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Air conditioning installation in Melbourne
Short answer
Air conditioning in Melbourne usually costs about $1,750 to $4,500 installed for a reverse cycle split system in 2026, and $10,000 to $16,500 for ducted reverse cycle in a typical three bedroom home before rebates. These are estimates for a standard single-storey install. Replacing gas ducted heating can bring up to $5,530 off through Victorian Energy Upgrades.
Prices are estimates, not quotes (how we estimate them). Rebate rules checked September 2026.
Compare 3 quotes for my houseMelbourne is the one city where the government will actually help you dump the gas heater. If you still have ducted gas, do the rebate check before you talk to anyone. The discount is applied on the quote. There is no form you post to Canberra.
Splits are still the common job. A split is usually $1,750 to $4,500 installed, from a bedroom unit to a big lounge unit. People in Brunswick weatherboards often do multi-head because the roof is a spider web of old timber. People in new estates out west often jump straight to ducted.
We match you with up to three ARCtick installers who work your suburb. Nobody else gets your number. Melbourne has enough people ringing the doorbell already.
How much does air conditioning installation cost in Melbourne?
These are estimated installed prices for a standard single-storey Melbourne job in 2026, before any Victorian Energy Upgrades discount, based on advertised Melbourne installer prices. They assume an ARCtick licensed installer, a short back-to-back pipe run and a basic electrical connection.
| Job | Typical size | Installed price |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom split | 2.5 kW | $1,750 to $2,500 |
| Living room split | 5 to 7 kW | $2,300 to $3,900 |
| Large living area split | 8 to 10 kW | $3,000 to $4,500 |
| Multi-head, two rooms | One outdoor, two heads | $4,500 to $7,500 |
| Multi-head, three or four rooms | One outdoor, three or four heads | $7,000 to $12,000 |
| Ducted, single storey 3 bedroom | 10 to 14 kW, zoned | $10,000 to $16,500 |
| Ducted, 4 bedroom or two storey | 14 kW and up, zoned | $12,500 to $20,000 |
Full breakdowns sit in the split system cost guide and the ducted cost guide. To see your price with the VEU discount on the page, get up to three local quotes.
Buy for heating first in Melbourne
Melbourne summers get the headlines, but winter is where a reverse cycle system earns its money. At Olympic Park the Bureau of Meteorology records an average July maximum of 14.5 degrees and a minimum of 7.5. You will run the heat on more days than you run the cool.
That changes the spec. Compare heating capacity, not just the cooling number on the brochure. The Zoned Energy Rating Label shows heating and cooling efficiency separately for cold, average and hot climate zones, so read the heating side. A unit that is fine in Brisbane can be the wrong buy in Croydon.
- Size the living area for a cold July night, not just a hot January afternoon. Our sizing guide explains how.
- Put ducted outlets low enough to matter. Heat rises, and a system designed only for cooling can leave your feet cold.
- Think about where the outdoor unit drains. In heating mode it defrosts and drips water, and on a frosty morning in the outer east that water freezes on a shaded path.
Replacing gas ducted heating with reverse cycle
A lot of the eastern suburbs, from Box Hill to Doncaster and Glen Waverley, run gas ducted heaters installed in the 1980s and 1990s. Replacing them with ducted reverse cycle is the biggest VEU discount available. The Victorian Government lists up to $5,530 off when a ducted gas heater is removed or replaced with an efficient reverse cycle system.
The existing gas ducts are sometimes reusable for heating airflow. They are often undersized or poorly insulated for cooling. Ask the installer to check them, and get the answer in writing. If you are on gas ducted, get up to three local quotes from installers who can apply the VEU discount on the quote.
The Victorian air conditioning rebate (VEU) in 2026
Victorian Energy Upgrades is open to all Victorian households, including private rentals. The system must be an approved high-efficiency reverse cycle unit. If you are replacing an existing heater or air conditioner, it must be more than two years old. Only accredited providers can apply the discount, and it comes off the price on the quote.
Discount values move with certificate prices and depend on what you are replacing. A single split upgrade is worth much less than a gas ducted replacement. Check your postcode on our Victorian rebate page, then make the installer lock the figure on the quote before you pay a deposit.
Split system installation in Melbourne by suburb type
Inner north weatherboards in Brunswick, Reservoir and Essendon are easy to drill but often have tight roofs. Splits and multi-heads are the usual answer. Heritage overlays cover a lot of inner Melbourne, and works visible from the street can need a planning permit, so keep the outdoor unit to the side or rear and check with council if in doubt.
Growth suburbs in the west and north, including Point Cook, Tarneit, Werribee, Craigieburn and Mernda, have open roof spaces and are straightforward for ducted. The south-east from Cranbourne to Berwick is similar. Many of those homes were built with gas ducted heating and evaporative cooling, which makes them VEU candidates.
How to get an air con installation quote in Melbourne
Melbourne gets two rushes: the first cold snap in May and the first heatwave in December. Spring is the calm window before summer. If you are chasing the VEU discount on a gas ducted replacement, start early, because paperwork does not move faster in a heatwave. Enter your postcode and get up to three local quotes. Up to three vetted, ARCtick licensed installers who work your suburb each give you an itemised quote with the discount shown as its own line.
Sources
Typical split, estimate
$1,750 to $4,500 installed
Typical ducted, estimate
$10,000 to $16,500 for a typical three bedder before VEU, often less after if you are ripping out gas ducted
The rebate in Melbourne
This is the state where the rebate can change the decision. Victorian Energy Upgrades can take up to $5,530 off when a gas ducted heater is replaced with efficient reverse cycle, applied on the quote by an accredited provider.
Weatherboard, Californian bungalows, and a lot of old gas ducted that Victoria is trying to retire.
Suburbs we hear from
Brunswick, Hawthorn, Point Cook, Frankston, Geelong corridor, Mernda, Werribee, Tarneit, Craigieburn, Doncaster, Glen Waverley, Reservoir, Cranbourne, Berwick, Essendon, Box Hill.
Common questions
How much does it cost to install air conditioning in Melbourne?
A reverse cycle split in Melbourne usually costs about $1,750 to $4,500 installed on a standard single-storey job. Ducted reverse cycle for a typical three bedroom home is about $10,000 to $16,500 before rebates. VEU can take a large amount off if you are replacing gas ducted heating.
How much is the Victorian air con rebate?
It depends what you are replacing. Gas ducted to reverse cycle is the big one, up to $5,530 according to the Victorian Government. A single split upgrade is smaller. The installer applies it, and you do not lodge a claim.
Who is eligible for the Victorian split system rebate?
All Victorian households can access a VEU heating and cooling discount, including private rentals. The new unit must be an approved high-efficiency reverse cycle model, and any system being replaced must be more than two years old. It has to go through an accredited provider.
Does VEU work if I rent?
Often yes if the owner agrees. The discount sits on the equipment, not on your tax file. Get the owner on the email before anyone drills a hole.
What are the disadvantages of ducted air conditioning in Melbourne?
It costs more upfront, needs roof space, and costs more to run if you heat rooms you are not using. Zoning solves most of the running cost. In a tight inner-city roof, a multi-head is often the better answer.
How much does Harvey Norman or Bunnings charge to install an aircon?
Retailer packages cover a simple back-to-back split install. Anything beyond that, such as a longer pipe run, a new circuit, a second storey or removing a gas heater, is quoted on top. Package installers are not always able to apply VEU, so ask before you pay. Get up to three local quotes for the whole job to compare.
How installation works and what it costs · Split, multi-head or ducted: which suits your home? · What size air conditioner do I need? Room size chart · Air con rebates in Australia in 2026
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