Start with the kind of job, not the business name
Heating and cooling covers very different trades. A bedroom split, a ducted gas heater replacement and an evaporative cooler service each need different skills, and sometimes different licences.
So the first question isn't who's closest. It's who does this exact job often. Rinnai, for example, says not every existing ducted heater can support add-on cooling, and that a qualified technician has to assess compatibility first. Someone who adds cooling to ducted heaters every week knows what to look for before they quote.
That's how we match jobs too: each one goes to a single local installer who specialises in that kind of work. How it works explains the rest.
Which licences does an air conditioning installer need?
Anyone handling refrigerant needs a licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC). Two ARC licences cover split systems. The full licence, RAC01, covers any system of any size and all install, service and repair work. The restricted licence, RSS03, only covers installing and decommissioning a single-head split under 18kW.
That difference shows up after install day. An RSS03 holder can't install a multi-head system or do any service or repair that touches the refrigerant. If your job has several indoor units on one outdoor unit, or you'll want the same person back for a regas, you need RAC01.
The ARC licence only covers the refrigerant, and the ARC tells its licence holders to check their state's rules for electrical, contractor and other licences. In Victoria, installing a reverse cycle air conditioner also needs plumbing registration with the Building and Plumbing Commission, plus a Registered Electrical Contractor for the electrical work. NSW needs a licence or certificate for any air conditioning work, and Queensland a QBCC licence whatever the job's value.
How to check an installer before they come out
Ask for the technician's ARC licence number
The ARC's public licence check, Look for the Tick, searches by licence number or by name. It tells you whether the licence is current and what type it is. Licence numbers start with the letter L.
Ask to see the business's RTA certificate
A business that buys and stores refrigerant needs a Refrigerant Trading Authorisation (RTA). The ARC's own RTA search is for wholesalers only, so ask the installer to show you the certificate. RTA numbers start with AU.
Look up the state licence
Service NSW's licence check searches by name, licence number or ABN, and the QBCC register shows a full licence history. WA's Building and Energy and Access Canberra both have online registers too. Our licence guide goes state by state.
Find out who does the electrical work
Many air conditioning technicians hold a restricted electrical licence. In Victoria and the ACT that covers disconnecting and reconnecting, not new wiring. Queensland's QBCC says it doesn't cover installation work such as running interconnect cables, and in WA it only allows limited work when repairing or replacing equipment. If your job needs a new circuit, ask who's doing it.
Get it all in writing
A written quote is where these details come together. Our guide to reading an air conditioning quote lists what belongs on it.
Unlicensed electrical or gas work isn't worth the risk
Mitsubishi Electric says an air conditioner shouldn't be installed by the user, needs a dedicated power supply and must be earthed correctly. In WA, a business owner who arranged two split system installs and invoiced for them without an electrical contractor's licence was fined. With gas, Energy Safe Victoria says any gas heater can spill carbon monoxide, old or new, so only a qualified gasfitter should fit or service one.
Questions to ask before you say yes
- Who will actually do the work, and which ARC licence do they hold: RAC01 or RSS03?
- What's your RTA number, and will it be on the quote and the invoice?
- Who does the electrical work, and are they licensed for new wiring?
- How did you work out the size? Mitsubishi Electric calls a proper heat load calculation essential.
- Where will the outdoor unit go, and can it be reached for servicing?
- Have you installed this brand before, and what does its warranty ask of me?
- What certificates will I get at the end? In Victoria, it's a Certificate of Electrical Safety and a plumbing compliance certificate.
Red flags worth walking away from
- No RTA number on the ad, the quote or the invoice. The ARC requires it on all three, websites and online ads included.
- No licence number on the ad. In NSW, ads for air conditioning work must show the licence number, and Queensland licensees must show theirs too.
- An offer to top up the gas without looking for a leak. The ARC says topping up before the system is tested and leaks are repaired is illegal.
- A size quoted over the phone, without anyone looking at the room.
- A pitch that the government is paying for your system, or an offer to pay back your co-payment. VEU and NSW Energy Savings Scheme discounts come through accredited private providers, a ducted VEU job carries a minimum co-payment from 30 September 2026, and no part of a VEU co-payment can be paid back to you.
- Pressure to sign today, or a deposit asked for at your kitchen table.
Signed at the kitchen table? You may be able to cancel
Asking someone round to quote doesn't count as inviting them to negotiate a sale. Under the Australian Consumer Law, a deal negotiated during that visit can be an unsolicited consumer agreement. WA Consumer Protection says this applies even when you only invited a quote.
If it is one, you can cancel up to the end of the 10th business day, and in that time the installer can't take any payment or start the work. Our cooling-off guide has the detail.
The simplest way round it is the one NSW guidance describes: let them leave the quote, think it over, then contact them yourself to accept.
Buying through a retailer or a brand's dealer list
Retailers and brands often hand the install to someone else. The Good Guys, for example, says all gas fitting, electrical and plumbing work on its installations is done by licensed subcontractors, who also issue the compliance certificates. That's normal. It just means the person who turns up is the one whose licences you check.
Brand dealer networks are similar. Daikin describes its Specialist Dealers as independently owned and operated businesses, and Midea says the same of its appointed installers. Being on a brand's list doesn't replace your own licence check.
Warranty is the other reason to care: Mitsubishi Electric's card says cover won't apply if the unit isn't installed by a licensed installer. More in our warranty guide.
What you can check, and what they should handle
You can
- Look up the ARC licence on Look for the Tick, and the state licence on your state's register.
- Ask to see the RTA certificate, since you can't search it yourself.
- Get every quote in writing, and read the brand's warranty card before you sign.
- Take your time. A good installer will still be there next week.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Working out the size from your rooms, not a rule of thumb.
- All refrigerant work, including any regas later on.
- New wiring, new circuits and switchboard work.
- Gas connections, flues and gas heater servicing.
What we'd do
Our take
Pick the installer who does your exact job most often, then check their ARC licence and state licence yourself before they visit. Ask for a written quote with model numbers and the RTA number on it. A good installer won't mind any of that, and won't mind you taking a few days to decide.
