Depending on the size of your home or business building, air conditioning can be installed for as little as $750 all the way up to tens of thousands of dollars for big commercial jobs. This will also depend on the equipment and type of installation you choose.
Starting with the basics, there are systems which are centrally located in a building there are also air conditioning systems that are installed at the point of use. These are primarily window air conditioners (which we do not install and are more of a do-it-yourself project) and mini split systems which we install and service.
Central air conditioning can be a part of your forced air system. This type of system is centrally located in your home or building and delivers cooled air through ductwork to each room. If you already have a forced air heating system, then adding air conditioning to that system is straightforward. A condenser unit is added outside and connected to your blower so that the cooled, condensed air is distributed via the blower through the ductwork. Your cost will depend on the equipment you choose and how big your house or building is.
Installing central air in a home with a different type of heating system such as radiant, radiator, boiler or electric baseboard is more expensive. A ductwork system and blower will need to be installed and this can get expensive if there isn’t easy access to be able to install the ductwork needed. We also need to install a condenser unit on the outside of the building.
The best alternative to get comfortable when a central air conditioning system is either too expensive or cannot be configured in a pre-existing building is a mini split system. This type of air conditioning installs in a wall and can effectively cool larger areas. These are attractive units that also connect to an exterior condenser. We recommend ductless mini splits when you have radiant or radiator heat and are satisfied with the quality of your heating system but still want the comfort of a central air conditioning unit. Installing a mini split system generally runs about $1500 to $4000 depending on the size of the unit and where it is being installed.