Ducted Air Conditioning Cost Australia [2026]: Full Price Guide

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the Alpha & Omega Air Store team, Authorised Daikin Specialist Dealer since 1989

Ducted air conditioning costs $8,000 to $20,000 or more installed in Australia, according to RACV's 2026 guide. A basic three-outlet system with no zoning starts around $6,800. The unit itself is the smaller part of that bill: our ducted systems start from about $2,150 supply-only. Ductwork, outlets, zoning and two to four days of labour make up the rest.

That gap between unit price and installed price is why quotes look so different. A homeowner on Reddit recently asked whether $18,000 was reasonable for a four-room ducted system. For a zoned reverse cycle system in a typical home, it sits inside the normal range. This guide breaks down where every dollar goes, so you can read a quote line by line instead of guessing.

In this guide

• What does ducted air conditioning cost installed?
• How much is the ducted unit itself?
• Where does the rest of the money go?
• What costs catch people out?
• Is zoning worth the extra cost?
• Can you get a rebate on ducted air conditioning?
• Ducted systems available from us
• Frequently asked questions

What does ducted air conditioning cost installed?

Most Australian homes pay between $8,000 and $20,000 for a fully installed ducted reverse cycle system, with larger or more complex homes going higher. The biggest price drivers are home size, the number of outlets, whether you add zoning, and how easy the roof space is to work in. A simple unzoned system in a small single-storey home sits at the bottom of the range.

System type	Typical installed cost	Source
Basic: 3 outlets, no zones, single storey	$6,785 to $8,300	Published fixed-price packages, Sydney (Air Conditioning Online)
Whole home, reverse cycle	$8,000 to $20,000+	RACV, 2026
Large, zoned or multi-storey homes	$20,000 and up	Top of the RACV range and above

Prices vary by city and installer, so treat these as a sense check, not a quote. If you are still deciding whether ducted is right for you at all, our split system vs ducted guide compares both on cost and comfort.

How much is the ducted unit itself?

A ducted unit, meaning the indoor fan coil and outdoor condenser, costs roughly $2,150 to $4,100 supply-only in our store for single-phase systems up to 14kW. Larger homes need more capacity, and price climbs with each step. Buying the unit separately can save money, but you still need a licensed installer for everything else.

The Midea single-phase range shows how price scales with capacity:

Capacity	Midea ducted supply price
7kW	$2,271.02
9kW	$2,909.64
10.5kW	$3,199.10
12.5kW	$3,663.03
14kW	$4,105.94

Capacity is set by the floor area you condition, ceiling height, insulation, window orientation and how many zones run at once. Undersize it and the system struggles on the hottest days. Oversize it and you pay more upfront and to run. Start with our ducted size calculator, then ask your installer for a proper heat-load calculation before you buy.

Where does the rest of the money go?

On a $12,000 installed system, the unit might be $3,000 to $4,000 of it. The remainder covers ductwork and outlets, the return air grille and filter, zone motors and a controller, electrical work, and two to four days of skilled labour in a hot roof space. That labour and materials share is why installed quotes differ far more than unit prices.

Component	What it covers	What to check on the quote
Indoor and outdoor unit	The heating and cooling hardware	Brand, model number, kW rating, warranty length
Ductwork and outlets	Insulated flexible duct, ceiling diffusers in each room	Number of outlets, duct insulation rating
Return air	Return grille and filter	Grille size suits the unit's airflow
Zoning	Zone motors and a zone controller	Number of zones, controller model
Electrical	Dedicated circuit and isolator	Whether a switchboard upgrade is included or excluded
Labour	Typically two to four days on site	Removal of the old system, commissioning, clean-up

Ask every installer to itemise these lines. Two quotes $4,000 apart often turn out to differ on outlet count or zoning, not on the unit.

What costs catch people out?

Four costs regularly push a ducted quote higher than expected: a switchboard upgrade or three-phase power for larger systems, a difficult roof space, replacing old ductwork rather than reusing it, and two-storey homes where ducts cannot easily reach the upper level. Ask about each before you sign.

Power supply. Larger ducted systems can need three-phase power, and older switchboards may need upgrading. Your installer or electrician should confirm this at the site inspection, not on installation day.

Roof access. Low-pitched roofs, tile roofs with limited cavity space and heavy insulation all slow the job down. Slow jobs cost more.

Old ductwork. Replacing an ageing system? Old duct can sometimes be reused, but damaged or poorly insulated duct leaks air and money. A good installer will tell you which.

Two storeys. Many two-storey homes end up with ducted downstairs and split systems upstairs, because running duct between floors is difficult.

Is zoning worth the extra cost?

For most homes with four or more rooms on the system, yes. Zoning lets you heat or cool only the rooms you are using, so a bedroom-only night doesn't mean running the whole house. Expect a smart zone controller to add around $1,600 or more in parts, plus zone motors and sensors.

Without zoning, every outlet runs every time the system is on. That is the main reason some ducted owners find their bills higher than expected. A smart controller such as the AirTouch 5 adds per-room temperature sensors, app control and geofencing that switches the system off when everyone leaves. We cover the real costs and the trade-offs in our AirTouch 5 review.

Zoning is far cheaper to include at installation than to add later, because the zone motors sit in the ductwork. If budget is tight, ask your installer to fit the motors now and add the smart controller later.

Can you get a rebate on ducted air conditioning?

Possibly. In NSW, the Energy Savings Scheme offers upfront discounts on qualifying high-efficiency reverse cycle systems, including ducted, applied by an accredited provider at installation. Victoria and South Australia run similar schemes. Amounts depend on the system and where you live, and they change over time.

Because the discount usually flows through the installer, sort it out before you buy any equipment. Ask whether your installer is an accredited provider and whether a unit you supply qualifies. Check current eligibility at energy.nsw.gov.au or your state's energy website.

Ducted systems available from us

We sell ducted systems supply-only, ready for your licensed installer, with full manufacturer warranty. Ducted systems ship as large freight, and we currently can't deliver them to regional areas, so please call us on 1300 156 466 to confirm delivery to your postcode before ordering. In Sydney and the Sutherland Shire, we can supply and install.

We also stock the Midea single-phase ducted range (7kW to 14kW, pricing above) and the Daikin inverter ducted system in 5kW to 16kW sizes, backed by our Authorised Daikin Specialist Dealer status.

Frequently asked questions

Is $18,000 reasonable for a four-room ducted system?

It can be. RACV puts installed ducted reverse cycle systems at $8,000 to $20,000 or more, so $18,000 sits in the upper part of the normal range. Ask for an itemised quote. Zoning, a smart controller, a switchboard upgrade or a difficult roof space would all justify a figure at that level.

Is ducted air conditioning cheaper than split systems?

Not upfront. One or two split systems cost far less than a ducted installation. Once you need to condition four or more rooms, the gap narrows, and ducted gives whole-home comfort with no wall units. Running costs depend mostly on zoning and how many rooms you condition at once.

How expensive is ducted air conditioning to run?

It depends on system size, your electricity rate and how many zones run at once. Reverse cycle systems are among the most efficient ways to heat and cool, and energy.gov.au notes ducted reverse cycle is more cost-efficient than gas heating. Zoning makes the biggest difference: conditioning two rooms costs far less than eight.

What size ducted air conditioner do I need?

It depends on the floor area you condition, ceiling height, insulation, window orientation and zoning. Use our ducted size calculator for a starting point, then ask your installer for a heat-load calculation. Sizing on a quote should be explained, not just stated.

Can I buy a ducted system online and get it installed separately?

Yes. Many homeowners buy the unit online and engage a licensed installer for ductwork, zoning and commissioning. Confirm your installer will work with a supplied unit, and check delivery to your postcode first, as ducted systems ship as large freight.