Ducted Air Conditioning Cost Calculator
Ducted work is far cheaper when the void and routes are already open. This prices both cases honestly, because the difference is the whole decision.
Open the calculator →Price your ducted system in 30 seconds
4 steps. Coverage, outlets, retrofit or renovation, and region.
How this calculator works
The timing question matters more than anything else on this page. The same ducted system costs 20–40% more retrofitted into a finished house than fitted during a renovation, because the work is no longer running duct through open voids — it is lifting floors, dropping ceilings and making good afterwards.
Outlets are priced beyond a standard five because each grille adds ducting, a diffuser and balancing time. A system with twelve outlets is not the same job as one with four.
On F-Gas: refrigerant work is legally restricted to F-Gas registered engineers. Ask to see the registration and check it yourself.
Ducted and whole-house cost (2026)
| System | Typical 2026 cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ducted / concealed system | £6,000–£15,000 | Whole floor, 3–7 days on site |
| VRF / VRV, whole house | £8,000–£20,000 | Independent room-by-room control, 5–10 days |
| Retrofit into a finished house | +20–40% | Lifting floors and making good afterwards |
| Each outlet beyond five | +£400–£500 | Ducting, diffuser and balancing |
| Electrical — dedicated circuit | +£150–£500 | Often needed on larger systems |
Figures match our ducted air conditioning cost guide.
Ducted AC calculator FAQs
Yes, but it is the expensive route — 20–40% more than the same system fitted during a renovation, because ducts have to be run through a finished house and the damage made good.
Typically 300–400mm of clear void plus access for servicing. Where the loft is a room or the void is shallow, a multi-split is usually the better and cheaper answer.
At the room, yes — both fan and compressor are away from the living space and only air movement at the grille is audible. The plant itself is no quieter, it is just further away.
Larger ducted and VRF systems usually need a dedicated circuit and sometimes a consumer-unit way. Budget £150–£500 on top.
Related cost guides
- Ducted cost guide — coverage, outlets and the retrofit premium
- Multi-split costs — usually the cheaper alternative
- All AC costs — every system type side by side
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