Air conditioning in Berkshire
We install, service and repair air conditioning for homes and businesses across Berkshire. Berkshire has no county council, so planning depends on which of six councils covers your town. This page explains that, then covers local homes and prices.
- unitary councils
- 6
- single room, from
- £1,850
- office cassette, from, + VAT
- £2,750
Which council handles planning in your town
Berkshire County Council was abolished in 1998. Since then six unitary councils have each run their own planning.
| Council | Main towns |
|---|---|
| Reading Borough Council | Reading |
| Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead | Windsor, Maidenhead, Eton, Ascot, Cookham |
| Slough Borough Council | Slough, Langley |
| Bracknell Forest Council | Bracknell, Crowthorne, Sandhurst |
| Wokingham Borough Council | Wokingham, Woodley, Twyford, Wargrave |
| West Berkshire Council | Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford |
Under plans announced in July 2026, West Berkshire is due to join parts of south Oxfordshire in a new Ridgeway Council from 1 April 2028. Until then, West Berkshire Council handles planning there.
Berkshire homes and what they mean for an install
Every install comes down to where the outdoor unit can sit and how the pipes reach the room. Berkshire's housing varies a lot between towns.
| Type of home | Where you'll find it | What it means for the install |
|---|---|---|
| Victorian red-brick terraces and villas | Reading, Windsor, Maidenhead | Outdoor unit at the rear, away from the street. Many of these streets are in conservation areas. |
| Large detached houses | Ascot, Sunningdale, the Thames villages | Room for multi-split or ducted systems. The survey plans the shortest pipe routes to far bedrooms. |
| Interwar and post-war semis | Slough, Woodley, Earley, Bracknell | Usually simple. One outdoor unit at the side can serve two or three bedrooms. |
| New-build estates | Edges of Wokingham, Bracknell, Reading and Newbury | Smaller units often do in a well-insulated home. Check the deeds for covenants about external equipment. |
| Flats near the stations | Reading, Slough, Maidenhead | Freeholder or managing agent consent first, and often planning permission. Balconies or flat roofs take the condenser. |
Conservation areas and protected landscapes
Windsor and Maidenhead has 27 conservation areas, including Windsor Town Centre, Eton, Cookham Village, Bray Village, Datchet and Sunningdale. Wokingham has 16, from Wokingham town centre to Sonning, Wargrave and Twyford. Reading has 15.
Reading's oldest is Eldon Square, designated in 1972. Its appraisal, adopted in March 2026, describes red brick terraces and patterned red and silver-grey brick. Outdoor units fixed to the front of houses like these stand out, so the back is the place for them.
In West Berkshire, Hungerford, Lambourn, Thatcham and Newbury town centre are all conservation areas, and much of the district lies in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.
Outdoor units on houses can often go up without a planning application under permitted development, within limits on size, position and noise. In a conservation area a unit can't go on a wall facing the road without permission. Listed buildings need listed building consent. Our planning guide covers the details.
Towns we cover in Berkshire
We cover the whole county, including Reading, Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead, Bracknell, Wokingham, Ascot, Newbury and Thatcham. If you're not sure, put your postcode in the quote form and we'll confirm.
Air conditioning for Berkshire businesses
Reading, Slough and Maidenhead all have a lot of office space. We fit ceiling cassettes in offices with suspended ceilings, wall units in meeting rooms and small offices, and dedicated cooling for comms and server rooms.
We also fit and service systems for shops, restaurants, salons and clinics. Commercial work is done in business hours, and we take over servicing of existing systems from most manufacturers, with full F-Gas records.
What air conditioning costs in Berkshire
Our starting prices are the same in Berkshire as in London. Business prices are plus VAT.
- from£1,850inc. VAT
A bedroom or study
2.5 kW wall unit, 5 m pipe, fitted in a day
- from£2,050inc. VAT
A living room
3.5 kW wall unit
- from£3,650inc. VAT
Two rooms, one outdoor unit
Multi-split
- from£5,100inc. VAT
Three rooms
Multi-split
- from£1,795+ VAT
Commercial wall unit
Fitted in business hours
- from£2,750+ VAT
Ceiling cassette
In a suitable suspended ceiling
- from£119inc. VAT
An annual service
Keeps the manufacturer warranty valid
- from£169inc. VAT
Plus plan
Essential, no diagnostic fee, 10% off repair labour
Questions from Berkshire customers
Who do I apply to for planning permission in Berkshire?
Your unitary council: Reading, Slough, Bracknell Forest, Wokingham, West Berkshire, or the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. There's no county council in Berkshire.
I live in a Reading Victorian terrace. Where would the outdoor unit go?
Usually on the rear wall or on a ground pad in the garden, with the pipes running along the back of the house. If you're in a conservation area like Eldon Square, a rear position also keeps you clear of the rule against units on walls facing the road.
Can you fit air conditioning in Windsor or Eton?
Yes. Both have conservation areas and many listed buildings, so the planning check comes first. We'll help you choose a hidden position for the outdoor unit and give you the details for an application.
Can you cool a server or comms room in our office?
Yes. Small server rooms usually need a dedicated wall unit that runs all year. A commercial wall unit starts at £1,795 plus VAT. We size it at the survey from the equipment's heat load.
Does it heat as well as cool?
Yes. The systems we fit are heat pumps that heat as well as cool, which makes them useful for extensions and loft rooms.
What's in the Plus maintenance plan?
The Plus plan, from £169 a year, includes the annual service and records, with no diagnostic fee and 10% off repair labour.