Air conditioning leads worth quoting come from a homeowner who owns the house, can say whether it is single or double storey, whether this is a replacement or a new install, and roughly how many rooms they want cooled and heated. Those answers decide whether you can quote at all.
In Australia most homeowners say air conditioning or ducted air. HVAC is the more common word in the United States, so most advice you find under that heading assumes US licensing and US seasons. This page is written for Australian installers.
What a ducted air job needs to be quotable
You cannot price a ducted system from a name and a phone number. Five details get you close:
- Single or double storey. It changes the install, the roof space and the time on site.
- Replacing a system or new. A replacement may reuse ducts. A new install means running them.
- Rooms or zones. Four zones and eight zones are different jobs.
- Owner or renter. A renter cannot approve a ducted system. A landlord or an owner can.
- When. Before the heat is a different pace to some time next year.
The homeowner will often add something that tells you more: the old unit is grinding, one room never cools, the outdoor unit has nowhere to go. Write it down. It is the best part of a call. See the ducted air and HVAC page for how we set out these questions.
On the phone, it can be as short as this:
“Is it a single or double storey? Are you replacing a system or starting from scratch? Roughly how many rooms do you want covered? Do you own the place? And when are you hoping to have it in?”
Five answers, about two minutes, and you know whether to book a look in the roof.
Replacement versus new install
Replacements are often the faster sale. The homeowner knows what they have, knows it is failing, and wants it done. The question is whether the existing ducting is usable, which you will not know until you look in the roof.
New installs take longer to decide. The homeowner is weighing a big spend against a few split systems, and a second person in the house often has a view. Ask who else is part of the decision, and ask for the site visit while both are home. Why quotes go quiet covers the usual stall points.
Seasonality and the rush
Air conditioning enquiries tend to bunch when the weather turns. That has a cost for you. If every installer in the suburb is answering the same heatwave enquiries, speed decides who gets the quote. Sort your phone cover for that week, because a reply that comes the next morning arrives after someone else has already booked the visit. The guide on how fast to respond sets out why.
Before the weather turns is the quiet time. A homeowner enquiring in mild weather is often thinking ahead and may be less likely to take the first quote.
Where businesses get HVAC enquiries
- Your own search ads. People searching “ducted air conditioning” and your suburb. You pay per click, so a tight area and negative keywords matter.
- Your own website and reviews. Slow to build, then steady.
- Referrals from builders and electricians. Often new installs, and often good ones.
- Job boards and shared lead lists. Fast volume. The same enquiry often goes to several businesses.
- Exclusive enquiries. One business per homeowner. Fewer calls, with the cost on you if the homeowner goes cold.
Licences that matter in this trade
Handling refrigerant in Australia needs a licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council. The ARC site lists the refrigerant handling licence and a tool to check licence status. The ARC’s split system fact sheet describes two licence types for split systems. A restricted splits licence covers single head split systems of less than 18 kW cooling capacity, including ducted indoor units, and does not permit installing multi head systems. A full licence covers any air conditioning system. The same fact sheet says the refrigerant handling licence is a national environmental licence, and that electrical, ducting and contractor licences are matters for your state or territory.
It also matters when you buy enquiries. Ask the homeowner what they want and match it to who on your team holds which licence. This is general information only. It is not legal advice. Check the ARC and your state regulator.
Shared air conditioning leads in a seasonal trade
A shared enquiry costs less and arrives in numbers. In a heatwave the numbers are the problem. If four installers ring in the first hour, the homeowner will take the first sensible quote or book a visit with the first to answer. You are paying to be in a race.
That does not make shared leads useless. It means you should measure them by quotes signed, not enquiries bought, and by what you spent on the whole source. The same working applies in every trade. See solar leads for a worked example of cost per installed job.
Questions for a provider
- How many businesses get each enquiry?
- Does someone ring the homeowner and confirm storeys, replacement or new, and zones?
- How do you confirm the homeowner owns the home?
- What is the replacement rule when the details are wrong?
- Is there a lock-in?
PreBuild Systems finds homeowners for trades and checks six things before it sends one to a single business. The homeowners page explains how.
Common questions
What are air conditioning leads?
An air conditioning lead is a homeowner who has asked for a quote on a system. The good ones say storeys, new or replacement, and how many rooms or zones, and own the home.
Is HVAC the same as air conditioning in Australia?
The terms overlap, but Australian homeowners usually search for air conditioning or ducted air, and HVAC is the more common word in the United States. Most US lead advice also assumes US licensing.
Do I need a licence to install air conditioning in Australia?
Handling refrigerant needs an Australian Refrigeration Council refrigerant handling licence, and you also need whatever electrical and contractor licences your state requires. Check the ARC and your state regulator.
Should I buy shared leads for ducted air?
Be careful. In a seasonal trade a shared enquiry in a heatwave can reach several installers at once, and the first to ring tends to win the quote.