Commercial air conditioning for businesses
Staff work better and customers stay longer when the room is comfortable. We design and fit air conditioning for offices, shops, restaurants, clinics, salons and gyms across London and the Home Counties, with a free survey, a fixed written price plus VAT and an install planned around your trading hours.
- commercial wall unit, from
- £1,795 + VAT
- ceiling cassette, from
- £2,750 + VAT
- TM44 inspection needed
- Over 12 kW
- workmanship guarantee
- 2-year
What a business system has to cope with
A business space is rarely like a home. More people use it, for longer hours, and the heat comes from inside as much as from the sun: computers, lighting, ovens, hairdryers, gym kit and shop windows facing south. Doors open all day, and the ceiling, the lease and the neighbours all limit where units can go.
So we start with a survey, not a catalogue. We look at how each space is used, count the heat sources, check the ceiling and the outdoor positions, and then recommend the simplest system that will do the job.
Wall units, cassettes, ducted or VRF?
The four main types we see in business premises, and where each one fits.
| System | Best for | Needs | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall-mounted split | Small offices, treatment rooms, small shops and salons | Wall space, ideally on or near an outside wall | £1,795 + VAT |
| Ceiling cassette | Open-plan offices, shop floors, dining rooms, gyms | A suitable suspended ceiling with depth above it | £2,750 + VAT |
| Ducted (ceiling-concealed) | Spaces where nothing should show except grilles | A ceiling void deep enough for the unit and ducts | Quoted after survey |
| VRF (variable refrigerant flow) | Larger floors and buildings with many rooms | Space for larger outdoor plant, often on a roof | Quoted after survey |
Business prices are plus VAT. The listed prices are for fitting in business hours.
VRF in plain English
A VRF system runs many indoor units from one outdoor unit, or a small group of them, by varying how much refrigerant goes to each room. Heat-recovery versions can cool one room while heating another, which suits buildings with a sunny side and a shaded side.
VRF makes sense on larger floors and in buildings with lots of separately controlled rooms. For a single shop, a small office or a restaurant dining room, separate split systems or a few cassettes are usually simpler and cheaper. We'll tell you honestly at the survey which one your building needs.
What different businesses usually need
| Business | What drives the heat | Usual approach |
|---|---|---|
| Offices | People, screens and sunny windows | Wall units or cassettes, with separate control for meeting rooms |
| Shops | Open doors, display lighting and shopfront glass | Cassettes on the shop floor, sized for the doorway |
| Restaurants and cafés | Diners, the pass and kitchen heat drifting through | Cassettes or wall units in the dining room; kitchens treated separately |
| Clinics and treatment rooms | Small rooms, equipment and closed doors for privacy | Quiet wall units with a controller in each room |
| Hair and beauty salons | Dryers, styling tools and full chairs | Wall units or cassettes, with ventilation kept separate |
| Gyms and studios | People exercising, often in a packed class | Higher capacity than the floor area alone suggests |
| Server and comms rooms | Equipment running day and night | Dedicated cooling, often with a standby unit |
Air conditioning cools, heats and dries the air, but a split system recirculates room air. Fresh air and fume extraction come from ventilation, which is a separate system.
Planning, landlords and neighbours
The permitted development rules for heat pumps (Class G) cover houses and blocks of flats, not business premises. There is no equivalent right for air source heat pumps on shops, offices or restaurants, so check with the council before an outdoor unit goes up. Many need a planning application, often with a noise report.
Most commercial leases also need the landlord's written consent. We give you the spec sheets, outdoor unit noise data, marked-up photos of the positions and a method statement to send with your request. Listed buildings and conservation areas need extra care, so ask the council early.
Your duties once it's running
If your business controls the system, you're the operator under the F-Gas rules. Systems holding 5 tonnes CO2 equivalent of refrigerant or more need leak checks at set intervals, with records kept. Most single wall units are below that; larger and older systems often aren't.
If the air conditioning under your control adds up to more than 12 kW of cooling, you also need a TM44 inspection by an accredited energy assessor at least every 5 years. We can give your assessor the system details and carry out any work the report recommends.
How a commercial install works
Free survey
We measure the spaces, count the heat sources and check ceilings, outdoor positions, pipe routes and the electrics.
Written quote
You get a fixed price plus VAT, with the documents your landlord or managing agent will want.
Consents
You get landlord consent and, where needed, planning permission. We book the install once they're in place.
Install
We agree which areas we work in and when, so you can keep trading. Tell us your opening hours when you book.
Commission and handover
We pressure test, vacuum and commission the system, record the refrigerant and show your team the controls.
Commercial air conditioning prices
Starting prices plus VAT. Ducted, VRF and multi-room systems are quoted after a survey.
- from£1,795+ VAT
Commercial wall unit
Fitted in business hours
- from£2,750+ VAT
Ceiling cassette
In a suitable suspended ceiling
Commercial air conditioning questions
How much does commercial air conditioning cost?
A commercial wall unit starts from £1,795 + VAT, and a ceiling cassette in a suitable suspended ceiling from £2,750 + VAT. Ducted, VRF and multi-room systems depend on the building, so we price them after a free survey.
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning on business premises?
Often, yes. The permitted development rights for heat pumps cover homes and blocks of flats, not business premises, so check with your council before fitting an outdoor unit. Many councils will want a noise report with the application.
Can you fit air conditioning without closing my business?
Usually. We plan the work room by room so you can keep trading, and we'll agree the timing with you before we start. Our listed prices are for fitting in business hours; tell us at the survey if you need anything different.
What is VRF and do I need it?
VRF is a system that runs many indoor units from one outdoor unit or a small group of them. It suits larger floors and buildings with lots of rooms. Most small businesses are better served by separate splits or a few cassettes.
Does commercial air conditioning heat as well?
Yes. The systems we fit are reversible heat pumps, so the same units keep the space warm in winter.
Do you offer maintenance for businesses?
Yes. We service commercial systems and carry out the F-Gas leak checks your system needs, with written records. See our commercial maintenance contracts for the details.