How to compare air conditioning installation quotes

Send everyone the same brief

Include your postcode, property type, room sizes, photos and intended use. Explain whether the aim is a cooler bedroom at night, a comfortable office during the day or heating and cooling across several rooms. State your timing and budget if you have one.

Ask each installer to confirm coverage and survey arrangements. Keep a record of the brief you sent so a lower quote can be checked against the same scope. A useful comparison starts with like-for-like requirements.

Put these items beside each quote

Make a simple comparison table with one column per installer. Leave an item blank when it is missing, then ask the company to clarify it.

• Exact indoor and outdoor model numbers, quantities and proposed capacity.
• Unit positions, pipe routes, trunking and drain arrangement.
• Electrical work, access equipment and any building work.
• Commissioning, controls setup and warranty registration.
• Included making good and removal of old equipment.
• Total payable, tax treatment, payment stages and quote validity.
• Installation timing and what could change the programme.
• Parts and labour warranty terms, service conditions and call-out arrangements.

Question the differences

A cheaper quote may propose a different equipment level or leave electrical work to you. A more expensive quote may include difficult access, longer pipework or additional finishing. Ask each installer to explain their design choices in plain language.

If the proposed room capacities differ, ask how each company calculated the requirement. If the number of outdoor units differs, discuss outdoor space, simultaneous operation and the effect of a fault on the rooms served.

Check the company as well as the price

Confirm who will carry out the installation and who is responsible for aftercare. Ask for relevant certification details, insurance and examples of work in similar homes. Use independently verifiable information rather than treating a logo or a sales claim as proof.

Read recent customer feedback with the job type in mind. A company experienced in the layout you need may be a better fit than one quoting a system it rarely installs. Ask questions while you still have time to compare answers.

Confirm the agreement in writing

Before paying, keep the accepted quote, agreed layout, payment stages, cancellation terms and installation schedule. Record any promised changes in the written scope. Pay using the business details you have checked with the installer.

Keep Domestic Aircon’s enquiry reference alongside the company’s quotation. It helps you track who you contacted while you compare the options.