What a proper air conditioning quote includes

The six things the Standards require

The ACDA Workmanship Standards require every accredited member to give you a written quotation that includes six things. You can check them yourself before you sign anything.

1. Calculated capacity. The heating and cooling capacity your home needs, worked out by an approved method.
2. The system, described. The manufacturer, actual capacity, number and location of outlets, zones and controls, or the manufacturer's literature.
3. Price and payment schedule.
4. Inclusions and exclusions. Power supply, supports or plinth, drainage, covers for exposed piping and wiring, clean-up and rubbish removal.
5. Warranty period.
6. Recommended servicing frequency.

The full list is on The ACDA Standard.

Calculated capacity

This is the number everything else depends on: how much heating and cooling your home actually needs, worked out by an approved calculation method, not a rule of thumb.

The size of the system decides whether it can cope with your house and what it costs to run. ACDA's e-guide notes that more is not necessarily better: a unit that is too big for the space works harder and costs you more, and the right size depends on windows and aspect, not floor area alone.

Without the figure you cannot tell whether the equipment offered is the right size, or compare one quote with another on anything but price. Ask for the figure in writing.

The system, described

The quote must name the manufacturer and the actual capacity of the unit, and set out the number and location of outlets, the zones and the controls. The manufacturer's literature can stand in for this if it comes with the quote.

The Code of Ethics requires every member to submit quotations in a manner that allows a fair appraisal of the system offered. Two quotes that both say "ducted system" can be for different brands, different capacities, fewer outlets or no zoning, and the price will reflect that.

When this detail is missing, you cannot tell what you are buying until it arrives, and arguments at handover come back to a quote that never said. Ask for it in writing before you accept.

Price, payment schedule, inclusions and exclusions

The price and the payment schedule must both be written down, so you know what is due and when before any work starts.

The inclusions and exclusions are where surprise costs hide. The Standards name the items a quote must address: power supply, supports or a plinth, drainage, covers for exposed piping and wiring, and clean-up and rubbish removal.

When they are missing, the cheapest quote is often only the cheapest because it leaves things out. A quote silent on the power supply may leave you to arrange and pay for an electrician. One silent on covers may leave pipes and wiring exposed. One silent on rubbish may leave the packaging for you. If something is excluded, ask what it will cost.

Warranty period and recommended servicing

The quote must state the warranty period. The equipment warranty stays with the manufacturer, so the quote is where you learn how long it runs before you buy.

The quote must also give a recommended servicing frequency. ACDA's e-guide advises a professional service at the beginning of each cooling season, and notes that neglected maintenance brings a steady decline in performance while energy use rises. Every member runs a back-up service department to carry out that servicing.

When the frequency is missing, servicing tends to be forgotten until something goes wrong. Knowing it up front lets you budget for it and hold the member to it.

If a quote is missing any of them

Ask for it. If the quote is from an accredited member, you are entitled to all six under the Standards. Ask in writing and keep the reply with the quote.

Do not compare quotes until each one has all six, because a lower price with no calculated capacity, no inclusions and no warranty period tells you nothing about what it leaves out.

If the business is not an ACDA member, the Standards do not apply and ACDA has no role, because ACDA is an industry association, not a regulator or a licensing body. You can still ask any installer for the same six things. To check whether a business is a current member, use Verify a member. If it is not on the list, it is not a member.

If something goes wrong after you sign

If you have a concern about work by an ACDA member, including work that does not match what was quoted, you can raise it with the Dispute Resolution Committee.

1. Complete the Dispute Resolution Form: your details, the member's details, what was installed and when, and what the problem is.
2. Attach copies of your quote, your invoice and anything else relevant, such as photographs.
3. Send it to the Dispute Resolution Committee, Air Conditioning Dealers Association Inc, PO Box 253, Emu Plains NSW 2750, or [email protected].

Where a new domestic installation may fall short of the Standards, ACDA engages a Chartered Engineer to investigate, report and advise, and arranges for defects to be corrected. That is the ACDA Guarantee: a written workmanship guarantee on new domestic installations by an accredited member, on contracts up to $25,000 including GST, with independent Chartered Engineer review. It is not an equipment warranty and not a price guarantee; equipment faults go to the manufacturer under its warranty. It applies in addition to your rights under Australian Consumer Law. The form is on The ACDA Standard.

Before you sign

• The quote states the calculated heating and cooling capacity for your home, worked out by an approved method.
• The manufacturer, actual capacity, outlets, zones and controls are named, or the manufacturer's literature is attached.
• The price and payment schedule are written down.
• Power supply, supports or plinth, drainage, covers for exposed pipes and wiring, clean-up and rubbish removal are each addressed.
• The warranty period is stated.
• The recommended servicing frequency is stated.
• The business is on the ACDA member list.
• You have kept a copy of the quote and, later, the invoice.

Every accredited member is bound by the Standards to include all six, and answers to the Dispute Resolution Committee if you raise a concern.