Aircon installation cost in Chiang Mai: what it includes, and which parts cost extra on site

Almost all the aircon installation prices you see on websites are for labour plus materials over a standard distance, which is not always the final total. My prices are 3,000 THB for a 9,000–12,000 BTU unit and 3,500 THB for 13,000–24,000 BTU. What is worth knowing is what that price covers, and what conditions can push the real total above it.

Installation differs from cleaning in that no two sites are ever quite the same. One house has space for the outdoor unit right outside the room wall; another needs the pipes run all the way round to the back of the house. The labour is the same, but the materials are not. Knowing in advance which parts are fixed and which vary lets you ask for a quote precisely from the very first call.

What my installation price covers

"Standard length" is the point to ask about clearly from the start, because each provider defines it differently. The most direct way is to roughly measure the distance from where the indoor unit will go to where the outdoor unit will sit, then send me that figure along with the BTU size. I will give you the total before we book a date.

Three things that make the real total differ from the advertised price

1. 1

   Pipe length from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit

   This has the biggest effect. An upstairs bedroom where the pipes have to run down to ground level uses several times more pipe and insulation than a room where the outdoor unit sits right outside the wall. I measure the actual distance on site and tell you the cost of any extra materials before work starts.

2. 2

   Where the outdoor unit goes and how it is mounted

   Placing it on the ground and hanging it on steel brackets under the eaves take different materials and time. Spots that need a tall ladder or work on the roof structure also take longer than usual. I assess the actual site before quoting, not from photos alone.

3. 3

   The existing electrical system

   Some older houses have no power point to supply a new unit, or the breaker size does not match the unit being installed. In that case it has to be fixed before installation for safety. I tell you about it along with the cost first, and you can choose whether I do it or your own electrician does.

Bought the unit online and want me to install it: what is different?

Yes, I install those. The installation charge is by unit size, at the same rate as when you buy the unit from me. What differs is the installation warranty.

What to know when buying a unit online is that the warranty on the unit itself belongs to the manufacturer or seller, while what I am responsible for is the quality of the installation. The two are separate. I recommend keeping the unit's warranty documents complete, and checking the condition of the box and the unit before the installation date, because if you find shipping damage after it has been unboxed, claiming from the seller becomes much harder.

Questions to ask before agreeing an installation price

• How many metres of pipe and trunking does the quoted price cover, and how is anything beyond that charged?
• Is the system vacuumed, and is that already included in the price?
• How long is the installation warranty, and what problems does it cover?
• If the site turns out to need electrical work first, will I be given the price before it is done?
• Will the cooling be tested and the joints checked for leaks in front of me before the technician packs up?

All five questions can be answered over the phone without waiting for a technician to visit the site. Pipe length and warranty are the two that should have clear answers before you book, because they are what can change the total the most.