What commercial air conditioning actually costs in the UK.
Real UK price bands for install, servicing and TM44 — plus the five drivers that move a quote by 30% either way. No teaser rates, no headline prices for jobs we would not accept.
Commercial AC installations in the UK start from £1,490 + VAT for a single-split system. Multi-split installs run £4,500–£12,000 + VAT. VRV/VRF is quoted per kW at £800–£1,500 + VAT per kW installed. Servicing starts from £100 + VAT per visit. Every AccuTemp price follows a free site survey.
Install and servicing bands by system type.
| System | Typically suits | Install | PPM per visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-split (wall or ceiling cassette) | Server rooms, small offices, single shops (up to ~12 kW) | From £1,490 + VAT installed | From £100 + VAT per visit |
| Multi-split (2–5 indoor units, one condenser) | Multi-room offices, small retail, salons | £4,500 – £12,000 + VAT | From £180 + VAT per visit |
| VRV / VRF | Whole-floor offices, hotels, retail chains, mixed-use | £800 – £1,500 + VAT per kW installed | £450 – £1,800 + VAT per visit (scope-based) |
| Chiller + fan-coil / AHU | Industrial estates, healthcare, large offices >200 kW | Quoted after site survey — typically £600 – £1,200 / kW | Bespoke SFG20-mapped contract |
| Air-source heat pump (commercial) | Decarbonisation, replacing gas-fired heating | £900 – £1,600 + VAT per kW installed | From £220 + VAT per visit |
All figures ex-VAT. Bands reflect real AccuTemp quotes on standard-access UK commercial sites, updated for 2026 R32 pricing. Every project is quoted after a free site survey.
Five drivers behind every commercial AC quote.
Cooling load (kW)
The biggest single driver. Load is a function of floor area, glazing, occupancy, IT and process gains — not floor area alone. Typical UK offices sit at 100–150 W/m². Sizing on floor area alone routinely under-specs by 20–30%.
Indoor unit selection
Wall-mounted units are cheapest; ceiling cassettes and slim ducted units cost 15–35% more but are usually specified for offices, retail and hospitality where the ceiling is exposed or the wall is glazed.
Pipework runs & access
Longer refrigerant runs, riser cores, MEWP access, out-of-hours working and building-management liaison all push labour up. A cassette on floor 1 next to plant is fundamentally different to floor 12 above a live restaurant.
Controls & BMS integration
Centralised controllers, BACnet/Modbus gateways for BMS integration and metering hardware add £600–£3,500 per system depending on protocol and headend.
Manufacturer & warranty tier
Daikin D1+ specification unlocks 7-year parts and compressor cover; equivalent Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Quality Partner cover is 5 years. These add nothing to install cost but materially change the whole-life number.
VRF vs split — which fits your building
Capex, SEER, heat recovery and the ~30 kW crossover point compared side-by-side.
Read →Office AC installation process
Design, landlord L4A, F-Gas registration and out-of-hours install on live floors.
Read →How long does installation take?
Real UK timelines by scope, and the four things that always cause delay.
Read →What clients ask before signing off the quote.
How much does commercial air conditioning cost to install in the UK?
How much does it cost to service commercial air conditioning?
How much does a TM44 inspection cost?
Is commercial air conditioning cheaper to run than gas heating?
Do you offer finance or lease options?
How long does a commercial AC installation take?
Free site survey. Fixed-price quote within five working days.
Every AccuTemp quote is a fixed price backed by a Daikin D1+ Premier Partner design. No provisional sums, no post-award variations for anything visible on survey.