The rates below are starting points you replace with your own — a worked shape, not market prices. The air conditioner sizing calculator gives a kW starting point by room size and climate, and says plainly that it is a rule of thumb rather than a heat-load calculation. Check what an hour has to earn with the charge-out rate calculator.
A worked example: a 7.1 kW back-to-back split system
Single storey, brick veneer, indoor unit on an external wall with the outdoor unit directly behind on brackets, short pipe run, existing dedicated circuit available at the board. Installer registered for GST.
| Line | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supply 7.1kW inverter split system, incl. warranty | 1 | $2,180.00 | $2,180.00 |
| Install indoor head — mount, core drill and level | 1 | $460.00 | $460.00 |
| Install outdoor unit on wall brackets | 1 | $380.00 | $380.00 |
| Refrigerant pipe, drain and insulation — back to back | 3 | $78.00 | $234.00 |
| Electrical — connect to existing dedicated circuit | 1 | $340.00 | $340.00 |
| Evacuate, pressure test, commission and hand over | 1 | $290.00 | $290.00 |
| Make good, remove packaging and site tidy | 1 | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| Subtotal | $4,034.00 | ||
| GST (10%) | $403.40 | ||
| Total inc GST | $4,437.40 | ||
| Deposit to book in (25%) | $1,109.35 | ||
| Balance on completion | $3,328.05 |
The electrical sits on its own line even when it is short, and the pipe run is stated in metres. Those are the two lines that turn a "back-to-back" into a full day when the board turns out to be full or the run has to go through the roof.
What to put on a air conditioning quote
- Business name, ABN, your electrical licence where the work requires one, and your refrigerant handling licence.
- The unit — brand, model, capacity in kW, inverter or fixed, and who warrants it. A quote that says only "7 kW split" is comparable with anything.
- What the capacity is based on, and that it is a starting point rather than a heat-load calculation, unless you have actually done one.
- The pipe run in metres, and the rate per extra metre. This is the number that separates two quotes on the same unit.
- Where the outdoor unit goes — wall brackets, ground stand or roof — and who decides. It affects the price, the noise and the neighbour.
- The electrical — whether there is a dedicated circuit at the board, what a new one costs, and whether the board has room. Say what you have assumed.
- Core drilling and making good — through brick, render or fibro, and who patches and paints afterwards.
- Condensate drain — where it goes, and whether a pump is needed.
- Access and height — ladders, roof work, second storey, and any scaffold. Priced, not implied.
- Commissioning and handover — evacuation, pressure test, and showing the customer how the thing actually works.
- Exclusions. Asbestos, switchboard upgrades, structural penetrations, painting, removal and disposal of an old unit unless listed, strata or body-corporate approval, and anything requiring a permit.
- Whether GST is included, how long the price holds, and deposit and payment terms.
- The variations sentence, which in this trade means: the switchboard, and where the pipe actually has to go.
Common mistakes, and what each one costs
- Quoting from a photo of the room. The room is the easy part. The board, the run and the outdoor location are the job.
- Electrical assumed. "There is a power point nearby" is not a dedicated circuit, and a full switchboard is a different day and a different trade conversation.
- No rate for extra pipe. A back-to-back becomes an eight-metre run through a roof space and there is no agreed price for it.
- Making good left unassigned. A core hole through render needs patching and painting, and if the quote is silent the customer expects you to do it.
- Old unit removal forgotten. Somebody has to take it away, degas it and dispose of it lawfully.
- No deposit on a supplied unit. You pay the wholesaler before it goes on the wall, and a cancelled job leaves you holding it.
Three things that win the job
Open the switchboard before you quote. Spare ways, main switch rating and the state of the board decide whether the electrical line is three hundred dollars or three thousand. It takes two minutes and it is the difference between a quote and a guess.
Walk the pipe run with the customer. Showing someone where the pipe has to go, and why it cannot go where they imagined, makes the price make sense — and it settles the outdoor unit location while you are both standing there.
Follow it up. Air conditioning quotes sit until the first hot week, and then everyone rings at once. Two short messages over a fortnight is the difference — wording in the quote follow-up templates.
Yamate keeps your rates, your standard inclusions and your usual exclusions, so a quote is a few taps rather than a blank page — then turns the accepted quote into the invoice without retyping it. Sign up before 30 September 2026 and lock in the Founder plan at $19/mo — forever. It's $29/mo after that. No lock-in, cancel anytime. Prices in AUD.
Send it, then know if they read it
The builder above priced the job. What it cannot do is remember that this air conditioning quote is still unanswered on Thursday, or turn the yes into an invoice without you retyping it.
Quote from your phone in Yamate → Free to try · no card · sign in with a link, no password to rememberFAQ
What should an air conditioning quote include?
The unit brand, model and capacity, what the capacity is based on, the pipe run in metres and the rate for extra, where the outdoor unit goes, the electrical and what it assumes about the switchboard, core drilling and making good, the condensate drain, access and height, commissioning, exclusions, whether GST applies, and your deposit and payment terms.
What size air conditioner does a room need?
It depends on the room size, the climate, the insulation, the glazing and the aspect. The air conditioner sizing calculator gives a kW starting point from room size and climate — and it says on its own face that it is a rule of thumb, not a heat-load calculation, because there is no Australian Standard behind a kW-per-square-metre figure.
Why do two quotes for the same unit differ so much?
Usually the pipe run, the electrical, and the outdoor unit location — none of which the customer can see from a brochure. Stating all three is what makes a higher quote explicable rather than just higher.
Should I take a deposit for an air conditioning install?
Usually yes, because you pay the wholesaler for the unit before it goes on the wall. Put it on the quote as a percentage and check your state's rules on deposit limits.
Do I charge GST on a quote?
Only if you are registered, which is generally required once turnover reaches $75,000. See when a sole trader has to register.
Next steps
General information for Australian tradies, not tax, legal or financial advice. Every figure this page produces is an estimate based on what you type in, and the starting rates are placeholders rather than market prices. Refrigerant handling and electrical licensing, and deposit rules, are set nationally and by each state — check what applies to you before relying on this page.