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Air conditioning installation in Perth
Short answer
Air conditioning in Perth usually costs about $1,500 to $4,000 installed for a reverse cycle split system in 2026. Ducted refrigerated air conditioning for a typical three bedroom suburban house runs about $8,500 to $14,500. These are estimates for a standard single-storey install.
Prices are estimates, not quotes (how we estimate them). Rebate rules checked September 2026.
Compare 3 quotes for my housePerth double brick is why people wake up hot at 9pm after a 40 degree day. The walls keep giving the heat back. A correctly sized reverse cycle, run in the late afternoon, is how you stop sleeping in a kiln.
Labour is not Sydney-expensive. Travel and the good brands still add up. Plan on about $1,500 to $4,000 for a split, bedroom unit to big lounge unit, and $8,500 to $14,500 for ducted in a three bedroom suburban house.
There is no statewide air con rebate worth building the budget on. The win is the installer who sizes for the west wall, not the one who copies a 7kW unit onto every lounge in the suburb.
How much does air conditioning installation cost in Perth?
Perth people say refrigerated air conditioning. The rest of the country says reverse cycle. It is the same machine: a heat pump that cools in summer and heats in winter. These are estimated installed prices for a standard single-storey Perth job in 2026 with an ARCtick licensed installer, based on advertised Perth installer prices.
| Job | Typical size | Installed price |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom split | 2.5 kW | $1,500 to $2,500 |
| Living room split | 5 to 7 kW | $2,100 to $3,600 |
| Large living area split | 8 to 9 kW | $3,000 to $4,000 |
| Multi-head, two rooms | One outdoor, two heads | $4,500 to $7,000 |
| Ducted, single storey 3 bedroom | 10 to 14 kW, zoned | $8,500 to $14,500 |
| Ducted, 4 bedroom or two storey | 14 kW and up, zoned | $10,500 to $16,500 |
More detail by size sits in the split system cost guide and the ducted cost guide. For your own house, compare quotes from up to three licensed Perth installers who can see the west wall.
Refrigerated vs evaporative air conditioning in Perth
Perth is dry. The Bureau of Meteorology puts the average January maximum at 31.4 degrees and February at 31.7, with afternoon humidity around 38 to 39 percent. That is why so many Perth roofs still have an evaporative unit. On a dry 38 degree day it works, and it is cheap to run.
It struggles when the air is already wet, on the sticky summer days when the humidity comes up. And it does nothing in July, when average overnight lows drop to about 8 degrees. Refrigerated air conditioning does both jobs. It costs more to buy. It cools a sealed house instead of pushing air out the windows, and it heats all winter. Our reverse cycle vs evaporative guide covers the trade in detail.
Sizing for double brick and west sun
Double brick is the Perth problem. It soaks up heat all afternoon and releases it into the house until well after dark. A unit sized only for floor area often struggles at 7pm, even though it coped at 2pm.
- Tell the installer which rooms face west and whether the glass is shaded. A west-facing lounge in Baldivis needs more capacity than the same room facing south.
- Start cooling before the walls load up. Running a unit from 2pm is cheaper than trying to pull a hot house down at 6pm.
- Check the size before you sign. Our sizing guide explains the maths, and the calculator does it in a minute.
Ducted air conditioning in Perth by area
The newer estates in the northern and southern corridors, from Ellenbrook and Wanneroo to Baldivis and Byford, have roof spaces built for ducted. Many already carry an evaporative system, so the roof has been cut and the outlets are in place. Ducts sized for evaporative airflow are rarely right for refrigerated air, so expect new ducting even if the grilles stay.
Older character homes in Fremantle, Cottesloe and Applecross are a harder job. Heritage areas can limit where an outdoor unit goes. Tight roofs often mean a multi-head. Coastal suburbs from Scarborough down to Rockingham get salt spray, so ask for a corrosion-treated outdoor coil if you can see or smell the ocean.
Up in the hills around Kalamunda, winter nights are colder than on the coastal plain. Size for heating as well as cooling.
WA air conditioning rebates in 2026
Western Australia has no statewide rebate for buying or installing a household reverse cycle system. Budget the full installed price. The detail is on our WA rebate page. Promotions come and go and are not a government scheme. The saving you can control is a correctly sized system on an itemised quote.
How to get an air con installation quote in Perth before summer
Perth installers get busy from late October, and the first 40 degree week of summer fills diaries fast. Book in September or October, while the roof is still bearable. Enter your postcode and get up to three local quotes. Up to three vetted, ARCtick licensed installers who work your area each measure up and give you an itemised price. If a unit has died mid-heatwave, say so and we will look for someone with room this week.
Typical split, estimate
$1,500 to $4,000 installed
Typical ducted, estimate
$8,500 to $14,500 for a typical three bedder
The rebate in Perth
No equivalent of VEU for a normal household reverse cycle. Treat it as an unsubsidised purchase.
Double brick everywhere, which holds heat like an oven after a 40 degree day.
Suburbs we hear from
Fremantle, Joondalup, Mandurah, Canning Vale, Scarborough, Midland, Baldivis, Ellenbrook, Rockingham, Armadale, Cottesloe, Morley, Wanneroo, Kalamunda, Applecross, Byford.
Common questions
How much does it cost to install an air conditioner in Perth?
A reverse cycle split in Perth usually costs about $1,500 to $4,000 installed on a standard single-storey job, depending on size and wall type. Ducted refrigerated air conditioning for a typical three bedroom home is about $8,500 to $14,500.
How much does ducted air conditioning cost in Perth?
A single storey three bedroom home is usually about $8,500 to $14,500 installed. Four bedrooms, two storeys or a difficult roof pushes it toward $18,000. Zoning is worth paying for. To price your floorplan, get up to three local quotes.
Does reverse cycle heat well enough for a Perth winter?
Yes, in most of the metro. You want a unit with a decent heating rating, not the cheapest cooling-only box from a warehouse aisle.
Is it cheaper to run aircon all day or just at night in Perth?
On a hot day, starting in the early afternoon at a sensible setting usually beats switching on at 6pm. Double brick stores heat, and pulling it back out takes more energy than keeping it out. If you have solar, the afternoon run is close to free.
Which is colder in an air conditioner, 24C or 16C?
16 is colder, but the room does not cool faster at 16. The unit just runs longer and costs more. Set about 24 degrees in summer. Our temperature guide explains why.
What is the 3-minute rule for aircon?
After you switch a unit off, wait about three minutes before turning it back on. Most modern units have a built-in restart delay to protect the compressor, so rapid on-off switching just makes you wait.
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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