unit ($1,250–$2,625) to a 7 kW living-area unit ($2,300–$4,725). Installation only, for a unit you have bought yourself, is $735–$1,575. A ducted system for the whole house is $8,400–$23,100 installed.
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split system 2.5 kW (supply + install) | $1,250 | $1,900 | $2,625 |
| Split system 5 kW (supply + install) | $1,900 | $2,625 | $3,675 |
| Split system 7 kW (supply + install) | $2,300 | $3,350 | $4,725 |
| Split system install only (your unit) | $735 | $1,000 | $1,575 |
| Multi-split system (2 heads) | $4,200 | $5,800 | $7,900 |
| Ducted system (basic) | $8,400 | $11,550 | $14,700 |
| Ducted system (premium / zoned) | $12,600 | $16,800 | $23,100 |
| Removal & disposal of the old unit | $105 | $210 | $370 |
Ducted air conditioning cost in Perth: $8,400–$14,700 installed for a basic system ($11,550 typical) and $12,600–$23,100 for a premium zoned system. A 3-bedroom house sits in the basic band when it is single-storey with roof space for the ducts; a 4-bedroom or two-storey home, or one that wants every room zoned, moves into the premium band. Perth's summers make zoning worth pricing: cooling only the rooms in use is where the running-cost saving is.
What moves an air conditioning installation quote in Perth:
- Capacity: the kilowatt rating follows the room size; oversizing wastes money and undersizing runs the unit flat out.
- Back-to-back or long run: a split system with the outdoor unit directly behind the indoor one is the base price; longer pipe runs, a roof-mounted or ground-level outdoor unit on a different wall add labour and pipe.
- Electrical: a dedicated circuit is included in most installed prices; a switchboard upgrade is not.
- Ducted: the number of zones, the ceiling space and the outlet count set the ducted price; two-storey homes cost more to duct.
- Removal: taking out and disposing of an old unit is a separate line ($105–$370).
Perth ducted quotes should name the unit, the kilowatt rating, the number of outlets and zones, and whether the electrical circuit is included.
What Affects Air Conditioning Costs in Perth
System size (kW)
A bedroom needs 2.5 kW ($1,250–$2,625 in Perth), a living room 5–7 kW ($1,900–$4,725). Oversizing wastes energy; undersizing means the unit runs constantly. Get a proper sizing assessment.
Split vs ducted
Split systems ($1,250–$4,725) cool individual rooms. Ducted systems ($8,400–$14,700) cool the whole house through ceiling vents — more expensive but more discreet and effective for larger Perth homes.
Installation complexity
Back-to-back installs (indoor and outdoor units share a wall) are cheapest. Long pipe runs, multi-storey homes, and restricted access in Perth properties increase labour costs.
Brand & efficiency
Premium brands (Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric) cost more than budget brands (Kelvinator, TCL) but offer better efficiency, quieter operation, and longer warranties.
Electrical requirements
Most split systems need a dedicated power circuit. If your Perth switchboard is full or needs upgrading, that electrical work is extra — ask for it to be priced on the quote.
Season & demand
Summer is peak season for Perth aircon installs — expect longer wait times and sometimes higher prices. Book in autumn or winter for the best availability.
How to Save Money on Air Conditioning Cost in Perth
Aircon installation cost in Perth — install-only vs supply and install
Every installation price on this page is supply and install — the unit plus the labour to fit it. Install-only labour for a unit you already own is quoted separately, and a straightforward back-to-back split is the cheapest version of it.
Back-to-back means the indoor head and the outdoor condenser sit either side of the same wall: short pipe run, minimal cabling, done in a morning. The same things that stretch supply-and-install budgets stretch install-only labour — long pipe runs, two-storey placement, restricted access. Two licences sit behind every legitimate Perth install, an electrical licence for the circuit and an ARCtick refrigerant-handling licence for the gas work, and a quote that dodges either is the expensive kind of cheap. For calibration: the supply-and-install bands above start at $1,250–$2,625 for a 2.5 kW split and run to $8,400–$14,700 for basic ducted, so an install-only quote approaching those numbers deserves a second opinion.
Frequently Asked Questions — Air Conditioning Cost in Perth
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →