Aircon installation in Singapore is quoted per system, not per hour. At aircons.sg a single split starts from $1,200, a System 2 from $2,200, a System 3 from $2,800 and a System 4 from $3,500, with premium-tier systems from $1,500, $2,800, $3,300 and $4,500 respectively. Those are supply-and-install figures — the units and the installation together — which is why they look nothing like the two- and three-figure numbers you will see quoted elsewhere online. This guide explains what sits inside that price, what moves it, and what HDB, condo and landed properties each add to the job.
The published price, and why online figures confuse people
Most of the confusion around aircon installation cost in Singapore comes from two completely different things being quoted with the same words.
A system price covers the units and the installation as one package. That is the number on our aircon installation cost page and our pricing page, and it is the number most homeowners are actually shopping for, because they do not own the aircon yet.
An installation-only price covers labour and materials for units you have already bought — from a retailer, an online seller, or a previous home. We do that too: the workmanship carries the same 2-year installation warranty either way. Installation-only work is quoted after the free site survey, because the whole cost is in the specifics of your property rather than in a catalogue.
When a figure online looks impossibly low, it is almost always the second kind of price, quoted without saying so. Compare like for like, or you will be comparing a labour rate against a whole system.
aircons.sg installation pricing
| System | Standard inverter | Premium tier |
|---|---|---|
| Single split (1 indoor + 1 outdoor) | from $1,200 | from $1,500 |
| System 2 (2 indoor + 1 outdoor) | from $2,200 | from $2,800 |
| System 3 (3 indoor + 1 outdoor) | from $2,800 | from $3,300 |
| System 4 (4 indoor + 1 outdoor) | from $3,500 | from $4,500 |
These are "from" prices for a straightforward job. The final figure is confirmed after a free site survey, and the quote you agree to is the price you pay. We supply and install Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) inverter systems; the exact model is confirmed at the quote.
What the installation price includes
Ask for this list from any installer you are comparing. If a quote is one line with one number, you cannot tell what has been left out until the day of the job. Our standard installation covers:
- Free site survey and BTU recommendation
- Indoor and outdoor unit mounting on proper brackets
- Insulated copper refrigerant piping (standard length) and drainage piping
- Electrical wiring and isolator connection
- Vacuum, leak test and correct gas charge
- Full performance test on every unit
- Removal and disposal of your old units, on request
- 2-year installation warranty, plus the manufacturer's 5-year compressor warranty on the units
Extra copper piping beyond the standard run, concealed trunking for a cleaner finish, or a new electrical point are quoted upfront at the survey — never added afterwards. That is the difference that matters when you compare quotes: not whether extras exist, but whether they are priced before the work or after it.
What actually moves your final price
None of this is guesswork on the day. Everything that changes the number is visible at the survey, which is why we survey before quoting.
- Number of indoor units. A single split is the lowest cost. A System 2, 3 or 4 shares one outdoor condenser across more rooms, so the step up between systems is the units and the piping, not a second compressor.
- Standard inverter or premium tier. The tier is a choice, not a surprise — both columns are published above.
- Piping run and finishing. A compressor far from the indoor units, or a route that has to be boxed in neatly, means more copper and more finishing work.
- Electrical work. Older properties sometimes need an isolator or a dedicated point added. We check this at the survey rather than discovering it with the drill in hand.
- Property type. HDB, condo and landed each have their own rules about where the outdoor unit can sit, and those rules change the labour.
Which system does your home need?
The right configuration follows the number of rooms you want cooled, not the floor area. As a starting guide, confirmed at the survey:
- Single split — one room, such as a bedroom or a study.
- System 2 — typically a 3-room flat: two bedrooms, or one bedroom plus the living room.
- System 3 — typically a 4-room flat: two to three bedrooms plus the living room.
- System 4 — a 5-room or executive flat, or a home cooling both bedrooms and the living and dining areas.
If you are unsure, our system planner will size it from your layout, or send a floor plan on WhatsApp and we will advise. Getting this wrong in either direction is expensive: an undersized system runs flat out and never quite cools, an oversized one short-cycles and dehumidifies badly. We go into the trade-offs in System 3 vs System 4 vs System 5.
HDB flats: the rules that shape the job
For HDB flats the work must be carried out by a BCA-licensed contractor, and the outdoor condenser must sit on the flat's designated aircon ledge on proper brackets — not on the roof or the common corridor in most blocks. We install to HDB guidelines as standard.
Two things follow from that. First, the ledge decides the piping route, and the piping route decides how much copper and trunking your job needs — which is the single most common reason two flats in the same block get different quotes. Second, an installation that ignores the rules is not a bargain; it is a problem you inherit at inspection or at resale. Our HDB aircon installation page covers BTO, resale and existing-flat specifics, and what you can and cannot do in an HDB flat goes through the rules in plain language.
Condos and landed homes
Condominium management corporations set their own bylaws on where a condenser may sit, how pipes are routed and whether trunking must be concealed or a particular colour. Check with your managing agent before you order the system, not after — the approval is the owner's to obtain, and it is the part of the job most likely to push back your installation date.
Landed homes have more freedom and more decisions: longer pipe runs, more units, and often a preference for a concealed finish. Both are handled the same way — the survey establishes what the property allows, then the quote reflects it.
Installing units you already own
Either route works. We supply MHI inverter systems at competitive pricing, or we install units you have already bought yourself or online. The installation workmanship carries a 2-year warranty either way, so you are covered regardless of where the unit came from. Worth knowing before you buy: the unit's own manufacturer warranty is a separate thing from the installation warranty, and it usually depends on the unit being installed properly. Keep both in writing.
Timing and what to expect on the day
A System 3 or System 4 in a typical flat is usually a full day, including mounting, piping, wiring, vacuum, gas charge and testing. We give a precise timeline after the free site survey. The order rarely varies: brackets and mounting first, then piping and drainage, then electrical, then the vacuum and leak test, then the gas charge, and finally a performance test on every unit before we leave.
That last step is the one to insist on. A system that has not been vacuum-tested and performance-tested can run for weeks before the moisture or the slow leak shows up as poor cooling — and by then it looks like a fault rather than an installation shortcut. If you are moving in around the works, our guide to installation for a new BTO covers the sequencing.
After installation: what it costs to keep
Installation is the once-off. The running cost that follows is servicing, and ours is published on the same pricing page: general servicing is $45 for 1 unit, $70 for 2, $95 for 3, $115 for 4, and $25 per unit from 5 units. A chemical wash starts at $135 for 1 unit. Budget for it from the start — a new system kept clean holds its cooling; one left alone quietly loses it, and the first sign is usually a bill going up rather than air feeling warmer.
Get a firm figure for your home
The "from" price tells you the shape of the budget. The survey tells you the number. WhatsApp us the system you are after, your property type and a preferred date, and we will arrange a free site survey and a firm quote.
WhatsApp 9107 2601 for an installation quote →
Related reading: what is included in a standard installation · HDB installation rules · choosing between System 3, 4 and 5
If the property is a landed house rather than a flat, what changes for a landed installation covers the system count, condenser siting and the first-fix timing.