At a Glance
In Melbourne, a split system installation runs $1,450–$9,500 per system. Newer timber-frame homes in the western growth corridors are straightforward, back-to-back jobs. Older double-brick homes in the inner suburbs, where core drilling and longer pipe runs are the norm, sit higher in the range.
What's Included in the Price
- Supply and install of indoor head unit and outdoor compressor (reverse cycle)
- Refrigerant pipe run (copper line set) between units
- Dedicated electrical circuit from the switchboard with RCD protection to AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules
- Core drilling through brick or masonry where required
- Condensate drainage compliant with AS/NZS 3500.2
- Outdoor unit mounting (concrete pad, wall bracket, or roof bracket)
- Refrigerant charging (R32), leak testing, and commissioning
- Pipe and cable capping
Melbourne's cold winters mean reverse cycle is standard, not a premium add-on. Almost every modern split system sold in Australia is inverter reverse cycle with R32 refrigerant, so you are getting heating and cooling as part of the base price. Popular units in Melbourne: Daikin Cora 2.5kW ~$2,500 supplied and installed, Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-AP 2.5kW ~$2,200, Fujitsu ASTG Lifestyle 2.5kW ~$950–$1,200 unit only. Budget options: Samsung Wind-Free 2.5kW from ~$900 unit only, Kelvinator from ~$900.
What Affects the Cost
- Double-brick construction. Older suburbs like Fitzroy, Carlton, Brunswick, and Northcote are predominantly double brick. Core drilling through two layers of brick costs $150–$250, compared to a standard hole saw on timber-frame walls (included in labour).
- Pipe run complexity. Back-to-back installs run $600–$900 in labour. Copper refrigerant pipe costs $50–$130/m beyond the standard included length. Homes where the best indoor position is on the opposite side of the house from the only viable outdoor location mean 10–15m of pipe run at $1,200–$2,200+ in installation costs.
- Unit sizing for year-round use. Melbourne's climate demands more from a split system than most Australian cities. Summer days regularly hit 38–42°C, and winter nights drop below 5°C. AS/NZS 5141:2018 requires a heat load assessment before specification. An installer who sizes based on cooling load alone may leave you with a unit that cannot keep up on a cold July morning.
- Switchboard capacity. Many Melbourne homes already have ducted gas heating drawing on the switchboard. Adding a dedicated aircon circuit (25A RCBO, ~$150 for cable and breaker) may require a board upgrade if there are no spare slots.
- Heritage overlays. Inner-suburb homes in heritage overlay zones may have restrictions on outdoor unit visibility from the street and conduit runs on the front facade. Check with your local council before booking. Side and rear walls are usually unrestricted.
- Multi-storey installs. Two-storey period homes are common in Melbourne's inner east. Upstairs installs often require longer pipe runs through wall cavities and may need scaffolding ($150–$300/day) for the outdoor unit.
A back-to-back install of a single 2.5kW unit in a newer timber-frame home in Tarneit or Point Cook, with the switchboard nearby and spare capacity, sits toward $1,450. A multi-split system in a double-brick home in Hawthorn with three heads, core drilling, 15m+ pipe runs through the roof, a switchboard upgrade, and second-storey access pushes toward $9,500.
Melbourne-Specific Considerations
Melbourne's split between older inner-suburban housing and newer outer-suburban estates creates two very different installation experiences. In the growth corridors to the west and north, suburbs like Tarneit, Werribee, Craigieburn, and Point Cook, homes are timber-frame construction with accessible roof spaces and attached garages. Split system installs here are fast and predictable. Many new-build owners add aircon within the first year because the builder did not include it, or only fitted a single unit to the living area.
The inner and middle suburbs are a different story. Double-brick homes from the 1920s through to the 1970s are the norm in suburbs like Fitzroy, Brunswick, Northcote, Kew, and Malvern. Core drilling through two layers of brick is standard, and pipe runs tend to be longer because the best indoor wall position (usually an internal living room wall) is rarely adjacent to a suitable outdoor location.
Melbourne's climate demands more from a split system than most Australian cities. Summer days regularly hit 38–42 degrees, and winter nights drop below 5 degrees. This year-round workload means correct sizing is critical. An installer who sizes based on cooling load alone may leave you with a unit that cannot keep up on a cold July morning. Ask your installer to calculate both heating and cooling loads, and check that the outdoor unit is rated to perform at low ambient temperatures.
Hiring a Licensed Air Conditioning Technician in VIC
Split system installation in Victoria requires an ARC (Australian Refrigeration Council) licence for refrigerant handling and a current electrical licence registered with Energy Safe Victoria. Many aircon installers carry both, but verify before work starts.
Your installer must issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES) for the dedicated circuit, lodged with Energy Safe Victoria. You should also receive an ARC job card confirming refrigerant type (R32 is current standard), quantity charged, and leak test results. Keep both documents for warranty and compliance purposes.
How We Calculate
Estimates are based on surveyed trade rates for licensed air conditioning technicians in metropolitan Melbourne, adjusted for property age and construction type. All prices include GST. Figures assume a standard residential split system installation.