Air conditioning for period and listed homes across the West Midlands
For period homes in Birmingham, we look at consoles in place of radiators and ducted units from the loft before anything else. If your home in Birmingham is Victorian, Edwardian or older, a console or concealed system often works better than a high wall unit. Away from the coast, West Midlands summers can turn hot quickly, and bedrooms under the roof are the first to suffer.
Prices in the West Midlands
Guide prices around the West Midlands run from £1,595 to £7,795 per home, one room upwards including VAT. That is close to the UK middle for this kind of work. What moves a quote in the West Midlands up or down is mostly pipe length, how high the outdoor unit goes, and whether a new electrical circuit is needed. For reference, the Concealed option in the West Midlands (ducted unit from a loft or void serving one or two rooms) usually comes to about £3,395–£5,345.
Console
Low-level console in place of a radiator, rear outdoor unit.
Concealed
Ducted unit from a loft or void serving one or two rooms.
Mixed
Consoles downstairs and ducted upstairs on one system.
Guide prices show VAT at 20%. HMRC treats most fixed air conditioners and air-to-air heat pumps installed in homes as energy-saving materials, zero-rated until 31 March 2027 when we supply and fit them. If your installation qualifies, your quote shows 0% VAT and a lower price. Servicing, repairs, cleaning and controls are charged at 20%.
Listed building consent
Period homes in the West Midlands that are not listed can usually follow the normal rules for outdoor units, but listed buildings always need consent, and conservation areas restrict units on elevations facing a road. Since 29 May 2025, England's permitted development rules allow larger outdoor units (up to 1.5 m³) and no longer require a 1 m gap to the boundary, provided the MCS 020(a) noise check is met. Listed buildings and pitched-roof installs still need permission.
The survey
A survey in the West Midlands usually takes one to two hours. We measure the rooms, check the walls and the consumer unit, agree the outdoor unit position with you and photograph the pipe routes. At the survey we look at how each room is used, where the sun hits it and how the pipes can reach the outside wall, then put it all in a written quote.
What is included
Included with air conditioning for period and listed homes across the West Midlands:
- Careful routes that avoid cornicing and panelling
- Free survey with features and fabric recorded
- Pressure test, vacuum and commissioning
- Drawings and product data for consent applications
- Work started only once consent is in place
- Console or concealed ducted options
Towns in the West Midlands
Pick your town for local details, or see every service in the West Midlands.