HOW TO HIRE · PLUMBING & HEATING · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire an air conditioning installer in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
An air conditioning installation in Ireland costs €1,800–€8,000 per install, typically around €3,000. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring an air conditioning installer in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers air conditioning installer work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — installation of indoor — installation of indoor and outdoor units.
- How does complexity of the system change the price?A fiddly job needs more care and more skill than a straightforward one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does specific requirements of the property change the price?Each level up adds both material and labour. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does additional features or custom installations change the price?The trickiest part of the job often takes the longest. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Selection of the — selection of the appropriate air conditioning system — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a air conditioning installer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
NO REGISTER APPLIES TO PLUMBING ITSELF. Anyone may trade as a plumber. The line that does exist is gas: any work on a gas appliance or gas pipework is restricted to the Registered Gas Installer scheme, and a plumber who is not on it may not touch the gas side of a boiler however competent they are at everything else. Ask which side of that line your job falls on before you book.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Whether any part of the job touches gas — if it does, the gas register applies and a plumbing qualification is not a substitute; A trade qualification or apprenticeship, which is voluntary but checkable; Public liability insurance, and who the insurer is; Whether they carry the parts or price them separately; A written scope naming what is isolated, drained and reinstated; How a leak discovered mid-job changes the price, agreed in advance.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect public liability, and ask specifically about water-damage cover. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers air conditioning installer work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — installation of indoor — installation of indoor and outdoor units.
A good answer: A fiddly job needs more care and more skill than a straightforward one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Each level up adds both material and labour. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The trickiest part of the job often takes the longest. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Selection of the — selection of the appropriate air conditioning system — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a air conditioning installer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect public liability, and ask specifically about water-damage cover — initial consultation and — initial consultation and assessment of the space.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the air conditioning installer starts, and an itemised invoice after — what does this service include? — this service includes a comprehensive assessment, the installation of the chosen air conditioning system, and a demonstration of its operation.
Getting the quote right
- Complexity of the system — a fiddly job needs more care and more skill than a straightforward one.
- Specific requirements of the property — each level up adds both material and labour.
- Additional features or custom installations — the trickiest part of the job often takes the longest.
- What does this service include? — it moves the price in both directions depending on the job.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: complexity of the system — a fiddly job needs more care and more skill than a straightforward one
- They will not talk about it: specific requirements of the property — each level up adds both material and labour
- They will not talk about it: additional features or custom installations — the trickiest part of the job often takes the longest
- A price for the air conditioning installer before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the air conditioning installer has begun
What an air conditioning installer costs: €1,800–€8,000 per install
The figures are for the job, per install, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Split system installation and Ducted system installation each carry their own band. Air Conditioning Installation price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Air conditioning installers near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstComplexity of the system — a fiddly job needs more care and more skill than a straightforward one — that is what the air conditioning installer is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneSpecific requirements of the property — each level up adds both material and labour — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfAdditional features or custom installations — the trickiest part of the job often takes the longest — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherWhat does this service include? — it moves the price in both directions depending on the job — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the air conditioning installer is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, evaluate the need for regular maintenance and servicing.
- What does this service include?
- This service includes a comprehensive assessment, the installation of the chosen air conditioning system, and a demonstration of its operation.
- Initial consultation and
- Initial consultation and assessment of the space.
- Selection of the
- Selection of the appropriate air conditioning system.
- Installation of indoor
- Installation of indoor and outdoor units.
- Split System Installation
- Installing a split air conditioning system, which includes both an indoor and outdoor unit.
- Ducted System Installation
- Setting up a ducted air conditioning system that distributes air through ductwork.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring an air conditioning installer: questions people ask
Investing in air conditioning can significantly enhance comfort and improve indoor air quality, making it a worthwhile consideration for many properties. The work typically involves assessing the space, selecting the appropriate system, and installing the necessary components, including indoor and outdoor units, ductwork, and electrical connections.
The best system depends on your home's size, layout, and cooling needs; a professional can help assess and recommend the right option. The scope of installation can vary based on the type of system chosen, the size of the property, and any additional features like smart thermostats or zoning systems.
Regular maintenance, including filter changes and system checks, is crucial for long-term efficiency and performance. Evaluate the need for regular maintenance and servicing.
NO REGISTER APPLIES TO PLUMBING ITSELF. Anyone may trade as a plumber. The line that does exist is gas: any work on a gas appliance or gas pipework is restricted to the Registered Gas Installer scheme, and a plumber who is not on it may not touch the gas side of a boiler however competent they are at everything else. Ask which side of that line your job falls on before you book.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.
Two or three, each for the same written scope. Quotes for different scopes are not comparable, which is how the cheapest one wins and then grows.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in plumbing & heating
Air conditioning installers near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- CRU — RGI and Safe Electric schemes
- CCPC — your rights when you buy a service
- Consumer Rights Act 2022
- Courts Service — small claims
- Revenue — PLUMBING SERVICES (Private dwellings/Non-residential immovable goods) — Reduced rate
- Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
- Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only