Ducted Air Conditioning: Sizing, Zoning & Costs

Capacity is the biggest lever, then zone count, outlet style and whether the home is single or double storey. A 3-bedroom single-storey house runs $11,000 to $13,000, most 4-bedroom houses land between $13,000 and $16,000, and 5-bedroom or double-storey homes start around $16,000. For a 2-bedroom house, ducted is possible but a multi-head split is often better value. Every job is a fixed price after an on-site measure.

Enter your address on our package deals page and the calculator sizes a system from your home’s footprint, then shows an installed price band in about 60 seconds. A $99 in-home assessment then fixes the final number, and the $99 comes off your invoice.

Yes — it is the single biggest running-cost saver. A zoned inverter system typically runs $1 to $2 per hour cooling the whole home (based on a typical 3–6kW electrical draw at a $0.35/kWh tariff; an inverter system varies its draw with the load, and zoning cuts it further), and much less conditioning one or two zones. Correct sizing matters most, because an oversized system short-cycles and costs more.

If your existing ductwork is sound and can be reused, replacing just the indoor and outdoor units comes in well under a full install. Where the ducting has failed or the layout no longer suits the home, the job prices like a new system: $13,000 to $16,000 for most 4-bedroom houses. We confirm which applies at the measure.

Ducted suits whole-home comfort: one quiet system, no wall units, zoned room by room. Splits suit one to three rooms and cost far less upfront. Once you are conditioning three or more rooms every day the running costs converge, and ducted gives the cleaner look and resale story. For a 2-bedroom house or apartment, a multi-head split is usually the smarter spend.

Yes. The return-air grille holds a filter that catches dust before it reaches the indoor unit. Cleaning it is a five-minute job: drop the grille, vacuum or rinse the filter, let it dry and refit. Do it every two to three months in heavy use, because a clogged filter is the most common cause of weak airflow and creeping running costs. The annual service covers it too.

Daikin and Mitsubishi Electric inverter systems are our mainstays. Both are quiet, efficient and well supported with parts in Australia, and both carry 5-year parts and labour warranties.

We size to room area, insulation, glazing and sun exposure rather than bedroom count alone. Coastal and ridge-top homes often carry higher heat loads than the same floor plan elsewhere, so we measure on site before locking in capacity.

In most cases yes. Single and double-storey homes with a standard ceiling cavity take a conventional system, and where space is tight a slim-line unit or bulkhead install usually solves it.

One to three working days for most homes. Ducting and vents go in first, then the indoor and outdoor units, then electrical, commissioning and clean-up.

Yes. Our licensed electrician runs the dedicated circuit, isolator and controller wiring as part of the job. One contractor, one invoice, one warranty.