THE SHORT ANSWER
Estimate a split air conditioning installation from verified equipment selection, unit locations, refrigerant pipework route, electrical readiness and commissioning. Show equipment and installation separately, with a site review before treating allowances as final.
Use this fictional one indoor and one outdoor split air conditioning unit in Cardiff to plan the estimate. The agreed work is: Install a selected single-zone split air conditioning system at agreed accessible indoor and outdoor positions after load and site review. Include equipment allowance, mounting allowances, 7.6-metre refrigerant pipework allowance, installation labour, commissioning and clean-up. Electrical service changes and structural mounting work excluded. The matching split air conditioning installation example and PDF shows the same inputs. These quantities and rates are teaching examples; use your own site measurements, product selections, supplier information and labour figures for a customer job.
1. Verify the system selection
Equipment should follow the actual space and design requirements established by the qualified contractor. A generic room size or example capacity is not a final system specification.
2. Map both unit locations
Record mounting surfaces, access and the proposed refrigerant pipework route. A 7.6-metre illustrative allowance is only useful when it corresponds to an agreed path.
3. Separate related trades
Identify who provides power, disconnects, supports and any required approvals. The base example does not hide electrical upgrades or structural changes in the HVAC labour line.
4. Budget commissioning
Include manufacturer-required setup and a handoff record within the responsible trade scope. Scheduling depends on equipment availability and required site readiness.
Calculate the measured lines
The PDF uses 7 separate items. For example, Site assessment and layout is 1 lump sum × £208.00 = £208.00; Single-zone equipment allowance is 1 set × £1,960.00 = £1,960.00. Check that each unit describes the work being priced: area for a surface, metres for a run, and a count or defined lump sum for a discrete task. A material purchase allowance can differ from the installed quantity when product sizes, cuts or layout require it.
Adding the 7 rounded line amounts gives £4,757.72. The example PDF uses a 0% tax input and no markup; those settings do not determine how to price or treat an actual job. Do not copy the rates as a local price guide.
Check the scope before sending
- Complete a qualified site and system review.
- Confirm indoor/outdoor locations and route.
- Assign electrical and approval work.
- Replace equipment allowance with selected product quote.
Outside the base scope: No electrical service upgrade, new structural support, long-route allowance beyond 7.6 metres, wall restoration or unlisted approval fees.
Confirm the site address, selected products, access, quantities, customer details and validity date. If opening the work reveals a different condition, record the change and update the relevant line before asking the customer to approve the revised work. Preview every page of the PDF so the written scope, line amounts and total tell the same story.
Common questions
Is a split air conditioning estimate just an equipment price?
No. Locations, route, mounting, electrical readiness, installation and commissioning also need defined scope.
Can I use the example refrigerant pipework length on my job?
Measure the proposed route. The 7.6-metre quantity is fictional and should be replaced with the actual takeoff.
FROM SITE NOTES TO AN ITEMISED PDF
Make your own split air conditioning installation estimate.
Enter the scope in Estimates on iPhone or Android, edit each quantity and rate in pounds, add your business and customer details, and review the PDF before sharing it.
