Find a trusted air-con installer in Perth

Evaporative or reverse cycle for Perth’s heat

Perth summers are long and mostly dry, which is why so many homes have an evaporative cooler on the roof. It’s cheap to run and works well in dry heat, but it loses punch on humid days, needs windows open and does nothing in winter. Reverse-cycle air con, split or ducted, cools in any weather and heats as well, so plenty of owners switch when the old evaporative unit is due for replacement.

Where you live changes the sizing. The afternoon sea breeze, the Fremantle Doctor, takes the edge off coastal suburbs, while the eastern suburbs and the hills often get it late or not at all. Double brick homes stay cool for the first day or two of a heatwave, then hold the heat overnight, so bedrooms can need more capacity than you’d guess. A proper heat-load check beats a rule of thumb.

What an install involves on a Perth home

Most split systems here go on a double brick wall, so the installer core-drills through both skins for the pipes, cable and drain. The outdoor unit sits on a bracket or a ground pad, ideally out of the full western sun. Ducted systems run through the roof space, so how easy it is to get around up there affects the labour. Near the beach at Cottesloe, Scarborough or Rockingham, ask about corrosion protection for the outdoor unit.

Book servicing before summer. Dust clogs split system filters and coils, and evaporative coolers need their pads, pump and water distribution checked each year.

Licences for air con installers in WA

Two licences matter. The installer needs a refrigerant handling licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council, which you can confirm on the ARC licence check. New wiring, such as a dedicated circuit, must be done by a licensed electrical contractor with an EC number, because WA’s restricted air con electrical licence only covers disconnecting and reconnecting units. Evaporative coolers don’t use refrigerant, but the wiring rules are the same. Search EC numbers on the WA Online Licence Search, and see our WA licence checks page for more.

What air con installation costs in Perth

As a guide, a single split system in Perth costs about $1,500 to $4,500 supplied and installed, depending on its size and how tricky the install is. A standard 2.5 to 3.5 kW unit is usually $1,500 to $3,000. If you’ve bought the unit already, installation alone is around $600 to $1,500. Multi-head systems run $4,500 to $11,000, ducted reverse cycle $8,000 to $18,000 for most homes, and a split system service $120 to $300. A dedicated power circuit adds roughly $200 to $450. Check the air con price guide before comparing quotes.

Matched with one installer

Tell us the rooms you want cooled or heated and your suburb, and we’ll match you with one local installer whose ARC licence, insurance and reviews we’ve checked. If the job needs new wiring, ask who will do it and check their EC number. One installer, quoting on your actual home.

See air con installers in other cities, other Perth trades, or get a free quote.