Six air conditioning and refrigeration line items at real 2026 Australian prices, already typed. GST worked out, your ABN checked, every element the ATO requires. Free, nothing uploaded.
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ABN — — —
TAX INVOICE
#1001
Bill to
Customer
Dates
Issued 18/09/2026
Due 02/10/2026
| Description | Qty | Unit | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour, per hour, installation | 1 | $114.00 | $114.00 |
| Labour, per hour, service and fault finding | 1 | $128.00 | $128.00 |
| Supply and install a 2.5kW back to back split system | 1 | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Supply and install a 7.1kW split system, standard pipe run | 1 | $2,400.00 | $2,400.00 |
| Additional pipe run over 3 metres, per metre | 1 | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Annual service and clean, single split head | 1 | $150.00 | $150.00 |
Total price includes GST.
Live preview. This is exactly what prints.
Starting figures, not gospel. Yours depend on your city, your overheads and the job.
ServiceSeeking's air conditioner installation guide of 30 April 2026 puts the average at $114 an hour with a minimum of $45 and an average job total of $1,426, with 76% of quotes charged hourly. Its air conditioner repair guide puts service work at about $128 an hour with an average job of $733. Repair rates sit above install rates because fault finding is not a fixed scope. The band covers both.
| Common air conditioning and refrigeration line item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Labour, per hour, installation | $114 per hour |
| Labour, per hour, service and fault finding | $128 per hour |
| Supply and install a 2.5kW back to back split system | $1,200 to $2,000 |
| Supply and install a 7.1kW split system, standard pipe run | $2,400 to $4,500 |
| Additional pipe run over 3 metres, per metre | $50 to $100 |
| Annual service and clean, single split head | $150 to $280 |
| Refrigerant leak test, repair and regas | $400 to $900 |
| Ducted reverse cycle system, supplied and installed | $12,000 to $17,000 |
Rates: ServiceSeeking air conditioner installation guide, 30 April 2026 (average $114 an hour, minimum $45, average job $1,426, split 76% hourly, 14% fixed, 10% daily) and ServiceSeeking's air conditioner repair guide (about $128 an hour, average job $733). Installed system prices are the ranges Australian air conditioning cost guides publish for 2026: roughly $1,200 to $4,500 for a single split supplied and installed depending on capacity and complexity, $50 to $100 per metre for pipe runs beyond about 3 metres, and $12,000 to $17,000 for ducted reverse cycle. Check them against your own current supplier pricing before quoting, because unit prices move. Licensing: Australian Refrigeration Council on refrigerant handling licences and Refrigerant Trading Authorisations under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995, including the penalty of up to $1,800 for unlicensed handling. GST: ATO tax invoices. No call-out range is given because no source that publishes its method quotes one.
Licence and certificates
Air conditioning is the most heavily licensed trade on this list because it takes three separate authorisations. First, anyone who installs, commissions, services, decommissions or decants refrigerant needs a Refrigerant Handling Licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council, the ARCtick licence. Second, the business that buys, stores or disposes of fluorocarbon refrigerant needs a Refrigerant Trading Authorisation, also from the ARC, under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995. Handling refrigerant without a licence is an offence carrying penalties of up to $1,800 for an individual. Third, any hardwired unit means electrical work, so you need an electrical licence in your state or a licensed sparky to do the connection and issue the certificate. Put the ARCtick licence number and the electrical licence number on the invoice.
GST on air conditioning and refrigeration work
Air conditioning is a taxable supply and 10% GST applies to the unit and the installation alike. Two things to get right. Where a customer takes a state or federal energy rebate, invoice the full price with GST and show the rebate as a separate line, because a rebate is not a discount on the taxable value. Where you install for a commercial landlord, they claim the GST credit, so quote and invoice GST-exclusive with the GST shown, not a single inclusive figure.
Payment terms that get paid
Domestic installs run on a deposit covering the unit, with the balance on commissioning, because the equipment is the bulk of the cost and it is ordered to the job. Service work is paid on the day. Commercial maintenance contracts are invoiced monthly or quarterly in advance on 30 day terms, and that recurring revenue is worth more than the install margin, so make the terms easy. On new build subcontract work the security of payment rules apply: 20 business days after a payment claim in NSW, a maximum of 25 business days in Queensland.
Quoting without the argument
Quote the pipe run length, the mounting surface and the power supply, because those three are the whole difference between a two hour install and a six hour one. Say what the rate is per extra metre of pipe, name what happens if the switchboard has no spare way, and state whether the quote includes making good the wall penetration. A double brick wall and a full switchboard are the two variations that come up most, and both are foreseeable.
For any hardwired unit, yes, someone on the job does. The ARCtick refrigerant handling licence lets you work on the refrigerant circuit. It does not authorise electrical work. A hardwired split system needs the connection done by a licensed electrician who issues the certificate for it, a Certificate of Electrical Safety in Victoria or a CCEW in NSW. Many air conditioning businesses hold both licences for exactly this reason. If you hold only the ARCtick, book a sparky for the connection and put their licence and certificate number on your invoice.
It is an offence under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995, with penalties of up to $1,800 for an individual who handles refrigerant unlicensed or breaches licence conditions. There is a second problem beyond the fine. Suppliers will not sell you fluorocarbon refrigerant without a Refrigerant Trading Authorisation, so an unlicensed operator cannot legally buy gas. Your public liability insurer will also treat unlicensed work as grounds to decline a claim. Put the licence number on your invoices and quotes, because customers who have been burned once now check it.
Two lines. Show the unit with its make, model and capacity, then show the installation labour separately, and charge GST on both. It makes the warranty position clear, because the manufacturer warrants the unit and you warrant the installation. It also makes a rebate or a landlord's depreciation claim straightforward for their accountant. Add a third line for anything extra, such as pipe run over the allowance or a switchboard modification. A single lump sum invoice for four thousand dollars gets queried far more often than three lines that add up to the same figure.
Seven things for a sale under $1,000: that the document is intended to be a tax invoice, your identity, your ABN, the date it was issued, a description of the work including quantity and price, the GST amount payable, and which parts of the sale are taxable. At $1,000 or more you also need the buyer's identity or ABN. This tool fills all of them and blocks printing until they are there.
Air conditioning is the most heavily licensed trade on this list because it takes three separate authorisations. First, anyone who installs, commissions, services, decommissions or decants refrigerant needs a Refrigerant Handling Licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council, the ARCtick licence. Second, the business that buys, stores or disposes of fluorocarbon refrigerant needs a Refrigerant Trading Authorisation, also from the ARC, under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995. Handling refrigerant without a licence is an offence carrying penalties of up to $1,800 for an individual. Third, any hardwired unit means electrical work, so you need an electrical licence in your state or a licensed sparky to do the connection and issue the certificate. Put the ARCtick licence number and the electrical licence number on the invoice. Alongside the invoice you would normally issue: ARCtick refrigerant handling licence number on the paperwork, Certificate of Electrical Safety or CCEW for the hardwired connection, Commissioning sheet with pressures, temperatures and charge weight, Manufacturer warranty registration for the unit, Refrigerant record for the quantity charged or recovered.
Air conditioning quote template
Same line items, set up as a quote.
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