Choose an installer in five steps
In short
Choose a Melbourne installer who explains how the proposed system will heat and cool your rooms and identifies who will carry out the plumbing, refrigerant and electrical work. Victorian air conditioning installations can require plumbing registration or licensing as well as a refrigerant licence and electrical credentials. Check each person's scope, settle any owners corporation requirements for external units and pipe routes, then compare the complete installed price and handover records.
Step 1
Describe the rooms and how you use them
Tell each company your suburb, property type and whether you are installing a new system, replacing one or investigating a fault. If you want a reverse cycle system, which provides heating as well as cooling, ask the installer to assess both needs. A room's floor area alone does not describe its windows, insulation or how air moves between rooms.
For example, a second-floor Carlton apartment brief might include the living-room dimensions, balcony photos and lift access. A house brief might show roof access and the proposed outdoor position. Ask the company to confirm it covers your address and whether it needs a site visit before fixing the price.
Details for your installation brief
| Detail | What to include |
|---|---|
| Rooms and use | Dimensions, ceiling height, window direction, insulation you know about and when you need heating or cooling. |
| Existing system | Indoor and outdoor model labels, photos, faults and whether removal is required. |
| Proposed layout | Indoor and outdoor positions, nearby bedrooms, pipe route and where condensation could drain. |
| Access and authority | Floor level, stairs, lift bookings, parking and owner or owners corporation requirements. |
Step 2
Check the Victorian and refrigerant credentials separately
Ask which Victorian plumbing registration or licence covers the proposed work and check its class and restrictions with the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC). Its mechanical services scope includes installing and commissioning single-head split systems. Other systems or repair work can require a different scope, so give BPC the job details if the credentials are unclear. Ask which licensed practitioner is responsible for any required plumbing compliance certificate.
Ask who will handle regulated refrigerant and check their current Australian Refrigeration Council licence type. The restricted RSS03 licence covers installation and decommissioning of single-head split air conditioners under 18 kW. It does not cover general repairs or every system type. Confirm the technician's scope fits the actual job, including removal of an old unit.
Identify the electrical contractor and who will do any new circuit or switchboard work. Energy Safe Victoria advises customers to engage a registered electrical contractor and obtain a Certificate of Electrical Safety. If a company proposes a restricted electrical licence for a replacement, ask it to explain the permitted work and confirm the scope with Energy Safe before accepting.
Step 3
Settle the outdoor location and building permissions
Ask the installer to show the indoor and outdoor positions, mounting, wall penetrations, pipe route and drain outlet. Discuss sound and vibration near bedrooms, ventilation around the outdoor unit and access for future servicing. Flag any heritage or planning restrictions at your property and ask which checks are needed before work begins.
In an apartment or townhouse with an owners corporation, check the property's rules and whether the proposed work affects common property or the building exterior. Consumer Affairs Victoria explains that rules can require prior written approval for exterior and structural changes and can govern common-property access. Send the proposed layout to your manager or committee, establish the requirements for your installation and obtain any required approval before booking.
Give the installer the approval conditions, permitted work times and lift or loading arrangements. If you rent, arrange permission through the rental provider or property manager before commissioning an installation.
Step 4
Compare the full installation against one brief
Ask each installer to name the exact indoor and outdoor models, recommended capacity and reasons for that choice. If the proposals use different systems, clarify the difference in room coverage and controls before comparing totals. For ducted work, list the ducts, outlets, zones and roof-space work included.
Check the price covers the unit, pipe and cable allowances, mounting, drainage, electrical connection, wall sealing, access equipment, testing and clean-up. A replacement quote should address refrigerant recovery, old-unit removal and whether existing pipes, wiring or brackets will be inspected before reuse.
Clarify what a 'standard installation' assumes. Record excluded work, GST treatment, certificate costs, payment stages and whether the quote remains provisional until a site visit. Agree how extra work will be priced and approved, and ask for equipment and workmanship warranty terms separately.
Step 5
Get a demonstration and the completion documents
Ask the installer to demonstrate heating, cooling, controls and any zones, and confirm testing and drainage checks are complete. Learn how to clean accessible filters and what servicing the manufacturer requires. Check the finished outdoor position and pipe route against any owners corporation approval.
Collect the Certificate of Electrical Safety for the electrical work and confirm that any required plumbing compliance certificate is supplied by the responsible licensed practitioner. Keep these with the invoice, model and serial numbers, warranties and installation layout. Record outstanding work and who to contact if a fault or water leak develops.
Sources and useful links
Sources checked 7 October 2026
- Building and Plumbing Commission: mechanical services work
Victorian mechanical services scope, including single-head split installation and commissioning, and licensed practitioner responsibilities. Updated 30 June 2026.
- Energy Safe Victoria: working with tradespeople
Electrical contractor and Certificate of Electrical Safety advice; links to air conditioning guidance and public registers. Reviewed 8 September 2026.
- Australian Refrigeration Council: licence types
Refrigerant licence entitlements, including RSS03 single-head split installation and decommissioning limits.
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: owners corporation rules
Rules for exterior alterations, prior approval and common-property access. Check the actual property's rules and proposed work.
