Free tool
Mini split cost calculator
Answer a few questions about your home and see our typical range, line by line. Nothing is sent unless you choose to.
Describe the job
Roomwise's typical range for your answers
$3,000 to $6,000
- Single-zone install, standardOne head, a short line run and room in the panel.$3,000 to $6,000
What moves it within the range
- A ground pad in the yard is the simplest place for the outdoor unit.
Rebates and the permit
DCSEU currently lists $4,000 at Tier 1 (ENERGY STAR Certified) and $5,000 at Tier 2 (ENERGY STAR Most Efficient) for this case: replacing gas heat (DCSEU asks for proof, such as photos of the capped gas line).
Amounts change; where the system qualifies, the rebate can come off the invoice. The DC Department of Buildings permit fee for refrigeration and air conditioning work is $50.60.
These are Roomwise's typical ranges, not a quote. We set the price in a written estimate after the home visit, once we've measured the rooms, checked the panel and walked the line routes.
How do we work out your range?
This calculator from Roomwise DC Mini Splits picks one of our typical ranges from your answers and shows it as a line. For a replacement it adds a line for each head after the first, and one for a new line set where the old one can't be reused.
| Job | What it means | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| One room, standard | Short line run, room in the panel | $3,000 to $6,000 |
| One room, complex | Historic or roof review, a long run, or panel work | $11,000 to $28,500 |
| Two to four rooms, standard | Straightforward routing, room in the panel | $5,000 to $14,000 |
| Four to seven rooms, complex | Review, several floors or panel work; five or more heads | $16,500 to $39,500 |
| Replacement, like for like | Same spot, sound circuit, line set passes the test | $4,000 to $7,500 |
| Replacement needing more work | New lines or wiring, condo or historic review | $10,000 to $20,000 |
| Each added head on a replacement | Per head after the first | $1,500 to $3,000 |
| New line set on a replacement | Per run, when the old one fails the test | $500 to $1,500 |
Nothing is scaled or stretched. Every number the calculator shows is one of these ranges, or a sum of them, so you can check each line against the table.
Which answers move the price?
Three answers can move a new install into our complex range: historic or roof review, a long line run through finished floors, and panel work. The rest move your price within the range.
- Number of rooms. One head is single zone. Two to four is multi-zone; five or more uses our complex multi-zone range.
- Where the outdoor unit goes. A ground pad is simplest; a rear wall bracket or a roof mount adds hardware and labor.
- A condensate pump. A head on an inside wall or below grade needs one to move water out.
- A condo board. Its rules can steer the unit and the line route, and on a replacement it moves the job to the more-work range.
The DC cost guide explains each driver in more depth.
How do we set your actual price?
In a written estimate after the home visit. We measure the rooms, size each head from a heat-load calculation, check the panel and walk the line routes and the outdoor spot.
The estimate lists the equipment, each head and its line route, the drain path, the electrical work, the permit and the price. If you're unsure how many heads you need, the mini split assessment sorts that out first.
What about the permit and rebates?
Every install gets a DC Department of Buildings mechanical permit; the fee for refrigeration and air conditioning work is $50.60. DCSEU's ductless heat pump rebates are larger and depend on the heat the system replaces.
| DCSEU tier | Replacing electric heat | Replacing gas heat |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1, ENERGY STAR Certified | $1,000 | $4,000 |
| Tier 2, ENERGY STAR Most Efficient | $1,500 | $5,000 |
Amounts change; where the system qualifies, the rebate can come off the invoice. The DC rebates guide covers the paperwork, and the permit guide covers historic review.
Questions about the calculator
Why does one historic district answer change the single-room range so much?
Because the work around the equipment grows. Review can move the outdoor unit to the roof or the back of the house, which lengthens the line run and adds a stand or bracket. That is why a one-room job with review, a long run or panel work uses our complex range of $11,000 to $28,500.
Does the estimator take the DCSEU rebate off the total?
No. It shows the rebate beside the range, because the amount depends on the equipment, the heat it replaces and DCSEU's rules on the day. Where the system qualifies, the rebate can come off the invoice as an instant discount.
What happens to my estimator answers when I send the form?
We add them to your request as part of the message, so the first call starts from what you already entered. If you don't send the form, the answers stay in your browser and in the page address.
Get a written estimate
Send the house details and we'll set up the visit. We add your calculator answers to the request.