Ventilation & air conditioning

Ventilation and air conditioning: equipment, prices and licences

Updated 30 October 2026

A portable air conditioner costs from about A$300 in Australia, a 7.2 kW split system is listed at around A$1,249 for the unit alone, and premium split systems go above A$2,000, according to sellers' websites in October 2026. Installation is priced separately. Describe the room, the work and your deadline in a request on BlaBlaPrice, which is free for buyers.

These prices are for equipment. The search results give no price for ventilation fans, ducting or installation, so ask each seller for a per-job quote that covers the unit, labour and fittings. Listings show cooling capacity from 1.6 kW to 12.5 kW and heating capacity from 1.9 kW to 14 kW.

Licences and rules to check

In NSW, the search results say you must hold a licence or certificate before doing air conditioning and refrigeration work, and this includes the electrical work attached to it. Victoria also requires a trade licence, which the search results link to specific training units.

A restricted refrigerant handling licence costs A$86 for one year, A$172 for two years and A$258 for three, per the fee schedule in the search results. Queensland lists application fees by licence class, so check the class that matches your work.

Season and timing

October is spring. Summer runs from December to February, when cooling is used most, and winter from June to August, when heating matters. Reverse-cycle units heat as well as cool, and the search results compare them with evaporative units, so choose the type before you book. Installing before December means the system is working for the first hot days.

How it is bought here

Capacity is given in kilowatts, so match the kW rating to the room area in square metres. Installation is quoted per job, and the site address and installation conditions can affect the quote.

What to write in your request

Name the work needed, the equipment, the number of units, the room area in square metres, the installation conditions, the site address and the deadline. Add your budget in A$. These details let sellers quote the unit and the fitting together.

BlaBlaPrice's AI reads your request, asks for missing details such as the room area and the number of units, and looks through sellers' websites and price lists in Australia before it shows the prices and businesses it found. Sellers registered on BlaBlaPrice reply in the chat with their own price and terms, and your contact details stay hidden until you choose to exchange them. For related work see electrical installation or plumbing and utilities, or create a request.