Air conditioning in Hertfordshire
We install, service and repair air conditioning across Hertfordshire, for homes and businesses. This page sets out which council handles planning in your town, the extra consent garden city homes need, and what an install costs.
- district and borough councils
- 10
- single room, from
- £1,850
- repair visit, deducted
- £125
Which council handles planning in your town
Hertfordshire County Council only deals with planning for minerals, waste and its own services like schools and roads. Applications for homes, extensions and shops go to one of 10 district and borough councils.
| Council | Main towns |
|---|---|
| Broxbourne Borough Council | Cheshunt, Hoddesdon |
| Dacorum Borough Council | Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring |
| East Herts Council | Hertford, Ware, Bishop's Stortford, Sawbridgeworth |
| Hertsmere Borough Council | Borehamwood, Bushey, Potters Bar, Radlett |
| North Hertfordshire District Council | Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Royston |
| St Albans City and District Council | St Albans, Harpenden, London Colney |
| Stevenage Borough Council | Stevenage |
| Three Rivers District Council | Rickmansworth, Chorleywood, Abbots Langley |
| Watford Borough Council | Watford |
| Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council | Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield |
Hertfordshire homes and what they mean for an install
The biggest choices in any install are where the outdoor unit goes and how the pipes get to the room. Here's how that plays out in the county's common house types.
| Type of home | Where you'll find it | What it means for the install |
|---|---|---|
| Detached and semi-detached family homes | Harpenden, Radlett, Berkhamsted, Bushey | Easy siting at the side or rear. A multi-split can cool three or four bedrooms from one outdoor unit. |
| Victorian and Edwardian terraces | Older streets in St Albans, Watford, Hertford, Hitchin | Rear outdoor units and short pipe runs work best. Many of these streets are in conservation areas. |
| Garden city houses | Letchworth Garden City, Welwyn Garden City | Estate management consent first, then a discreet rear position for the outdoor unit. |
| New towns and newer estates | Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead, Hatfield and edge-of-town estates | Usually simple installs. Check the deeds for covenants about external equipment. |
| Commuter flats | Near stations across the south of the county | Freeholder consent is needed, and often planning too. Balconies and flat roofs are the usual spots for condensers. |
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Hertfordshire's historic towns are well protected. East Herts alone has 42 conservation areas, including Hertford, Bishop's Stortford, Ware, Sawbridgeworth, Buntingford and Much Hadham. Hitchin's conservation area dates from 1969. St Albans City and District has 19, and Watford has 10.
Outdoor units on houses can often go up without a planning application under permitted development, within limits on size, position and noise. Those rules are tighter in conservation areas, don't apply to listed buildings, and are mostly removed where an Article 4 direction applies. Our planning guide explains the details, and we check your address before we quote.
Towns with their own page
St Albans and Watford have their own pages, with each council's conservation areas, Article 4 directions and parking rules. We cover the rest of the county too, including Hemel Hempstead, Harpenden, Hertford, Hitchin, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City.
Air conditioning for Hertfordshire businesses
We fit and maintain systems in offices, shops, surgeries, salons and restaurants. Wall units suit small shops and converted buildings. Ceiling cassettes suit offices with suspended ceilings. Commercial installs are done in business hours, and we plan around your opening times.
We also service and repair existing systems from most manufacturers, including ones another company fitted.
What air conditioning costs in Hertfordshire
Our starting prices are the same in Hertfordshire as in London. The survey turns these into a fixed price.
- 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£2,450inc. VAT
Open plan or a loft
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£119inc. VAT
An annual service
Keeps the manufacturer warranty valid
- from£125inc. VAT
Repair diagnostic visit
First hour on site, deducted if you go ahead
Questions from Hertfordshire customers
Does Hertfordshire County Council handle my planning application?
No. The county council only handles planning for minerals, waste and its own services. For a home or business, apply to your district or borough council, such as Dacorum for Hemel Hempstead or East Herts for Hertford.
I live in Letchworth. Do I need anything besides planning?
Yes. The Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation's Scheme of Management covers freehold homes in the estate, and most external changes need its consent. That's separate from planning, so you may need both. Its guidance keeps condensers off front walls and back from boundaries.
What about Welwyn Garden City?
Most of the town is covered by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council's Estate Management Scheme. External air conditioning units go through it, and some applications carry a fee. Apply before booking the install date.
Can I have air conditioning in a loft conversion?
Yes, and lofts are one of the most common rooms we cool. A 2.5 kW or 3.5 kW wall unit usually suits, with the outdoor unit on a rear wall or flat roof below.
Will it also heat the room?
Yes. The systems we fit are heat pumps that heat as well as cool, so they keep a conservatory, extension or loft comfortable all year.
Do you repair air conditioning someone else fitted?
Yes. Our repair visit is £125, which covers the first hour and comes off the bill if you go ahead. We repair most brands whoever fitted them.