What air conditioning costs in London
Every range we work to, published. You cannot plan a project without a budget, and a range you can rely on beats a quote you have to chase.
Installing air conditioning in a London home costs £1,600 to £2,600 excluding VAT for a single wall-mounted split system, supplied and fitted in a day. Two rooms from one outdoor unit run £3,200–£4,800, three rooms £4,800–£7,500, and fully concealed ducted systems start around £7,000. Flats cost £200–£400 more than houses because the condenser position is harder-won. Annual servicing is £120–£180 per system; repairs start at £90–£150 for diagnosis.
| Project | Guide range | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| Split system installationone indoor unit and condenser, supplied and installed, excluding VAT. Longer pipe runs and difficult condenser positions add cost. | £1,600 – £2,600 | 1 day |
| Multi-split installationtwo rooms £3,200–£4,800; three rooms £4,800–£7,500, excluding VAT. Four and five rooms quoted at survey. | £3,200 – £7,500 | 1–2 days |
| Ducted & concealed systemsconcealed ducted system serving multiple rooms, excluding VAT and any builder's work to ceilings and bulkheads. | £7,000 – £15,000+ | 3–5 days |
| Bedroom air conditioningone quiet-specification wall unit, supplied and installed, excluding VAT. | £1,600 – £2,400 | 1 day |
| Air conditioning for flatssingle room in a flat, supplied and installed, excluding VAT and any licence-for-alterations fees your freeholder charges. | £1,800 – £3,000 | 1 day, once consents are in place |
| Servicing & maintenanceper system per visit, excluding VAT. Multi-unit homes quoted per visit, not per unit stacked. | £120 – £180 | About 1 hour per system |
| Repairs & fault-findingdiagnosis £90–£150; typical repairs £150–£600 including parts, excluding VAT. Refrigerant leak repairs quoted after leak detection. | £90 – £600 | Diagnosis same visit; most repairs same or next visit |
Guide ranges for budgeting, excluding VAT. We confirm a fixed price after a free survey; the price we agree is the price you pay.
Four things drive most of the variance
The pipe run
Refrigerant pipe, insulation and trunking cost per metre. A condenser directly outside the room keeps it short; a roof two floors away can triple it.
Condenser access
Ground level is simple; wall brackets need a tower; a mansion-block roof needs porters and permissions. The same unit can vary £600 on access alone.
The condensate route
Cooling makes litres of water a day. A gravity fall to outside is free forever; a pumped route adds cost up front and a service item after.
Unit specification
Whisper-quiet bedroom units and cold-climate heating models cost more than builder-grade, and earn it in the rooms that justify them.
Before you budget
Why do air conditioning quotes vary so much?
Because they rarely price the same job. The spread comes from the unit's brand and specification, the pipe run length, how hard the condenser position is to reach, and whether testing and certification are actually included. Compare quotes against one written specification, and ask each installer to name the exact unit model.
Read the full answerDo your prices include VAT?
No; every figure on this site excludes VAT, which is added at 20 percent. We quote this way because it is the trade convention and it keeps comparisons with other quotes honest. Your written quote always shows both figures.
Read the full answerWhat does the price include?
Everything to a working, certified system: the indoor unit and condenser, brackets and mounts, insulated pipework and trunking, condensate drainage, electrical connection, nitrogen pressure test, vacuum, commissioning, F-Gas paperwork and warranty registration. If a cheaper quote excludes any of that, it is not cheaper.
Read the full answerHow much does air conditioning cost to run?
Roughly 20p–25p per hour while actively cooling for a typical bedroom unit, and much less holding temperature; a heatwave month of daily use lands between £15 and £30 per room. In winter the same unit heats at roughly three kilowatts of heat per kilowatt of electricity.
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