Cost · Heating & cooling
Ducted heating and cooling cost in Australia
The short answer
No public price index exists for ducted systems in Australia. The cost is driven by capacity, zoning, and the condition of the existing ductwork, which is the item most often left out of a comparison.
Checked against 3 published sources, listed in full at the end of this page. How we source this
Why we don’t publish a “typical range”
Australia has no authoritative public price index for this work. Prices vary by state, by site access, by what is found once work starts, and by how busy the trade is that month. Any 'typical range' you see quoted, including on this site's earlier drafts, is someone's guess presented as research, so we publish what actually drives the number instead.
What actually moves the price
Use these to read the quote in front of you and to ask the questions that make competing quotes comparable.
- Required capacity, which follows from floor area, ceiling height, insulation and glazing rather than from bedroom count.
- Number of zones and the motorised dampers and controller they need.
- Whether existing ductwork is reused or replaced. This is the biggest hidden variable between quotes.
- Roof or subfloor access, and whether there is physical room to run duct where it needs to go.
- Number and placement of outlets.
- Electrical work required, including whether the switchboard can support the unit.
- Removal and disposal of the old system.
The single most useful question to put to every ducted quote is whether the existing ductwork is being reused, partially replaced or fully replaced. A quote that reuses twenty-year-old crushed flexible duct and one that replaces it are not describing the same job, and the difference is invisible on a summary line.
Anyone handling refrigerant needs an ARCtick licence, which is national and checkable. The electrical connection is a separate licence again.
Sources
Every source below was fetched and its response recorded on the date shown. Where a government site blocks automated clients, that is noted rather than reported as a successful check.
- Heating and cooling · energy.gov.auChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
- Refrigerant Handling Licence · Australian Refrigeration CouncilChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
- ARC Industry Site · Australian Refrigeration CouncilChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK