What moves an aircon installation quote in Johannesburg
An aircon is priced by the unit, but the unit is the least interesting number in the quote. This guide explains what actually drives an installation price, and how to compare two quotes that look nothing alike.
Why two quotes for the same room can differ so much
Ask three contractors to quote the same bedroom and you may get three different numbers, none of them dishonest. An installation quote is really a quote for the unit, the pipe run, the drainage, the electrical connection and the access, and contractors make different assumptions about each. One may price a short pipe run and leave the electrical work out; another may include the circuit and charge more for it.
That is why the number alone tells you very little. Two quotes are only comparable when they describe the same unit, the same route and the same work included. The published Johannesburg guides describe the same problem (sources: Aircon Installers Johannesburg; The Handyman Johannesburg), which is why they talk about factors rather than one figure for a room.
The factors, in the order they usually matter
The unit and its capacity come first, because that sets the floor of the price. A larger room, a higher ceiling or a wall of west-facing glass needs more capacity, and more capacity costs more.
Then the pipe run. The distance from the indoor head to the outdoor condenser sets how much insulated pipe, cable and drain is used, and how much wall has to be drilled. A first-floor bedroom with the condenser directly outside is a different job from an upstairs room with a long run through face brick.
Placement comes next. Where the condenser can sit decides whether a bracket, a stand or a plinth is needed, whether the position needs a landlord's or a body corporate's approval, and how easy the unit will be to reach for its next service. The electrical supply is the last big swing: an older board may need a dedicated circuit and an isolator, and sometimes a spare way that is not there.
- The capacity the room needs.
- The route and length of the pipe run, and how hard the wall is to work through.
- Where the outdoor unit can go, and whether approval is needed.
- The electrical circuit, the isolator and any work at the board.
- Access for the installer, and how the wall is made good afterwards.
- The season, and how far ahead the good contractors are booked.
Where a cheap quote hides its cost
The lowest number is usually the one with the least written down. It may assume a pipe run shorter than yours, exclude the electrical connection, or leave the making good for someone else. None of that is dishonest on its own, but it means the figure is not the price of the job you are looking at.
The other place a cheap quote hides is the unit itself, because two units of the same rough capacity are not the same machine. Ask for the make and model, ask whether it is an inverter, and check that the capacity quoted is the capacity the room needs rather than the smallest unit that might do.
What to ask before you compare
Ask each contractor to write the scope down: the unit and its capacity, the pipe run and its insulation, the drain, the bracket or stand, the electrical connection, and the making good. Then ask who carries out the electrical work and who holds the registration for it.
Ask how the unit was sized, what happens to your old unit if you have one, and what warranty is offered on the unit and on the work. A warranty is a promise from a business rather than a product, so it is worth only as much as the contractor standing behind it. Our guide to aircon sizing explains the measurement side.
Frequently asked questions
Can you quote an installation without seeing the property?
Not properly. The pipe route, the wall construction and the electrical supply all change the work, and none of those can be judged from a description alone.
Is the lowest quote the one to take?
Not usually, because the lowest number is often the one with the least included. Compare what each quote covers before comparing the figures.
Does the price include the electrical work?
Sometimes, and sometimes it is priced separately. Ask directly, and ask who carries out that part of the job and who holds the registration for it.
How long does the quote stay valid?
That is the contractor's call, and it is worth asking. Unit prices and availability move, so a quote from months ago may not hold.