Overview
Aircon quotes hinge on whether the install is a split, a multi, or a ducted system
Aircon work breaks into three different jobs on the contractor's calendar. A single-zone split (one indoor head, one outdoor unit) is a half-day install in a domestic room. A multi-split (two to five indoor heads sharing one outdoor unit) is a day's work with longer pipework runs and a bigger condensate plan. A ducted system in a roof void is a multi-day commercial-style install that involves ductwork, plenum boxes, return-air grilles, and ceiling penetrations. A flat per-room rate for 'aircon' hides the choice the customer is making, and the cheap quote is almost always for a smaller, simpler system than the customer thought they were buying.
QuoteGenio gives aircon installers a structure for each system type. Indoor and outdoor units by brand, model, and BTU rating, refrigerant pipework by metre with the diameter named, electrical isolator and cabling, condensate drain run, mounting brackets or ductwork as appropriate, and commissioning with the refrigerant pressure check. Send via WhatsApp from the customer's home or office, take a deposit on the equipment order, raise progress invoices through delivery and install, and the final invoice attaches the commissioning report which doubles as the warranty start. The customer paying for a multi-split sees they got a multi-split.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of aircon and heat pump installation business.
The problem
The quoting headaches every aircon installer knows
Site surveys eat the morning, then quoting eats the evening. There's a faster way to turn a survey into a sent quote.
Surveys turn into evening admin
You measure, photograph, and sketch on-site. Then you spend two hours at night typing up a quote nobody asked you to delay.
Specs get lost in plain text
Clients can't tell a 9000 BTU from a 24000 BTU on a hand-typed quote. Vague specs cause callbacks and pricing disputes.
Slow quotes lose the install
Aircon buyers shop three quotes the same week. The installer who replies the same day usually wins, even if their price is higher.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A faster, cleaner quoting workflow built around how aircon installers actually work, on the survey, in the van, and on the phone.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for HVAC
Line items for indoor units, outdoor units, refrigerant pipework per metre, brackets, drainage, and commissioning. Structured the way you actually quote.
Works from your phone
Send the quote from the customer's driveway. No laptop, no office trip. Just the survey notes and your phone.
Quote in under 2 minutes
Templates for 9k, 12k, 18k and 24k BTU installs mean you change three numbers and send. Done before the next survey.
Track payments easily
See which invoices are outstanding and chase with one tap. No spreadsheet, no chasing forgotten balances.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how aircon installers actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Aircon Installers choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Aircon Installers build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Aircon Installers job pricing
A rough guide to what aircon installers charge for common residential jobs. Pricing varies by brand, BTU rating, pipe run length, bracket type, and access. Use these ranges as a sanity check when you build your own rate card, not as fixed numbers.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Site survey and load calculation | R1,240 - R2,479 |
| 9000 BTU split install (back-to-back, 3m pipe) | R14,048 - R23,138 |
| 12000 BTU split install (4 to 5m pipe run) | R18,180 - R29,749 |
| 18000 BTU split install (5 to 7m pipe run) | R27,270 - R42,970 |
| 24000 BTU / 7kW install (long pipe run) | R36,359 - R56,192 |
| Multi-split system (2 indoor, 1 outdoor) | R62,803 - R107,426 |
| Ducted system (3-bed home, basic) | R123,953 - R231,378 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
A site survey fee covers your time to drive out, measure rooms, calculate heat load, and plan the pipe run. Most installers charge R1,240 to R2,479 often credited back if the install is accepted. List it as its own line so clients see your survey time is real work, not a free sales call.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use fixed pricing for standard splits where BTU, pipe run, and bracket type are known. Use hourly (R1,240 to R2,149 per hour) for service calls, regas work, and fault diagnosis. For ducted jobs, fixed price the known scope and add a provisional sum line for ceiling access unknowns.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean, itemised aircon quote looks like. Notice how every cost is visible: survey, unit, pipe metres, bracket, and commissioning labour. Transparent quotes win installs because the client can see exactly where the money goes, and your competitor's vague price suddenly looks suspect.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
12000 BTU split install, 5m pipe run
Site survey and load calculation
12000 BTU inverter split (mid-range)
Refrigerant pipework, insulated (per metre)
Outdoor unit bracket and anti-vibration mount
Labour (install, vacuum, gas, commission)
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site survey and load calculation | 1 | R1,570 | R1,570 |
| 12000 BTU inverter split (mid-range) | 1 | R11,899 | R11,899 |
| Refrigerant pipework, insulated (per metre) | 5 | R529 | R2,644 |
| Outdoor unit bracket and anti-vibration mount | 1 | R1,405 | R1,405 |
| Labour (install, vacuum, gas, commission) | 4 | R1,570 / hr | R6,280 |
| Subtotal | R23,799 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R2,380 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R26,179 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Drainage hose and condensate pump if needed, electrical isolator, brick core drilling, wall trunking, anti-vibration feet, refrigerant top-up beyond pre-charge, and the commissioning certificate. Add these as standard lines on your template so you stop absorbing them out of your install margin.
Peer snapshot
How Aircon Installers actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Aircon Installers on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
16
Quotes sent per month
42%
Average quote acceptance
2 min
Median time to send quote
R26,179
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Aircon Installer jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of aircon installers. The same scoping and pricing mistakes come up again and again. Fix these and you'll protect your install margin and close more jobs without dropping price.
Mistake: Quoting per unit instead of per metre of pipework
Better: Pipe runs vary wildly. Quote pipework per metre with a baseline included, then charge for any metres beyond that. Stops long runs eating your margin.
Mistake: Not specifying the BTU and brand
Better: Write '12000 BTU Samsung WindFree inverter' instead of 'aircon unit'. Protects you when the client compares to a cheaper no-name unit and asks why you're more expensive.
Mistake: Forgetting the bracket and isolator
Better: Outdoor brackets, anti-vibration mounts, and electrical isolators are real parts. List them every time. They're easy to forget on a templated quote.
Mistake: Free survey with no commitment
Better: Charge a survey fee, then offer to credit it against the install if accepted within 14 days. Stops tyre-kickers and gets the price psychology right.
Mistake: No allowance for difficult access
Better: First floor outdoor units, scaffolding, ladder work, or roof mounts all add hours and risk. Add an 'access difficulty' line where applicable rather than swallowing the cost.
Mistake: Bundling commissioning into install labour
Better: Vacuuming, gas charge, leak test, and commissioning are a separate stage. List them as their own line so the client understands what they're paying for.
Mistake: No expiry on the quote
Better: Set a 14 or 30 day validity. Refrigerant prices and unit costs move with import rates. You don't want to honour a three-month-old quote at a loss.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote aircon installation jobs
Walk the property before you price anything. Measure each room and run a heat load calculation so you can size in BTU and kW, not guess. Check the proposed outdoor unit position, the pipe run length between indoor and outdoor, bracket type (ground stand, wall mount, roof frame), and electrical supply distance from the DB. Photograph the wall construction for core drilling, and note access difficulty: first floor units, ladder work, or parapet mounts all add hours. These on-site observations are what separate a profitable aircon quote from one that eats your install day in unpaid extras.
Itemise the unit, pipework, brackets, drainage and commissioning as separate lines. Write the brand and BTU rating explicitly, for example '12000 BTU Samsung WindFree inverter', and list refrigerant pipework per metre with a 3 to 5 metre baseline included. Show the outdoor bracket or anti-vibration mount, the electrical isolator, drainage hose or condensate pump, wall trunking, and any refrigerant top-up beyond the factory pre-charge. Keep vacuum, gas charge, leak test and commissioning as their own labour line so the client understands that commissioning is regulated engineering, not a free extra bundled into install labour.
Set a 14 or 30 day validity on every aircon quote. Unit costs and R32 refrigerant pricing move with the exchange rate on imported Daikin, Samsung, Mitsubishi and LG stock, and a quote honoured six weeks later can easily run at a loss. Charge the survey fee as its own line ($ 75 to $ 150) and offer to credit it back against the install if accepted within 14 days, which filters tyre-kickers. On splits over $ 1,500 ask for a 30 to 40 percent deposit on acceptance to cover unit purchase, and state that warranty validity depends on a completed commissioning certificate.
Send the quote before you leave the driveway. Aircon buyers shop three quotes the same week and the first branded document in their inbox usually wins, even at a higher price. Build the quote on your phone during the survey, share the link via WhatsApp before you pack the ladder away, and follow up with a short friendly message after two or three days if you have not heard back. Log any scope change (extra metre of pipe, upgraded bracket, additional isolator) as a written variation order before you do the work, not on the final invoice.
FAQ
Common questions from aircon installers
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Add a line item for refrigerant pipework with a per-metre rate and the actual length as the quantity. QuoteGenio calculates the line total automatically.
Yes. Build the quote on your phone before you leave, then share the link via WhatsApp. The client gets a professional branded document instantly.
Add each indoor unit, the outdoor unit, and the pipework as separate line items. You can group them by zone and add notes per line so the client understands the layout.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. Your client can open it on their phone and accept it online. No signup required.
Yes. Convert any accepted quote into an invoice with one click. All the line items carry over, so there's no double entry.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Both. Show the BTU rating because that's what most residential clients compare on, and show the kW capacity because that's what your load calculation produced. Listing both proves you sized the unit properly and protects you if the client later complains about cooling performance.
Include a baseline (often 3 to 5 metres) in the install price, then charge per additional metre for pipework, insulation, and labour. Refrigerant top-up beyond the factory pre-charge should be a separate line. Long runs also reduce efficiency, so note this in writing so the client cannot blame you for performance later.
Yes, on any new install. It records refrigerant pressures, pipe length, vacuum reading, and serial numbers. List it as a line item and hand it over with the invoice. Many warranties from manufacturers like Daikin, Samsung, and LG require commissioning records to be valid.
Quote a fixed call-out plus a per-kg rate for the refrigerant (R32 and R410A differ in cost). Always include a leak test as a separate line, because regassing without finding the leak is throwing the client's money away and damages your reputation when it leaks again.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
Pricing benchmark
What do aircon installers charge in 2026?
Hourly rates by region, common job prices, a worked sample quote, and the FAQs customers actually ask. The complete pricing reference for aircon installers.
Typical hourly
$80-$200/hr
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Guides
Guides for Aircon Installers
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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