Air conditioning in Hatfield
We install, service and repair air conditioning in homes, rented houses and businesses across Hatfield, from Old Hatfield and Roe Green to South Hatfield, Welham Green and Brookmans Park. Here's what the council's rules and the town's homes mean for an install.
- conservation areas in the borough
- 10
- single room, from
- £1,850
- annual service, from
- £119
- repair visit, deducted
- £125
An old town and a new town side by side
Hatfield has two halves. Old Hatfield grew up around the gates of Hatfield House, and that part of town is now the Old Hatfield conservation area. The rest is a post-war new town, one of the two in Welwyn Hatfield along with Welwyn Garden City.
So most homes we quote here are new town terraces, semis and low-rise flats, with older cottages and town houses in Old Hatfield and newer estates and flats on the edges of town. If you rent, the owner has to agree to the work.
Hatfield homes and what they mean for an install
| Type of home | Typical areas | What it means for the install |
|---|---|---|
| New town terraces and semis | Roe Green, Hilltop, High Dells, South Hatfield and the estates around them | Outdoor unit on the back wall or a ground pad, with short pipe runs. One room is usually fitted in a day. |
| Low-rise flats and maisonettes | Across the town and near the town centre | Freeholder consent first. Permitted development allows one heat pump per block, with an outdoor unit up to 0.6 m³. |
| Cottages and period town houses | Old Hatfield, near Hatfield House | Inside a conservation area and often listed. Expect a planning application, and listed building consent where needed. |
| Shared and rented houses | Across the town | The owner books and approves the work. We give landlords a fixed written price and service records. |
| Larger detached houses | Brookmans Park and the villages to the south | Room for multi-split or ducted systems. A detached house can have two heat pumps under permitted development. |
Planning: Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Planning in Hatfield is handled by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, not Hertfordshire County Council.
A heating-capable outdoor unit on a house is often permitted development, so no application is needed if every limit is met. The main ones: the unit must not be used only for cooling, it must be no bigger than 1.5 m³, and it must pass the MCS 020(a) noise check of 37 dB(A) at neighbours' windows. A terraced or semi-detached house can have one heat pump under these rules. Our planning guide sets out the rest.
The council lists 10 conservation areas. The one that matters most in town is the Old Hatfield historic core. Others nearby include Essendon and Lemsford. In a conservation area, a unit can't go on a wall or roof facing the road without permission. Listed buildings always need consent.
In July 2026 the government announced that Hertfordshire's county and district councils will be replaced by four unitary councils from 1 April 2028, subject to Parliament's approval. Most of Welwyn Hatfield, including Hatfield, would join a new central Hertfordshire council with Stevenage and most of North Herts. Until then, the borough council decides applications.
Article 4 directions that apply in Hatfield
Neither of these removes the usual householder rights for an outdoor unit, but both matter if you own or manage rented property.
| Direction | What it does |
|---|---|
| Houses in multiple occupation, confirmed April 2011 | Turning a family home into a small shared house (HMO) needs planning permission in Hatfield |
| Additional storeys, confirmed June 2022 | Adding extra storeys to existing blocks of flats needs planning permission |
Welwyn Hatfield also has Article 4 directions on employment sites, including Hatfield Business Park, that stop offices being turned into homes without permission. The Estate Management Scheme is a Welwyn Garden City scheme and doesn't cover Hatfield.
Landlords and shared houses
If you let a house in Hatfield, you book and approve the work, not your tenants. The usual permitted development rules apply to the house itself, so one heat pump on a terrace or semi. A multi-split runs several bedrooms from that one outdoor unit, and each room gets its own controls.
We service let properties once a year and keep records you can show tenants or agents.
Air conditioning for Hatfield businesses
We fit and look after systems in offices and warehouses with office space at Hatfield Business Park, and in shops, clinics, salons and restaurants in the town centre and Old Hatfield. Commercial installs are done in business hours.
In Old Hatfield, shops in historic buildings may need listed building consent or planning permission for an outdoor unit, so we start with the siting and the paperwork.
Parking on install day
Welwyn Hatfield runs resident permit zones on some Hatfield streets, including Hilltop and High Dells. Each zone is set up by its own traffic order, with its own hours and list of eligible addresses. If you live in a zone, tell us when you book and we'll agree where the van can park.
What air conditioning costs in Hatfield
Our starting prices are the same here as across Hertfordshire and London. Home prices include VAT. 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£59inc. VAT
Each extra indoor unit
Same visit
Areas and postcodes we cover
We cover the whole town and the villages around it, including:
- AL10: the town centre, Roe Green, Hilltop, High Dells and South Hatfield
- AL9: Old Hatfield, Welham Green, Brookmans Park and Essendon
- Nearby: Welwyn Garden City, St Albans and Colney Heath
Hatfield questions
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in Hatfield?
Often not. A heating-capable unit on a house can be permitted development if it meets the size, position and noise limits. You'll need permission for a listed building, a cooling-only unit, or a unit on a wall facing the road in Old Hatfield's conservation area. Applications go to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.
Does the HMO Article 4 direction stop me fitting air conditioning?
No. It controls turning a house into a shared house, not outdoor units. The normal permitted development rules for heat pumps still apply to the house, as long as the change of use itself was lawful.
I live in Old Hatfield. Can I still have air conditioning?
Often, yes, but it takes more care. If your building is listed, that which means planning permission and listed building consent. For unlisted houses, a rear or side position out of sight from the street can be permitted development.
Can I fit air conditioning in a flat?
Sometimes. You'll need the freeholder's written consent whatever the planning position. Permitted development allows one heat pump on a block of flats, with an outdoor unit up to 0.6 m³. If the block already has one, a planning application is needed.
Do you work at Hatfield Business Park?
Yes. We fit wall units, ceiling cassettes and multi-room systems, and service and repair existing systems of most brands. Commercial wall units start from £1,795 plus VAT and cassettes from £2,750 plus VAT.
What does a repair visit cost?
A repair diagnostic visit is £125 including VAT. It covers the first hour on site and comes off the bill if you go ahead with the repair. We repair most brands, whoever fitted them.