Ducted Air Conditioning Cost Calculator & Price Guide
Use this guide to estimate your ducted air conditioning cost based on the floor area you want to heat and cool. For Australian homes, ducted air conditioning price guide rates in this calculator run from $57/m² for budget systems to $85/m² for premium systems, with a typical 180 m² ducted ac cost landing between the entry and top tiers in AUD.
Estimate ducted air conditioning cost
Supply + install for a residential ducted reverse-cycle system with standard roof space access. Double-storey or slab installs will increase cost.
4 zones are included in the base price. Add more for larger or more compartmentalised homes.
- Mid (Daikin, Fujitsu) (Single):
- $12,600
Estimates are indicative only. For an accurate price, get free quotes from local tradies above.
Ducted Air Conditioning Price Breakdown
Typical job based on 180 m². Prices are supply-and-install midpoints — actual quotes will vary.
| Type | Cost per m² | Typical 180 m² job |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (Actron, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) | $57 | $10,260 |
| Mid (Daikin, Fujitsu) | $70 | $12,600 |
| Premium (Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic) | $85 | $15,300 |
What Affects Ducted Air Conditioning Cost?
- Floor area to condition: The main driver of ducted air conditioning cost is the number of square metres being conditioned. In this calculator, pricing is based on a per m² rate, so larger homes generally cost more than smaller ones.
- System tier and brand: Your selected brand tier changes the ducted air conditioning price per m². Budget systems are priced at $57/m², mid-range systems at $70/m², and premium systems at $85/m².
- Single-storey vs double-storey home: Building height affects installation complexity and is applied as a multiplier to the base rate. Single-storey homes use ×1, while double-storey homes use ×1.25, which increases the final estimate.
- Minimum job charge: Very small jobs may still be subject to a minimum installed price. If the calculated amount falls below $7,500 AUD, the estimate is lifted to the minimum job charge.
Ducted Air Conditioning Cost - Frequently Asked Questions
Using the default 180 m² example, a budget system is calculated at $10,260 AUD, a mid-range system at $12,600 AUD, and a premium system at $15,300 AUD for a single-storey home. The displayed estimate range is shown at ±18% around the midpoint, so the final range will vary around those figures.
This calculator uses fixed per m² rates of $57/m² for budget brands, $70/m² for mid-range brands, and $85/m² for premium brands. These AUD rates are then adjusted by your home size and whether the property is single or double storey.
Double-storey homes use a ×1.25 multiplier on the base per m² price. For a 180 m² home, that means $12,825 AUD for budget, $15,750 AUD for mid-range, and $19,125 AUD for premium on the midpoint estimate before the displayed ±18% range is applied.
The calculator multiplies your floor area by the selected system tier rate: $57/m², $70/m², or $85/m². It then applies a building-height multiplier of ×1 for single-storey or ×1.25 for double-storey homes, with a minimum job charge of $7,500 AUD if the result is lower.
Yes. If the calculated total comes in below $7,500 AUD, the estimate defaults to the minimum job charge of $7,500 AUD. This most often affects smaller floor areas where the per m² calculation would otherwise be lower.
In this pricing model, the difference comes from the selected tier rate. Budget systems are priced at $57/m², mid-range at $70/m², and premium at $85/m², so the same home size will produce a higher AUD estimate as you move up the range.