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Licences and rules

Heating and cooling in Western AustraliaThe electrical licence is the one to check.

In Western Australia, the part of an air conditioning install where licences matter most is the electrical work. Adding a protective device in the switchboard and connecting fixed wiring for a new unit needs an electrical contractor's licence. WA tells homeowners to check that a licensed electrician, employed by a licensed electrical contractor, does that work.

What happens when the wrong business arranges an install?

In May 2025 the WA Government reported a case worth knowing about. A business owner facilitated the installation of two split systems in 2024 and issued the invoice under his business name, but had never held an electrical contractor's licence. He was fined $2,000.

In WA it's an offence to carry out electrical installing work without that licence, or to imply you're authorised to. So the name on your quote and invoice matters as much as the person who turns up.

How to check a WA installer

  1. Find the EC number

    WA electrical contractors must display their licence number, which starts with EC, on all business materials: ads, vehicles and business cards included.

  2. Look it up with Building and Energy

    Building and Energy licenses electricians, gas fitters and plumbers in WA, and its online search shows whether a tradesperson is licensed.

  3. Ask who's doing the wiring

    Air conditioning technicians with a restricted electrical licence can only do limited electrical work when repairing or replacing equipment. New wiring for a new unit is the electrical contractor's job.

  4. Then check the refrigerant licence

    That's the national ARC licence. Our licence guide explains RAC01 and RSS03.

Gas heating needs a gasfitter's permit

Installing or servicing a gas heater is gasfitting. A WA Class G gasfitting permit covers all gasfitting except work under Class I, E or P, and includes installing and servicing domestic installations. Ask for the permit and check it on the same Building and Energy search.

Evaporative or refrigerated?

WA has a long evaporative habit. In an ABS survey from October 2006, 71% of Western Australian households used an air conditioner or evaporative cooling, and ducted evaporative coolers (32%) were the most common type, ahead of reverse cycle splits (25%). Of homes with heating, 46% mainly used gas.

CHOICE says evaporative coolers work best in hot, dry climates with low humidity. If an old ducted evaporative unit is due for replacement, our evaporative or refrigerated guide helps you weigh up a like-for-like swap against reverse cycle.

Signed at the kitchen table?

WA Consumer Protection says that if you only invited a quote, a deal negotiated on that visit is still unsolicited, and the business carries the onus of proving it isn't. During the 10 business day cooling-off, it mustn't accept payment, or supply goods worth more than $500. The steps to cancel are in our cooling-off guide.

What we'd do

Where we'd begin

We'd check the business named on the quote against Building and Energy's search before agreeing to anything, because that's who answers for the electrical work. No EC number on the quote? We'd ask for it. Then we'd choose an installer who fits splits or ducted systems in WA every week, with a licensed electrician on the job.

What this work looks like

Photos from real jobs in Melbourne, to show what the work looks like. They aren't from an installer near you.

Lifting a new split system indoor unit into place
Lifting a new split system indoor unit into place. A job in Melbourne.
A gas ducted heater with its flue, beside a freshly dug path
A gas ducted heater with its flue, beside a freshly dug path. Sep 2019. A job in Melbourne.
Fitting a split system's indoor unit onto its wall plate
Fitting a split system's indoor unit onto its wall plate. A job in Melbourne.

More job photos

Cities in Western Australia

Questions people ask

Can an aircon technician do the wiring in WA?
Only limited electrical work, with a restricted electrical licence, when repairing or replacing equipment. A protective device in the switchboard and fixed wiring for a new unit need an electrical contractor's licence.
Is there a WA air conditioner rebate?
We couldn't confirm a current state heating or cooling rebate in WA. If an offer mentions one, ask who's funding it and get the details in writing.
Where should I see the EC number?
On the contractor's ads, vehicles, business cards and other business materials. If it isn't there, ask before the visit.

Ready for the right installer to take a look?

Your postcode and three quick questions. Licence-checked local installers who specialise in your kind of job see it, and the one who takes it gets in touch to quote.

Free for you. Installers pay us for each job we pass on.

Read next

  1. 01How to check an installer's licenceRun the ARCtick check, read RAC01 and RSS03, and check the state licence too.
  2. 02The electrical side of an installCircuits, isolators, switchboard upgrades and three phase, and who's licensed to do them.
  3. 03Evaporative or refrigerated cooling?How each kind of cooling works, why humidity matters, and what each one needs from your home.
  4. 04Gas heater serviceHow often to service a gas heater, the warning signs, and who's licensed to do it.
  5. 05Signed at home? Your cooling-off rightsWhen a heating or cooling deal signed at home can be cancelled, and how to do it.
  6. 06How we check installersThe licence, insurance, ABN and review checks, and how to repeat most of them yourself.

Where this information comes from

We don't publish prices. Every home is different, so an installer's written quote is the only real number. How we write and check these pages.

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