What Actually Happens on Mini Split Install Day
Updated September 2026
On install day the Mini Split Reef crew places and mounts your indoor and outdoor units, runs the line set, completes standard electrical, charges the system, tests it, cleans up and makes a Home Depot run for touch up paint. All of that is inside the posted $2,000 per mini split. The rate does not change with how many units you have, and it is the same from Austin north to Waco and Killeen and south to San Antonio.
Ductless work in Central Texas commonly costs $3,000 to $6,000 per zone when most local HVAC contractors build a custom quote after an in home sales visit. We tell you about any exception before we begin: a very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting. Property managers, landlords and multi unit owners receive a volume discount off the $2,000 per unit rate.
Confirming locations and mounting the units
We start by walking the indoor wall and outdoor pad or wall with you so placement is agreed. Indoor air handlers go on the wall, the outdoor condenser goes on a pad or brackets, and a small hole is drilled for the line set, drain and wiring. Standard electrical is part of the $2,000. A panel upgrade the house already needed would have been called out as an exception before this day.
Line set, refrigerant and testing
Refrigerant lines are run, connected and the system is evacuated then charged. We power it up and run both cooling and heating modes. Mini splits are heat pumps, so they take the brutal Central Texas summer and the mild winter without a furnace. Several units on one property still use the per unit rate, with the volume discount available to landlords and property managers.
Cleanup, paint and how you use it
Work areas are cleaned and we go to Home Depot for touch up paint so the penetration and any marks blend with the wall. You receive a short explanation of the remote and basic settings. There are no trip fees. Unusually difficult mounting or a very long line set would already have been discussed as an exception.
How we compare
| Factor | Mini Split Reef | The usual |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per unit | $2,000 flat including equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup and Home Depot touch up paint. Volume discount for property managers, landlords and multi unit owners. | $3,000-$6,000 per zone on a custom quote |
| How you get a number | Posted flat rate, identical corridor wide. Exceptions named before install day. | Most local HVAC contractors require an in home sales visit for a quote |
| Fees after arrival | No trip fees or surprise add ons. | Quote based work after a sales visit |
| Wall repair and paint | Cleanup plus a Home Depot run for touch up paint included. | Only if the custom quote specifically includes it |
| Price from Waco to San Antonio | Same $2,000 per mini split. | Each contractor sets its own quoted price |
Straight answers
Will the price change once the crew is on site?
No. The $2,000 per unit includes everything listed. The only exceptions are a very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting, and those are stated up front.
Do you install outside Austin?
Yes. The service area is Austin and the I-35 corridor, north to Waco and Killeen, south to San Antonio. The flat rate is the same the whole way.
What if I am a landlord putting units in several apartments?
Property managers, landlords and multi unit owners get a volume discount off the $2,000 per unit rate. Install day still follows the same steps for each unit.
Is touch up paint really included?
Yes. Cleanup and a Home Depot run for touch up paint are part of the $2,000. We do not leave the hole or scuffs for you to handle.
Come up for air
No walkthrough, no sales pitch. Tell us the rooms and we tell you the price.
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