Split system installation in Melbourne's South East: installed prices
A split system installed on a standard back-to-back job starts at $1,618 (Haier 2.5 kW, including GST), with no rebate involved. Helcro Electrical does split system installation across Melbourne’s South East from our Cheltenham workshop, with our own licensed team on both the electrical and the refrigerant side. Nothing is subcontracted.
Call 1300 201 358 → Get a Quote →
Send the form and we will call you back within 2 business hours. We can often give an indicative price on the phone; a written quote follows a $50 site assessment.
In business since 2006 · Registered Electrical Contractor REC 35448, registered with Energy Safe Victoria · ARC Refrigerant Trading Authorisation AU50700 · VEU Accredited Provider A003039 · 5-year workmanship warranty on air conditioning installation
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What split system installation costs in Melbourne's South East
These are our supply-and-install prices for a split system: the unit, installation and commissioning, including GST. They cover a standard back-to-back install, with up to 4 m of pipe between the indoor and outdoor unit and up to 15 m of cable to the switchboard. No rebate is involved. If your job qualifies for a VEU rebate, we quote it separately.
| Size | Haier | Rinnai | Mitsubishi Electric |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 kW | $1,618 | $1,731 | $1,800 |
| 3.5 kW | $1,813 | $1,861 | $2,209 |
| 5.0 kW | $2,225 | $2,071 | $2,629 |
| 7.0 kW | $2,606 | $2,767 | $3,415 |
| 9.0 kW | $3,664 | $3,041 | $4,169 |
A bigger unit costs more, and can need a heavier cable, a two-person bracket or more refrigerant (priced below).
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: unit-only prices
| Model | Capacity | Unit price |
|---|---|---|
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Avanti split system | 3.5 kW (3.7 kW heating) | $1,359 |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Bronte split system | 7.1 kW (8.0 kW heating) | $2,250 |
These are the prices for the unit only. A standard back-to-back installation is usually $800 to $1,000 on top, and up to about $1,200 for a larger system.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries cashback: $100 on the 3.5 kW Avanti and $200 on the 7.1 kW Bronte when paid in full and installed between 1 October 2026 and 31 January 2027. You claim it from MHI by 28 February 2027.
Comparing quotes? Check each one covers the unit, a back-to-back install, commissioning and the paperwork.
Not sure which size? Our air conditioner size calculator works out the kW for a room or a ducted house and shows the Victorian Government's room-size table.
Get a Quote → We will call you back within 2 business hours.
What a standard back-to-back install includes
"Back-to-back" means the indoor unit sits on one side of an outside wall and the outdoor unit on the other, with up to 4 m of pipe between them and up to 15 m of cable to your switchboard. Every install includes:
- Supply of the indoor and outdoor unit
- Electrical installation by a licensed electrician, with up to 15 m of cable to your switchboard
- Refrigerant charging and commissioning
- A safety check of your switchboard
- A Certificate of Electrical Safety for the electrical work
- Our 5-year workmanship warranty, plus the manufacturer's warranty
What can add to the price of a split system install
Most homes need nothing extra. When a job does, these are our prices, including GST:
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Pipe beyond 4 m (each 90° bend counts as 1 m) | $50 per metre |
| Cable beyond 15 m to the switchboard | $5 per metre |
| Cable upsize from 2.5 mm² to 4 mm² (larger units or long runs, to keep voltage drop under 2%) | $100 |
| Cable upsize from 4 mm² to 6 mm² | $150 |
| Drain pump, when the indoor unit goes on an internal wall | $400 |
| Cathedral ceiling, indoor unit 3 m or higher on an internal wall | $100 |
| Flat corrugated roof, pipes run across the roof in metal capping (4 m included, lift used) | $300 |
| Pipes and cables built into the walls during construction (two visits) | $350 |
| Outdoor unit on a wall bracket below 1.5 m, single storey, up to 3.5 kW | $75 |
| Outdoor unit on a wall bracket below 1.5 m, single storey, 5 to 8 kW (two-person job) | $175 |
| Outdoor unit on a wall bracket above 2 m, double storey, using an aircon lift | $250 to $300 |
| Outdoor unit on a tiled roof (roof bracket, flashing and conduit) | Quoted on the job |
| Ground install where the ground needs levelling and concrete blocks | $100 |
| Double brick wall, new or repositioned penetration | $150 per hole |
| Additional refrigerant charge | $35 per 100 g |
Will you need a switchboard upgrade? For a split system, not necessarily: we check your switchboard as part of every quote. Where one is needed, it is typically $1,250 to $2,500 including GST (a small board at the low end), quoted separately.
The VEU discount (rebate) on a split system
The discount depends on what the new unit replaces. The Victorian Government lists these indicative household discounts for a 3 to 9 kW non-ducted reverse cycle system (energy.vic.gov.au):
- Replacing a gas room heater: $630 to $1,610
- Replacing an old non-ducted reverse cycle unit: $210
- Nothing removed: $70 to $140
Every split in our installed table is a single-split under 10 kW, so the $200 minimum co-payment applies (unchanged on 30 September 2026).
All Victorian households and businesses are eligible, and private rentals are too. The unit must be an approved high-efficiency reverse cycle model with at least a 5-year warranty for a home, and if the new system replaces an existing one, the home must be more than 2 years old.
Talk to an accredited provider before you buy: your installer must work with one "before any work starts", and a discount after the job is possible only in very limited cases. Helcro Electrical is a VEU Accredited Provider (A003039): you sign the VEEC assignment form and we create the certificates that fund your discount. Full tables: our Victorian Energy Upgrades guide.
Get a Quote → Your written quote shows any VEU discount you qualify for.
Multi-split and ducted air conditioning
A multi-split runs several indoor units from one outdoor unit; ducted heats and cools the whole house through outlets in each room. We install both in Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Rinnai and Carrier, and multi-splits in Fujitsu, Panasonic and Midea too.
From 30 September 2026, every ducted system, and any multi-split of 10 kW or more, carries a $3,000 minimum co-payment (up from $1,000); a multi-split under 10 kW stays at $1,000. For multi-split systems in homes, the capacity counted toward the VEU incentive is capped at 20 kW when the system replaces gas heating or reverse cycle air conditioning, or replaces nothing; a larger system can still be installed.
For the size, see our air conditioner size calculator; the Victorian Government recommends zones for ducted systems. Ducted can be more expensive to install and run.
Typical multi-split prices, installed, no rebate, including GST: a 12 kW Mitsubishi Electric, 12.5 kW Fujitsu or 10 kW Panasonic with 3 to 4 indoor heads is about $10,000 to $11,000, and a 19 kW Rinnai with 5 to 6 indoor heads, or a 17 kW Carrier or 19 kW Midea, is about $12,000 to $13,000. Above those sizes you move to commercial equipment, where the price jumps quickly. For ducted, our ducted air conditioning cost calculator gives an estimate from our standard prices; ducted systems, and your exact multi-split, are then quoted on the house. See our Rinnai multi split system guide (MON6H19B1TA).
Replacing gas heating with a reverse cycle system
The Victorian Government estimates savings of up to $1,140 a year when a ducted gas heater is replaced with an efficient reverse cycle system, and up to $460 a year when a gas room heater is replaced with an efficient reverse cycle air conditioner. For a split system, replacing a gas room heater also earns the biggest VEU discount.
No rule makes an owner-occupier replace a working gas heater; for existing homes, the 1 March 2027 change is about gas hot water (rentals differ, see below). More on the gas rules: Victoria's gas ban and home electrification.
Solar Victoria says each unit of electricity used by a reverse cycle air conditioner can generate up to 6 units of heat; other electric heaters never produce more than one.
For the replacement discount, the old heater is decommissioned: under the VEU rules the gas is disconnected and capped by someone licensed in gasfitting, and the heater is removed or, where that is not safe or practical, made permanently unusable. We do this as part of the job.
Running the split on your solar panels, or in the no-cost 11am to 2pm window of the Midday Power Saver if you sign up, is one way to warm or cool the house before evening; other rates on that offer can be higher.
Apartments, rentals, heritage homes and the neighbours
Units and apartments. Where the outdoor unit, pipes or cable go on common property (the plan of subdivision decides), the owners corporation must authorise the work.
Rental providers. From 1 March 2027, a rental with no fixed cooling needs an energy-efficient fixed cooler in the main living area (a split rated 3 stars or more for cooling in the local climate zone; portable units don't count) before a new agreement starts or one goes month-to-month, and from 1 July 2030 rentals need one whenever the agreement started, unless an exemption applies. Also from 1 March 2027, fixed heating that fails and can't be repaired must be replaced with efficient electric heating, such as a reverse cycle split, in the main living area. VEU applies to private rentals.
Heritage homes. Under a Heritage Overlay, a planning permit is needed for an air conditioner visible from a street (other than a lane) or a public park.
The neighbours. EPA Victoria's rules: a split used for cooling must not be heard in a neighbour's habitable room before 7 am or after 11 pm on weekdays, or before 9 am or after 11 pm on weekends and public holidays. Used for heating, the night cut-off is 10 pm.
During a Department of Health heat health warning you can run it for cooling at any time, though a council officer can still find the noise unreasonable. At the site assessment we look at where the outdoor unit can go.
Who installs it, the paperwork and the warranty
Our own team. The electrical side is done by our licensed electricians under our Registered Electrical Contractor number, REC 35448. We hold ARC Refrigerant Trading Authorisation AU50700, with licensed technicians on the refrigerant side, and team members registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the VBA) for air conditioning work.
Can I install a split system myself? No. The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) says a refrigerant handling licence is needed to install or commission a split system, even a pre-charged one, and the wiring is electrical work for a licensed electrician. Ask to see your installer's ARCtick licence: ARC says unlicensed work puts the product warranty at risk.
Can you install a unit I've bought myself? We generally don't install air conditioners that customers have bought themselves, because it's unclear who is responsible if something goes wrong.
Paperwork. You get a Certificate of Electrical Safety for the electrical work, as Energy Safe Victoria requires for all electrical installation work. Installing a split system is also plumbing work in Victoria: the Building and Plumbing Commission requires a plumbing compliance certificate when the job is worth more than $750.
Warranty. Air conditioning installation carries our 5-year workmanship warranty, which starts on the date your certificate is issued, plus the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by brand: Carrier 7 years parts and labour on residential units; Rinnai 7 years on its JX, PX, TX and VX split systems (register within 12 months of installation for full cover); Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Fujitsu, Daikin and Haier 5 years.
Brands. We install Daikin, Fujitsu (now also sold as General Airstage), Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Carrier, Haier, Rinnai, Midea and Panasonic.
How a split system job works with Helcro Electrical
- Call or send the form. We call you back within 2 business hours.
- An indicative price on the phone. Where we can, from the table and the extras.
- Site visit, $50. The room, the wall, the pipe run and your switchboard.
- Written quote. It shows any VEU discount you qualify for.
- Installation by our own team. A single-head split system is the quickest install. Multi-split and ducted systems take longer, depending on the number of zones, roof cavity access and your home's layout. We confirm timing when we quote.
- Commissioning and paperwork. Testing, the Certificate of Electrical Safety and your warranty in writing.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
John, Google review, two air conditioners in difficult locations
David Jameson, Google review, ducted gas heating replaced with a reverse-cycle system
aposcon, Google review, multi-split installation and gas heating decommission
Split system installation questions
How much does it cost to install a split system?
From $1,618 (Haier 2.5 kW) to $4,169 (Mitsubishi Electric 9.0 kW) on a standard back-to-back job, unit and GST included.
Do you charge for a quote?
We can often give an indicative price on the phone. A written quote follows a $50 site assessment.
Is a split system cheaper to run than ducted?
The Victorian Government says ducted can be more expensive to install and run.
Split system installation across Melbourne's South East
We install split systems in Cheltenham, Mentone, Moorabbin, Highett, Parkdale, Beaumaris, Sandringham, Bentleigh, Bentleigh East, Brighton East, McKinnon, Carrum Downs, Aspendale, Hampton, Chelsea and Brighton, and across Black Rock, Mordialloc, Seaford, Frankston and the other South East suburbs we cover.
Helcro Electrical, 45/148 Chesterville Road, Cheltenham VIC 3192. Phone 1300 201 358.
Prices and rules on this page checked 21 October 2026.