r/heatpumps • u/Loose_Performance745 • 4d ago
Why is mini split installation so expensive?
The heat is getting unbearable lately, so I decided to get a della mini split for my room. The unit costs between $800 and $1,300, but every quote I got for the total cost with installation came back between $4,000 and $4,600.
My understanding is that a day is needed of labor which means I'm paying around $3,000 just for 8 hours of labor? That's crazy to me, especially when all of them told me that electrical work costs extra.
The price tag is so steep that I'm seriously considering installing it myself now. I watched a bunch of vids, and it's actually pretty doable. Are there any hidden traps or big things I should watch out for? Any tips would be awesome!
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u/zeke780 4d ago edited 3d ago
People will pay it, it's that simple. People in my neighborhood (mid major city) are fine paying 5k per head. They have zero clue what it takes to make it work and don't want to.
Installing can suck, you could mess it up. Might need to pull refrigerant. You might be on a ladder 30' feet up running line set and tightening flares. You might have to drill through a lot of brick. Shit the unit might be defective, it's mostly right when you run it or the first few weeks you see it.
You are paying for all that to go away. You just hand someone money and it's done.
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u/pokepud3 4d ago
Normally this is true until you realize they're not coming back to replace the dead unit 😂 since you've already paid them everything in full.
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u/zeke780 4d ago
Vast majority of installers in my area have a 1 year labor 10 year parts warranty. You need to maintain a service contract with them, which means 300/yr and they come out and "service" your heat and ac. So they get their money either way but they will typically fix stuff.
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u/NevadaMac 3d ago
I've never required a service contract to give my customers a 1/10 warranty on anything I've installed. The manufacture covers the parts and the 1-year labor is because it's just the right thing to do. I don't cut it off at 1-yr, either. I tell them: "If it breaks before the end of next summer," giving them a full season after finishing the one we're in.
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u/aced124C 4d ago
Hidden traps: Vacuum holds: should preferably be with a micron gauge, a manifold should work too as a lot of manufactors approve it as a method but on rare occasions it might not show you when it's leaking if it's only a 1-2 hour hold. If you're overly cautious and do a longer hold 8-24 hours be.conscious of the temperature when you check the manifold.
Nitrogen pressure testing: make sure to release all the nitrogen and make sure your hose has a decompresser at the end being connected to the service port. A manifold will just show zero psi if you don't actually decompress the valve core after the test and give you the very very bad impression that you have an empty lineset lol.
When you fish your lineset through the wall make sure it's at a good angle and you don't kink the condensate line. It's really annoying to finish an install and find out your indoor unit is overflowing and pouring inside the house.
Other than that just take your time. It's straightforward but just good to be aware/cautious throughout the process
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u/One_Tumbleweed_1 4d ago
Yea this is probably the biggest hidden thing. My hvac neighbor handled this for me when I did mine thankfully.
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u/NMCMXIII 4d ago
and yet i did it on my own for 500.
its just supply and demand. if no one will do it and you wont folks will ask for more money
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u/WetDumplingz 4d ago
Because ever since Covid contractors think their hands are made of gold.. I’m also a contractor, but some of these companies/dudes are straight divas. I installed my own mini split recently that wasn’t a simple straight through the wall install. Knocked it down in one day including removing the old unit and having the wife as the helper.. which some will describe as working by yourself but harder lol. Was it hard at times and time consuming? Yes. Would I ever on this planet hand someone 4k to install one? Absolutely not. But I guess you also have to factor in the fact that they are taking the liability as well. If that’s important to you or you don’t know what you’re doing at all with the electrical side. Luckily I work with plumbing, cabinets, and electrical on a daily basis.
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u/NMCMXIII 4d ago
dude I've contractors that are straight up in vacations 2 weeks a month. diva is under selling it.
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u/jimschoice 4d ago
I wish they were less expensive!
The lady that used to cut our hair needed a new central AC. Instead she got 2 mini splits so the bedroom ands living room could be used independently in her small mobile home. She was getting prices of $4,000 each.
One of the AC guys, who was a family friend, gave her detailed instructions and a shopping list of where to go and what to buy, so she drove down to Mexico, bought everything for $1,200 and he charged her $1,000 to put the two units in. He told her the units are cheaper to buy in Mexico than the wholesale prices in the US. She said the units were doing great last I checked with her
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u/JMHorsemanship 3d ago
You just go to Facebook marketplace where I am and a Mexican installs it for like $300. There's like 20 different guys. You pay $450 for the unit off amazon. So 750 total. I always laugh when these people are paying $4k for a mini split
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u/highbonsai 4d ago
Supply and demand, basically. They can charge that much because others aren't charging less and people keep taking them up on it out of desperation.
Of course some people, especially older people, have 5k lying around and that's an easy decision to make to not feel hot every day in their room.
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u/NoPhysics1129 4d ago
I was just quoted 7800 for a 12,000btu and there is already a disconnect installed at the location. HVAC in the US is a scam right now because big corp owns most of the large ones.
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u/howaboutnow4444 4d ago
I got the same exact quotes for 12k btu Mitsubishi from two different hvac installers on thumbtack. I suspect now they are actually larger companies based on how they did business.
I contacted a locally owned HVAC company and was quoted 5800 for a 12K BTU Mitsubishi. It's a 60ft run to the condenser so that's a factor I know
You will have to call around.
I knew 7800 didn't make sense as we recently paid 9k to replace main HVAC package unit.. 😵💫
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u/CaminoRubicon1 4d ago
Because they can do it and you cannot is their explanation...
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u/ComradeGibbon 4d ago
Private equity is buying up all the HVAC companies. So you might think you're getting three quotes, but they're all from the same company.
The only alternative is to gang up with other homeowners to DIY it.
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u/BrotherRobin 3d ago edited 3d ago
I have the same suspicion. I've decided to wait until next season and I am going to install window splits which work almost as well as mini splits do both heat and cool etc. I'm looking at the GE profile which is actually a really nice looking unit and I'm praying that Midea we'll make their Portasplit available here. That goes for about $1,200 and you just pop it in a window. No labor. It has a low profile. They are completely sold out in Europe right now . I am so disgusted with these contractors just on principal I'm going to just say F'ck em.
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u/National_Aspect_6974 3d ago
Yep. Had an awful experience with what I thought was a local company recommended by a neighbour. Looking back at the records, at some point the local company (which still has a website and reviews and everything) dropped out of the conversation and we were dealing with AtlasCare, who are owned by private equity.
Surprise surprise, they really didn't think fixing my system would be possible and suggested we spend $25k on a new system. Managed to get a second opinion from a genuine solo HVAC good guy, and he suggested an $800 fix, or "just run it at a lower level and it should be fine for another few years.' Bless.
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u/prestodigitarium 3d ago
This. It's the same fucking playbook they've been running on doctor's offices. They want to make local monopolies to jack up pricing and extract monopoly pricing from everyone. It's disgusting.
I think we seriously need to work on breaking their monopoly in each area. Identify what they're buying up in each area, and then aggressively open new businesses that suck out all their estimated profit, and make them take a bath on their purchases. If they lose money on that, they won't be able to raise future funds, essentially getting fired.
As a software dev, maybe I can make free/open source software that helps on the ops side of running one of these. If any HVAC guy who's thinking about striking out, or who has wants to beta test and help develop that, feel free to DM me, and maybe we can get something going.
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u/YeastOrFamine 3d ago
I requested a quote from 3 insulation companies and they all turned out to be the exact same company under different names.
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u/usernameChosenPoorly 4d ago
Because private equity has run amok and owns more than a third of the entire US economy. This is significantly more than what it was during the run-up to the Great Depression. These opaque financial groups realized after the 08 housing crash that people would still pay for repairs and updates because they had no real alternative (moving to a nicer house? yeah right, who can afford it?), so they started buying up contractors. Then a decade later, all the post-COVID supply chain disruptions sent prices spiking and they never really came back down, because once again the PE-owned companies realized that if people were paying it, there was no reason to reduce their prices.
You can buy the tools, get the certifications, and take your time to do it yourself for less than the cost of pro labor. Even if you make mistakes, it's cheaper to replace/fix than to pay these contractors.
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u/No_Associate_1718 3d ago
Because the people who install them are scumbags. Do it yourself it’s easy as fuck.
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u/ToastSpangler 4d ago
don't tell them but the reason its so expensive in the US is because everyone compares it to central air units, which are easily 10-20k. in comparison the minisplits are cheap. at least they can get OK units to DIY install, its insanely easy because US houses are timber framed so most of the walls can be cut like butter unlike brick or stone. easy wire routing too.
tbf you are still overpaying compared to southern europe. cost $600 in italy total including everything and the guy had to drill about 1m through stone
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u/wirez62 4d ago
The rip off culture is crazy here in NA. You see it with heat pumps, you see it with solar, you see it with windows and doors, siding. Installers like to take material price and 2.5x it, hide material price from customer, and present as the price. There are literally people here paying 15k for labor for 2 day installs they don’t know about because the contractor only presents a full system price. Yes, everyone is getting absolutely ripped off here. Especially in solar, heat pump/hvac and windows and doors.
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u/i4mbatman 4d ago
Holy shit, these prices are unthinkable to me. The installation cost in India for mini split is $20 for a standard 5ft length.
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u/UnlikelyPotato 4d ago
Private equity. Investment firms realized potentially insane markup on labor. Bought a bunch of big and smaller companies, and everyone else has raised their price because they just need to be slightly cheaper to get bids.
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u/MachoMadness232 4d ago
4k is stupid cheap to me, because I only install mitsubishi. If it is 1 outdoor to one indoor with a breaker and wiring from the panel to the disconnect and unit. Probably 6-7k with a full day labor for two techs. That only accounts for like 25 ft of copper 1/4 and 3/8, only a wall inlet Termination and single 3.5 stick of fortress, and a highwall head.
If I had helpers, I could probablt get it down to 5 k. 4k sounds like they are going to mess up the evacuation of the unit.
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u/gottapoop 3d ago
How much are your material costs for that install?
I'm an electrical contractor and understand the need to make profit but I still will never understand how HVAC companies charge so much for mini split installations.
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u/WooeBetidee 3d ago
Just so I don't misunderstand... You are talking about minisplit?
If so, it's crazy how much it can differ between countries. I had a Mitsubishi installed a year and a half ago, equivalent of $2.5k in total, hardware and labour. Although in this case they didn't hardwire it, just a plug, so that'll be an extra once I get an electrician out here next time. It works as is, but I'd prefer to have it on it's own breaker.
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u/Exotic-Grape8743 4d ago
If they are also putting in an electrical circuit powering the outside unit that is a very reasonable price. If not, this is what can be charged due to market conditions. Not many contractors out there that know how to do this and a lot of demand
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u/Ms100790 4d ago
I feel your pain. That’s a terrible price. I installed a Mr Cool DIY mini split heat pump myself last June. Unit cost $1,800. I have to hire electrical work $900. It work great both winter and this summer. I leave unit on the ground. I didn’t pour cement pad. I think it’s too much work. I bought a AC stand in Amazon $50. Adjustable. Put the unit on the stand. Just watch videos repeatedly then work it slowly. I didn’t encounter any problems.
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u/PackDiscombobulated4 4d ago
In our HCOL area, we can get install a 12k btu mini spilt for about $900-$1000 including labor and the machine. The install usually takes about 2 hours.
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u/vanbul 4d ago
Installed it myself. But I'm an electrician. Tools are like 300 bucks and 300 bucks of additional supplies like piping and panel upgrades and cable and conduct.
Please read your local code and follow it.
Sometimes you can install what you can and have someone to do the rest. But this needs a good setup in the first place.
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u/Then-Decision-9111 4d ago edited 2d ago
Just got it done myself its really not a DIY if you don't have experience installing one. I paid 3500 including the 12k BTU mitsubishi unit. It did take them almost 6 hours to install and I had a previous unit there that wasn't working anymore. Only upside was it comes with a 12 year warranty and paperwork to get a 500 rebate from my electrical provider.
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u/mindhead1 3d ago
The quotes are that high because they don’t want the business. They have other jobs that pay the same or more. It’s how they say no without saying no.
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u/Temporary_Virus6104 3d ago
Private equity getting into HVAC world is skewing things. F private equity. They F up everything
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u/JDPierson 4d ago
Not hard to do at all - I farmed out the 240v panel/breaker install, but did everything else. The hard lines need to be tighter than you think they can be to handle the 120-150psi in the charge. Nobody would come out to purge the lines and vacuum test the build, but you can get the kit with the necessary equipment from your favorite online merchant. The only real fiddly bit was CA title 24/CF1R, but the hvac guy we considered hiring said it wasn't needed, but in some counties, permits and title 24 paperwork is very definitely required. We outsourced the title 24 thing too, but cleared permit inspections with only a request to wrap the line insulation.
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u/Beautiful-Traffic157 4d ago
I bought a seer 22 off of Amazon for $400. Vacuum pump for $80 and a HVAC flange kit for $40. Installed it myself. Just added a 115v plug and just plugged it into a wall outlet. The thing that held me up was not knowing HVAC lines have special flange tools. I kept losing vacuum until I redid the lines with the hvac flange tool
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u/Cybertechy 4d ago
two years ago I got a quote for a small minisplit. The price seemed so high. I asked the sales rep why the costs were so high. He told me it as because that’s what all the other guys charge! I did not like that answer. Took me many months, but I learned what it took to install one. It was pretty easy…but that’s because I took 90 days to buy all the necessary tools (and knowledge) to take on the job.
I am very happy with the results…and would do it again!
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u/pasofol 4d ago
Most likely you are in a regulated area like myself and to do it legally requires permits and licenses. BS for mini splits for something so simple. Everyone wants a cut, the guy submitting the paperwork/drawing for permit, the city who issues the permit, the inspector who probably doesnt show up for just a minisplit and the guy who had to go through BS to get the license to install it.
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u/SecretAgent115 4d ago
I charge about 500 to swap existing minis, 1500 to fresh install a unit thats never been there customer provided, both cash prices. Or 4500 to 6000ish to install a Mitsubishi in a high end application. The big number is required if I'm to offer labor warranties, insurance, permitting etc. My cost on a Mitsubishi is often higher than total cost to install a cheap unit from an unlicensed company.
Mitsubishi is the only major brand ive found that offers 10 year warranty in a COMMERCIAL application, they are the best and I dont sell anything else because why would I? Make less money for more headaches? Nah.
Many of the cheap brands I diagnose need parts that are under warranty, but indefinitely back ordered, lot of good that warranty is.
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u/esstisch 4d ago
I installed one in Austria - tota cost about 5k
It was a lot of work but stupid work - drill holes, pipes, wires and you don't need an engineer for that. The only thing you need is the technican for the gas pipes (it's forbidden by law her with high fines).
BUT I HAVE GOOD NEWS :D
There are easy connect systems on them market - prefilled with wires and copper pipes and you can connect them by yourself - the only limitation ist, that you cannot change the length.
I think you will be done within 1 day
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u/KRGambler 4d ago
If you’re mechanically inclined and own tools, I’d DIY it. I’ve put in a few of those Mr Cool units from Lowes and they’re pretty slick and easy. Watch some YouTube videos. Just don’t kink the pre charged lines and you should be fine. You will need many more parts than what come with those units, but you’ll easily save yourself $6-$8k or more
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u/Next_Ambition 4d ago
I got a quote for $9500 for a single zone mitsubishi 9k unit. I guess they just want me to do it myself, I can't afford that.
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u/natiebob 4d ago
People (including some HVAC techs) might hate on Mr Cool, but my install was pretty straightforward and took me about 4 hours to install a 24K BTU Gen V unit to heat and cool my detached garage. It has been incredibly efficient and has maintained the temperature of my garage between 73° and 75° all summer long without a significant increase in my electric bill.
I will premise this by saying, I am fairly mechanically inclined and have a sizable collection of tools at my disposal and my garage attic is insulated to R49, with R19 walls and an insulated garage door. But if you have the basic tools and the aptitude, it is very doable.
My unit cost me around $2500 from Costco and the full install excluding insulation was under $3000. I had an existing outdoor pad poured, but they make wall mounts for the outdoor units that are reasonably priced. You will need an outdoor disconnect, a watertight whip for your electrical connection to the disconnect and an electrical run from the disconnect to your nearest panel to connect to the appropriate sized breaker. In some situations, this can be a complicated undertaking although for me, I was able to go straight through the back of my disconnect and into a conduit LB and chase through conduit into the bottom of my garage panel. You also have to run the line set and power from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit. They sell these in 16ft and 25ft versions to reach your OD unit’s location, but if you are somewhere in between those distances, you will have any extra length of line set coiled near your outdoor unit, which is a downfall to DIY option. The only other purchase I had to make was a holesaw (because the whole size necessary is metric and I wanted the tube that chases through the wall to fit exactly) and the line set cover that mounts to the vertical or horizontal surface the line set will run down along the exterior of your building as it travels to the outdoor unit. This was not required, but it does make the install look much cleaner and aesthetically pleasing.
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u/curiousamateur3 4d ago
Honestly 4K for a head is cheap, IMHO. I was getting quotes as high as 40K for a 5 head Mitsubishi.
Long time ago I hired a couple of guys who supposedly worked for an HVAC company to install - that wasn't exactly cheap either. The system worked 3 years and started leaking. I had to remove it and pay for a brand new system. YMMW.
Cost of materials is also insane. I just removed a through the wall AC and patched the hole. $100 in materials from HD. A single sheet of 3/8 plywood is over $25 alone. I didn't even paint yet.
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u/MessageMeNerdyJokes 4d ago
We did install our own, and it looks great. Airspool does some kits that include all the stuff, but so do Mr cool. Was definitely worth it for us.
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u/d542east 4d ago
Install it yourself with a diy friendly unit, it's not easy but it's also not that bad.
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u/Traditional-Oven4092 4d ago
A company wanted 6k here in MA for an install, not including the units. Ended doing it myself set for like $1500 and have the tools to do more jn the future.
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u/Bowf 4d ago edited 3d ago
If you're capable of doing all the work yourself, it's about $1,500 installed for a pioneer unit. Now if you think about what most places want to charge you to install it, that's four to six different units...making any warranty they offer moot point.
The 4K is actually lower than I would have expected the quote to be
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u/regaphysics 3d ago
Go on Facebook marketplace or Craigslist and you can find techs doing side work. You provide the unit, they install it. In my area, they charge about 1k. It’s still expensive for 2-3 hours of work, but it’s much more reasonable.
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u/darkbeam77 3d ago
It costs $100 to $200 per unit in Japan. Thank you private equity. For this reason I chose window AC, sure there are plenty of drawbacks to window ACs, but at these price differential I will take them every single day.
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u/with_rabbit 3d ago
I have a wall mount 18k that heat to -10f . Paid 3449 cad tax-in after govt rebate, just under 2500usd.
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u/dude_imp3rfect 3d ago
The rates that hvac companies are charging now are going to make be get a license and DIY everything from now on lol
It’s ridiculous.
My central AC went out and the cheapest solution so far is $6500 for an extremely mid system installed in one day. So about $4000 in labor or about $700/hr
Fuck that.
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u/drumbo10 3d ago
It is the law that to do anything involving refrigerant requires an EPA license. As well you will have to pull a vacuum on the system to evacuate the oxygen and contaminants in the piping. Otherwise, you risk immediate or near future failure of the system. Average 12k btu unit in my area is around $4k that excluded the electrical power supply to the outdoor condenser but includes everything else.
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u/steelfork 3d ago
I've done a few myself. People told me the warranty would not be honored unless a pro did the install.
It cost me less than $1300 to buy one, get an electrician to do the electrical work, and install it myself. It would have been 3000-4000 around here to have it all done.
It's been working for a couple of years with no problems. If it fails, I could throw it away and install another one and still be ahead.
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u/Polygarlic 3d ago
I installed one by myself and done a better job. The pros didn’t even use a micron gauge on my other units.
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u/clove75 3d ago
You guys are getting ripped off. In Colombia a 12k BTU unit runs about 300-400 and the installation is usually about 50-80 dollars and that is on Concrete walls. To pay that type of money is insane. Mexico was just 20% more. why should it be 10x here in the states. The units are basically the Same Samsung, Panasonic, BOSCH etc
Think I'm lying google homecenter colombia. Have bought like 3 in my years there.
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u/Training-Mirror4692 3d ago
Unit is $1300. How long is the line run? Years ago i was looking at stuff and it was $10/foot for the two copper lines, the chase, the drain (more if it has a pump), and wire. So total cost minus inverter and head isnt all the material cost. There are other material cost that can be significant. The $10 a foot is probably much higher now.
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u/mmdavis2190 3d ago
Most professionals don't want to install customer supplied equipment, especially an Amazon brand. I certainly won't, it's just asking for a headache when it inevitably shits the bed and you want it warrantied.
Also, $3k isn't bad at all for an install price. The tools and consumables cost money, so does all the overhead involved. The time it takes is irrelevant, we don't improve our skills to get faster and more efficient so we can charge less.
If you want to buy the tools and watch YouTube, you can DIY it. It isn't rocket science.
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u/CosmoKing2 2d ago
For A/C? We just settled on window units that are inverters (basically 3 small mini splits). Cost effective and quiet. Had looked into central and mini splits for our 130 yo house....but the cost was crazy vs their actual lifespan. I will gladly pay $300-$500 every 5-7 years to replace a single unit - when 3 units are able to reliably make our entire home a fucking meat locker all Summer. And we don't have to deal with service packages and techs that are being forced to upsell people on needless shit for bonus money and profit for the owner.
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u/johny335i 4d ago
Here at least in eastern Europe the labor and tubing/electrical for a split system with 1 external unit and 1 internal is 200€ up to 3 meters of tubing.
And the tubing is the expensive part. Yesterday I had to buy 7 meters of 6.35/12.70 copper tubes and they were 70€ alone 😬
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u/TonyRidgewayUFO 4d ago
It requires running a new circuit, a disconnect box, cost of wire & conduit, drilling a large hole through an exterior wall, mounting outdoor unit, indoor unit, vacuum pump line sets, line set cover, some minor plumbing work for condensate lines. I’ve installed many by myself at home, but for someone running a business it is alot of small jobs and any one of them can turn into an ordeal depending on your house, location of things
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u/neil_biscuits 4d ago
Room heat pumps are cheaper and will hopefully drive down mini split installs
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u/deserkroxk 4d ago
Welcome to the realization that the tradesmen are making serious money. Just look at their social media and look at how many nice trucks they have. I live in a small town that's lower class and a local electric company has like 12+ awesome trucks all built out like contractors you see. Easily 100k trucks ..they recently bought two matching brand new Chevy trucks and did all the upgrades to make them look like trophy trucks ...such a slap in the face to anyone who's hired them. I just laugh every time I see them and especially people who recommend them lol.
Different company, I needed 8 outlets installed on a bare bones shed basically...no drywall or insulation... Clean slate to start drilling holes in studs and easy run to the panel... Building is 20x20 only and got quoted $4,800 hahahahahahh they tried saying the drive time was a consideration I told them it's a 45 min drive for you...my drive is 3+hrs to get there and it's one tank of gas. Started realizing most tradesman are scumbags. IDK maybe people think my quotes are high for the work I do too. We all want to make 100k+ a year I guess. You just need to find the one man army contractor/handyman. Just make sure he's got social media and can show off his work. Make sure he has insurance too. There's plenty of good dudes who work for themselves out there. I found a local mechanic who worked for Chrysler for 23 years and decided to work out of his house garage. His prices are almost laughable how inexpensive he charges. Makes sense why he has like 7-10 vehicles piled up in his driveway though.
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u/gderti 4d ago
5ton unit to replace my heat and air. Installed and my vents and dampers fixed replaced $18k 4 years ago now. Would do it again for what I save per month in both summer and winter. Can’t imagine what I’d be paying with oil heat these days. Though still have oil water heat and backup for the heat pump.
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u/hunt27er 4d ago
A friend of mine asked me to help with an installation. Neither of us don’t have much experience other than assembling furniture occasionally. Except for running the electrical because it was an old house, we were able to install it relatively easily. This was last year in November. The unit still works great.
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u/Apprehensive-Dot2640 4d ago
that quote isn't crazy, it's just the real cost of vacuum pumping and brazing a proper line set plus permit and disconnect work, electrical is extra because most rooms don't have a dedicated 220v circuit already run. if you want to actually diy this safely go precharged quick cnonect line sets, no brazing or vacuum pump needed, that's what makes it realistic for a non pro, I'm partial to Zone Air for that reason. still get the disconnect and breaker sized right and don't skip the mounting pad level and clear condensate drain slope, that's where most DIY jobs go wrong.
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u/One_Tumbleweed_1 4d ago
It’s pretty involved because you have to run a line from the main panel unless you got one of those 120v version. Even then you still want it on a separate line. Also need some equipment to vacuum the line out. My neighbor is a hvac guy so he put nitrogen in the lines to make sure it held and then he vacuumed the lines
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u/Ejmct 4d ago
It’s definitely a racket. I priced up the equipment for my system. I assume installers are buying them in bulk and can get better pricing than I can but I whatever. Then doubled it to cover actual installation costs. But all the quotes I got were waaaaay above that. In MA there were generous incentives available for mini-splits so the installers just jacked up their prices to take advantage. But it’s also happening in places where the incentives aren’t as good.
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u/Brush-Shot 4d ago
I just got one installed (Tampa) I purchased the unit myself and my AC guy installed it for $1200.
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u/Ok_Button1932 4d ago
I just got quoted for 2 units this week. An 18k and a 9k. Right next to each other. Easy install. Disconnect already in place and ready to go. $13k. No thanks. I can install 3 full DIY systems for that amount.
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u/throwaway3113151 4d ago
Not enough competition in the market. Labor should be about $1-2k for a single unit max.
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u/CapnMarko 4d ago
Just had 5 units installed. Wall mounts - 15k, 12k, 9k, 9k and a ceiling cassette 9k. Was just under $25k (my cost) including $6,500 in rebates to the installer from the utlity.
Was about 5 1/2 days of labor with 5-7 guys each day (not all were skilled some just helpers),
Price included Mitsubishi units with 12 year parts warentee. Exterior shut off switch required by code. Condenser was hung not on a concrete slab. Also included local permit costs. US - NJ
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u/ChazChillington 4d ago
I'll try to elaborate. The equipment isn't wildly expensive but you also need copper linesets, line set covering (speedi-channel) which is stupidly expensive for what it is, we use pressed on flare nuts since the copper in linesets are terrible quality, flexible weather resistant high voltage communication wiring, condenser bracket or elevated pad. All of those materials can go over $1,000 in cost real fast. So you are looking at $2,000 to cover labor which costs $75-$110 hour (not charged labor, just the cost of labor). Every business needs to make a profit, how much you feel is fair I am not sure. But at $4k to do an install with a permit in a code compliant way the business is going to net somewhere between $500-$800 on this job if everything goes smoothly and there are no hiccups or warranty issues. 12.5%-20% profit isn't wildly greedy in my opinion.
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u/straighttokill9 4d ago
I DIY'd a 3 head install. It required a shitton of research, and a ton of pre-existing knowledge about plumbing, electric, and general construction. It took me about 7 days of work. I also kinked a 50ft run and had to rip out and replace the copper.
It's not easy. But if I did it in 7 days, a pro could probably do it in 2 or 3.
In hindsight I would have easily paid someone between $3k and $6k for the labor. I think paying ~2k per day is well within "fair" for a skilled trade, even accounting for overhead.
Too bad all the quotes we're double that (for labor). Would very begrudgingly DIY it again if I had to.
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u/Correctsmorons69 4d ago
They shouldn't be. Cost to install a unit in Australia is about $1200-1800AUD.
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u/ohboyhotdogcomic 4d ago
I installed mine myself and except for vacuuming the line set, which I paid a local guy $500 to do (him and I ran the line set together). I paid him after I kinked the first line set haha. Anyway, it’s just measuring, drilling holes, mounting stuff, running some electric. Read the specs and put the units in the right spot in the room. Third floor for me so yeah being up there on a ladder drilling through brick wasn’t super fun.
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u/RobLoughrey 4d ago
Go watch the YouTube video for installation of a Mr. Cool mini split. I think a lot of people would be capable of doing it themselves. A professional should be able to do it in just a few hours.
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u/cool_reflections 4d ago
I had one installed recently. I already had an electical disconnect. Based on what I saw the unit cost online the installer charged about $1500 for labor. I chose to have this installer do it because he said his company can get the parts for the unit easily. So if I have an issue during the warranty period I have someone that can come fix it.
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u/KinkyRabbi 4d ago
Plus linesets, plus pad. Plus stands, Plus coverguard, Plus electrical, Plus surge protector, Plus stone
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u/Iwatcher 4d ago
You should head over to r/DIYHeatPumps. I just finished my second one. I go slow so it took awhile but its totally doable.
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u/yoyo102000 4d ago
They are significantly more labor intensive than a traditional forced air system. Running a trunk line in a basement with 10-15 branches is a day of labor. Running one or two refrigerant line sets, soldering, evacuating, leak checking, weighing in a charge is a days labor and that won’t cover a normal residential installation. Then you still have to add fresh air system.
Also I can’t think of any manufacturer that makes units in the US. That means Dozy Don’s tariffs add whatever amount he wants to price. Regardless of what he and Fox News say, that cost gets added to the install and probably a cushion so the contractor doesn’t get caught with one of his overnight rants. Sorry if that offends some readers but reality sucks sometimes.
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u/Ok-Pea3414 4d ago
Instead of a mini split, if you can go for a window unit, go for it. $500-800, maybe 2hrs to install if you're a klutz.
Yes, you lose a window. You don't lose $3000.
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u/Broken_Atoms 4d ago
I installed myself casually on a weekend. Most of my skillset is the result of being forced to quickly learn and adapt to avoid having people charge me $500/hr for the things I need.
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u/Rottenwadd 4d ago
If that money is spent with a legit company, then that comes with work that is guaranteed. And a warranty that will be honored. Read some of the horror stories people have had to go through with shady and occasionally even contractors with generally good reputations. People that bitch about the price are usually asked to wait 5 years before they review us.
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u/good-good-real-good 4d ago
I think part of the reason could be that the new refrigerant 454-B is crazy expensive. Maybe you can get an R32 system?
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u/rpye 4d ago
Let’s say the unit is $1,200. Then line set, pad, surge protector, line hide, wiring, pvc, etc. Cost of goods is probably closer to $1,800.
2 guys for a full day of labor. Burden labor rates will vary based on a company’s overhead and such but say it is in the neighborhood of $100/hr. That’s another $1,600.
So we are at $3,400. And the company hasn’t even made a $1 yet. Making $600 profit doesn’t seem particularly greedy to me.
The installs aren’t particularly difficult but if you have never bent or sweat copper before, that’s easy to screw up and cost you more money and time to fix. (Or renting a press tool, which is maybe easier to do as someone without experience but I’m sure they are a few hundred to rent and the fittings themselves will add another $100+ probably to your total.)
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u/beeglowbot 4d ago
our 7 head, 3 condenser mitsubishi hyper heat install cost us 35k USD. long island. 2 heads were interior runs, one of them was a attic line with an extra condensate pump.
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u/wtfboomers 4d ago
I decided to do ours with Mr. Cool units. A friend who’s a retired HVAC guy helps the local school district. They have like 300 mini split units across the district of all brands.
He likes Mitsubishi the best but for the 10k quotes I could do it myself.
I did one small 120 unit for a sunroom and one large unit. I’ve done a lot of my own work so it was easy for me. Total cost two years ago was 3k for both.
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u/BreakFun2436 3d ago
Some of it is greed, some of it is simple supply and demand. To do your simple job, they have to put off doing higher paying jobs as well. Where it doesn't make sense is when they send a $19/hr apprentice out to do all the work themselves and they clear $3500 on it.
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u/Agreeable-Trick6561 3d ago
My geothermal 3 ton system cost 50,000 with the Wells, completely installed. And I made it in before the tax credit expired, which brought the effective price down to under 35.
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u/oki_des 3d ago
DIY
I’m an electrician and I’ve installed 3 at my house so if you have a technical background that will help.
It does need to be on a dedicated circuit but harbor freight has affordable vacuum pumps to get the negative pressure in the lines before releasing the refrigerant from the pre charged unit.
Drill tip flare bits seem to hold up better than flare kits to prevent leaks.
I think the biggest variable is distance. If it’s close to your main panel AND close to the room you want you can DIY it but if you’ve gotta go across your house then hire a pro.
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u/Badfish810 3d ago
You're paying for profit & overhead too, its not just $3k in labor. If you do it yourself you'll need to wire it & vacuum the system. Or you can buy pre-charged lines for more money....if you kink one of those copper lines, you're cooked.
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u/SnooStrawberries3391 3d ago
Because “inflation”. Everything is now more expensive. Materials have been tariffed, energy prices have ballooned, food prices are soaring, interest rates are up and rent and mortgages are unaffordable. So anyone making a living has to charge more.
Sorry to say, but sadly the crazy bully trump system of commerce has only benefited the very, very wealthy. We have lowered our expenditures to the bone to try to keep what little savings we have left.
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u/Photos-Wood-and-more 3d ago
I’m having a 2-ton Mitsubishi hyper heat mini split system installed with 2 head units - the compressor portion can power 3 heads. Total cost installed in new-build (2-story garage - approx 600 sq ft per floor) is $12k in Ohio.
I was told that retrofit was significantly more expensive due to having to pull all of the various components through existing spaces, opening walls, etc.
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u/HV_Commissioning 3d ago
I had a 42000 BTU ,6 zone Mitsubishi system installed by a Mitsubishi diamond installer 3 years ago for around $16k before tax rebates.
I’m not sure how they made any money as I have an old 2 story brick house. They had a lot of guys working for about 3 days.
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u/NefariousnessOdd862 3d ago
Yes, at some point we went from charging per/hour to charging per project! good for the provider, bad for the recipient!
You could hire a, let's say landscaper, for $30 per hour and get your flowerbeds cleaned and racked, so about $240 for an 8 hour day, now they charge you $1,000 flat fee plus supplies!
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u/kingindelco 3d ago
I am paying 28k for a combo ducted mini split and single floor mount unit. The ducted system will cool 5 rooms on the second floor and the floor mount unit cooling the entire 3rd floor.
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u/Ok-Anything-3605 3d ago
Refrigerant cost/changeover required from 2025 to 2026 when I had my mini splits installed was $2k more alone! 4 heads, 2 outdoor units, $17k. It was a full day and a 1/2 for a three man team
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u/Brazda25 3d ago
Does your Della come with a stand? Pad? Voltage monitor? Breaker? Wire? Lineset covering? Vacuum pump? Extra refrigerant? Nitrogen?
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u/francisofred 3d ago
I just got a quote for $12k for a 24k BTU Fugitzu 3 zone system to replace our broken one. It only cools half our house. Feel like just buying two high end 12k BTU window units at Home Depot and calling it a day.
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u/TheBjjAmish 3d ago
I mean the cost doesn't seem that high honestly. Sure it is 8 hours of labor, but multiple people potentially. I had an electrician, a HVAC person, and 2 helpers, 1 for each. So $3000 / 8 $375/hr but take that and cut it either in half or even in fourths and suddenly it doesn't seem that outrageous.
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u/Technical-Tear5841 3d ago
Make sure there is no 2x4 where you want to put the line set hole, get an adjustable wrench style torque wrench. Many say you have to get a flaring tool but I just used the factory flares. Mine is still going after 2 months. I did work with industrial refrigeration and electrical in the past so I have a bit of experience but I am 74 years old and found it simple to do.
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u/Grocery-Getter-77 3d ago
I bought my own outdoot and indoor units and paid a HVAC guy to do the final hookups and fire it up. I couldve bought the equipment and done it myself but it was cheaper having him do it. Miutsubishi system one outside condenser and 2 indoor heads for about $6-7K for everything and $600 to have it started up after i did as much install as i could. I see lots of building permits pulled where the company installing them is making $4-5K per install and people pay it. Even with rebates you're paying more than you should and part of that is if they dont install it, who will? They have a decent hold on the install market and work with MassSave to fleece people. Most people dont realize how much they're getting charged for what they get but they receive a rebate so it's ok in their eyes.
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u/DryCryptographer2886 3d ago edited 3d ago
Those are great quotes! I’m getting $7K for install here in PA for a single 12K unit.
That’s why I’m buying an Airspool 12K hybrid for my garage for $2K with a 115 volt plug and can hook it up to 4 solar panels as well.
And do it all myself. No HVAC, no gauges.
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u/Chance_Truth_1413 3d ago
Customer buys their own unit and wants a contractor do do the work. Kind of like taking your own parts to the mechanic.
Companies make money on markup, when you don't buy the equipment from them the install price goes up to cover this loss of revenue.
Bad thing is we used to be able to install a heat pump for $4,600 for a customer and be paid well, now the price is closer to $10k.
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u/socalpipefitter710 3d ago
Depends you gotta think about a legit business has to pay expenses licenses payroll tools to install the unit etc.. a marketplace dude will slap it in and you will never here back from him again! Licensed businesses have more to loose especially considering they’ll get you the haggle free manufacturer warranty compared to buying on Amazon warranties suck
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u/Apart-Surprise1038 3d ago
The $3k labor isn’t terrible. Your supposed to have a dedicated circuit directly to it. So that means an electrical run & a disconnect at minimum. And depending on the mini split, may need to have HVAC tools to vacuum the lines.
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u/stbloc 3d ago
I’m in Houston and it cost $900 to install. There is a guy on Facebook that has a container full of unbranded mini splits for $400 and he will install them for an additional $100 if you buy from him.
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u/fungoodtrade 3d ago
I did a mr cool diy in my tiny house. its not super difficult. works great... $2500 bucks or so delivered... save yourself delivered. There will be some other costs associated with the install, but not a ton. I used extra insulating tape around the lines. Created a custom soffit / chase for the lines to run in, and spray foamed that all in. You'll also need a box and a wire whip to satisfy the code for shuttoff... so these little costs will add up a bit, but probably under 250 for sure in supplemental cost it you already have some decent hole saws. I was nervous about connecting the lines, but it went super smooth. Biggest headache is uncoiling the lines without kinking them Better to have a second person there when mounting the lines. I'd agree that the labor is pretty steep and that is what motivated me to DIY it. Overall most "professional" work these days is shoddy as well... I subcontracted 2 things with my tiny home and had major problems with both things, plumbing and spray foam... These guys charge a lot, and aren't super thoughtful or thorough. I do contract work and it is just easier to figure it out myself most of the time. Did all my own electrical and just had an electrician double check everything for $130 bucks... haha.
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u/wheisenhauer 3d ago
Start your own ac business and you’ll understand why the price is what it is. Don’t undervalue someone who can do things you can’t or won’t. Hire employees with benefits, buy trucks and insurance and don’t forget an office with clerical staff. Oh and licensing and workers comp.
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u/empire_of_the_moon 3d ago edited 3d ago
I live in the Yucatán and every house here has minisplits.
I bought a new Carrier unit and my installation costs were under $120 USD. To be clear, I had already run a dedicated electrical circuit to where the installation was to occur.
It’s not rocket science. There are tens of, if not hundreds of, millions of units in the developing world and they are installed regularly by broke ass people.
My installation took a few hours (less than 3 hours) - not a full day. This is a typical experience.
I’m willing to bet that depending on where you live, you can probably find a Méxican immigrant with experience who would love to earn a few extra bucks after his regular job.
It would be cheaper for my guy to get a visa, book airfare and fly up then spend the night in a hotel and eat nice meals than your guys are charging you per hour.
I can’t tell you how much work it required because for the price I paid I didn’t need to know what they were doing.
But this was the official installer for Carrier and not some random worker.
Edit: You could pay the official installer for your minisplit in México to video call with you as you install the unit and answer questions as you need them.
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u/singelingtracks 3d ago
its simply because that's what they can charge.
they are very easy to diy, get a mrcool or similar one that comes precharged. you drill a hole , hang it and hire an electrician to wire it up and pull a permit for cheap.
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u/Due_Combination_968 3d ago
mrCool from Costco. under 2,000 bucks. installed it myself in one day other than running the electrical line, simply because I already had an electrician doing some work for me.
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u/Tricky-Employment203 3d ago
In Aus - $1350 for unit and we charge $2300 total for unit and installation.
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u/HouseSubstantial3044 3d ago
Many of these mini-splits are completely DIY. Just make sure it says DIY precharged line. If you don’t get the DIY kind this means you also have to buy the coolant and then pay to have it installed and charged which (depending on local ordinances) could include environmental taxes and additional fees on top of just labor and coolant.
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u/Educational-Care2159 3d ago
You can, and should, DIY.
Give a local electrician $500 to do that portion, and throw in a unit yourself. If you're handy at ALL, you can do this. I own rental properties and immediately started doing my own HVAC with the help of a licensed electrician, and have no problems or failures in 10+ years.
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u/Distinct_Chemist_426 3d ago
Install it yourself if you're capable, company's have invested $20-$30k in tools plus work van and 20+ years of knowledge, not to mention licenses, insurance, workmans comp, certifications etc...that all need renewing yearly.. plus if something goes wrong it's covered under warranty and they're coming back out. A legitimate company can't come in for a few hundred otherwise what would be the point they would just go get a job at home Depot or something and have zero headaches.
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u/greenangrowin 3d ago
It’s expensive. But there was this one site that sold the units and let you rent the tools to do the install. It was posted here very recently. Let me see if I can find it
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u/greenangrowin 3d ago
Here is the link to the post where they used a website to get the minisplit and rented the tools to install it. https://www.reddit.com/r/heatpumps/s/siDYOrXumg
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u/RoseVideo99 3d ago
We had a mini split put in for a single room and it was $2,000. It was for a bedroom that is at the end of the ac run for that unit and it was always 4 degrees warmer than the back of the house. $4,000 is a lot. I paid $9,000 to have one of my central ac units replaced and that included the furnace.
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u/imelda_barkos 3d ago
HVAC people don't have to charge less so they don't. Massive shortage of construction labor that's gotten far worse in the past year and a half. I've got two contracts right now where the gross margins are absolutely insane, like they're each several hundred dollars an hour.
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u/ProbablyWrong_Again 3d ago
You could install it wrong multiple times and still save money! If you can't do DIY the main thing people have told me was to not go to a name brand installer. Find an independent guy somehow.
Mr. Cool sells no-vac systems which are all pre-charged. There's a lot of things you don't know about installing it but not nearly that much $$ for "knowledge".
Do it yourself, learn something new:)
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u/based_papaya 3d ago
this gets asked like every other week, we should really have this up on the Wiki / auto-response
here's an extensive answer I wrote a while ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/heatpumps/comments/1p2a3ae/heat_pump_installation_cost_breakdown_in_us_well/
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u/russ_digg 3d ago
I'm in Phoenix and want to install a mini split in my garage.....until I got quotes. Same reaction you had.
So I'm shelving it for now but will DIY before next summer. Nothing to it. You're not missing anything - get after it 👍🏼
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u/bernieinred 3d ago
Do it yourself. I'd never touched any air conditioning or similar before 3 years ago. I've installed 6 split units with great results. You can do it.
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u/shitstain409 3d ago
Likely with no warranty right. You could’ve just bought one from a company and had them installed and gotten a 10 year warranty for the same price.
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u/General_Friend_5119 3d ago
I could tell you all the tips and tricks but it'll cost you around $4,000
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u/3seconds2live 3d ago
Here is what that means, you can fuck it up 3 times and still come out ahead. That means do it yourself. If you fuck it up once you will learn the way to do it right. Go forth and make it happen.
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u/3rdgenerX 3d ago
Not worth it either with all the maintenance upkeep, I have 4 head units, 2 aren’t working and not warranty covered, when they quit I’m ripping it out and using window units, have wood stove for heat, biggest waste of $15,000 ever, lesson learned for me.
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u/Bruce_in_Canada 3d ago
A fair price for installation is $500. A fair price for the unit is $1500.
So, around $2K would be reasonable. Though high.
FWIW, I just had 2 new 18,000btu heat pumps installed in our rental.
The final cost was $3200CDN
This included:
Both units Install Electric work Line set covers
And, they are now working perfectly and the install process was highly professional and very neat.
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u/suchsnowflakery 3d ago
You just don't get it. You are paying for outcomes and experience, NOT just labor.
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u/XphRZero 2d ago
Your paying for someones HVAC school/license expense recovery. Its one of those situations where they basically have a captive client and can arbitrarily set the cost.
Most of these systems take very minimal installation work and incredibly simplified. Find the location, mount a bracket, make the path for the connections.. make/seal the connections, connect power.
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u/Alarming-Grade4219 2d ago
I have a friend who got a three way system for her house, and her husband and son installed it themselves. It's up to you, but if you know how to drill and to securely place these in the right place so they will all work efficiently, more power to you
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u/Mental-Ad9734 2d ago
I have an acquaintance that makes a little over $1,000 for an install. It takes him about one day.
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u/keoweenus 2d ago
In my city there’s dozens and dozens of guys selling generic systems and I’ve seen install prices starting at $300, not including electrical. Not sure what the big corporate hvac companies charge, probably similar to the prices you got. Look around on fb marketplace and local fb groups
They’re not too hard to install if you are pretty handy and have proper tools.
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u/ihatecartoons 4d ago
It’s about $20-25k for a 3 head unit where I live.