Heating and cooling quote checklist for Warragul homes

Before you sign any heating or cooling quote in Warragul, check licences for the refrigerant, gas and electrical work, the exact equipment and exclusions, and any Victorian Energy Upgrades discount. Afterwards, expect an electrical safety certificate and, for gas work, a compliance certificate.

Why use a checklist for an air conditioning quote?

Heating and cooling quotes are hard to compare because two businesses can describe very different jobs with the same words. One “5 kW split installed” might include a long pipe run, a new circuit and removal of the old unit, while another covers a back-to-back install only. Licences are also split across three regulators, so a business can be fully licensed for one part of the job and rely on someone else for another. A short, ordered check catches most of the gaps before money changes hands.

Which licences should you check before signing?

Work on the job	Licence needed	How to check it
Installing, servicing or repairing a split, multi-split or ducted reverse cycle system	Refrigerant handling licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council	Search by licence number or name at the ARC licence check; the result shows whether it is current and what type it is
Servicing, replacing or disconnecting a gas heater	Gasfitter registered or licensed with the Building and Plumbing Commission for Type A appliance work	BPC find and check a practitioner shows status, the type of work allowed and any conditions
New circuit, switchboard upgrade or connection of the outdoor unit	Licensed electrical worker employed by a Registered Electrical Contractor	Energy Safe Victoria public registers, including the Licensed Electrical Worker Search and the contractor register
Applying a VEU discount	Accredited provider, or an installer working with one	The accredited provider list for Gippsland on the VEU heating and cooling page

The Australian Refrigeration Council licenses technicians under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989, and its advice is to ask to see the licence before work begins. The BPC also runs a Compliance and Enforcement Register listing certain disciplinary and prosecution actions. Its own guidance is not to rely on advertising, business cards or quotes alone and to check a practitioner before signing a contract or letting work start. The Energy Safe registers ask you to complete a CAPTCHA before searching.

What should the quote itself contain?

Work through this list with the written quote in front of you.

1. Your address and the date, so the quote is clearly for your house.
2. The business name and the licence numbers of the people doing refrigerant, gas and electrical work, or the names of any subcontractors they will bring in.
3. Exact model numbers for the indoor and outdoor units, not just a brand and a size.
4. Rated heating and cooling capacity and the outdoor unit noise level. The VEU program suggests asking for both on every quote.
5. Where each unit goes, inside and out, ideally marked on a sketch or photo.
6. Pipe run length included, and what happens to the price if the run is longer.
7. Electrical work: a new dedicated circuit, any switchboard upgrade, and who does it.
8. Removal of old equipment, including refrigerant recovery from an old split or disconnecting and capping a gas heater.
9. Exclusions written out, such as patching, painting, bulkheads, ground pads or roof access equipment.
10. The VEU discount as its own line, if one applies, with the name of the accredited provider.
11. Warranty terms, kept separate for the equipment and for the installation workmanship. VEU-eligible products for homes carry a minimum five-year warranty.
12. Payment stages, and what triggers each payment.
13. How changes are agreed, so extra work found on the day is priced in writing before it is done.

For a ducted job, add three more items: the number and position of outlets, whether zoning is included and how many zones, and where the return air grille and controller will go. For a gas heater service or replacement, the quote should say whether a carbon monoxide spillage test is part of the visit and whether the flue will be inspected.

If a quote is missing several of these, ask for a revised one. A provider who has visited the house should be able to fill the gaps easily. To compare prices against published ranges, use the Warragul heating and cooling cost page.

How do you check a VEU discount is handled properly?

The discount is applied by an accredited provider before the job, not claimed back afterwards. The program page states that retrospective discounts are typically not possible, and that if you use your own installer they must work with an accredited provider before any work starts. Confirm on the quote which accredited provider is involved and that the product is VEU-approved. The VEU heating discount guide for Warragul covers eligibility and the product rules in detail.

What paperwork should you receive after the job?

Document	Who issues it	When to expect it
Certificate of Electrical Safety, prescribed work (such as a switchboard upgrade or new consumer mains)	Registered Electrical Contractor or licensed electrician, after an independent inspection	A copy within 4 days of completion of the certificate once inspection is complete
Certificate of Electrical Safety, non-prescribed work (such as a new air conditioning circuit)	Registered Electrical Contractor or licensed electrician	A copy within 30 days
Gas compliance certificate, where gasfitting was done	Licensed gasfitter	Ask for it when the gas work is finished
Equipment warranty registration and manuals	Installer or manufacturer	At handover
VEU paperwork and any electrical or plumbing certificates	Accredited provider	As part of the discount process

Energy Safe Victoria describes the Certificate of Electrical Safety as a legal document required under the Electricity Safety Act 1998. Its consumer guidance on certificates also says prescribed work cannot be switched on until it has been inspected, and that you can report a contractor who refuses to provide a certificate. On the gas side, the BPC gasfitting class page defines gasfitting work under Part 4 of the Plumbing Regulations 2018 and lists issuing compliance certificates among the duties of licensed practitioners.

Keep all of these together with the quote. A future buyer, an insurer or the next technician may ask for them.

What should you check on installation day?

• Ask to see each tradesperson’s licence card. For gasfitters, the BPC suggests checking the registered classes listed on the back of the card.
• Confirm the units being fitted match the model numbers on the quote.
• Check the outdoor unit position is the one agreed, with clearance for airflow and servicing.
• Ask where the condensate drain discharges.
• Have the installer show you how to clean filters and use the controller.
• Note any damage to walls, ceilings or gardens before the team leaves.

If something is not working after the job, the provider who installed it is the first call under its workmanship warranty. Faults outside that period are covered on the heating and cooling repairs page.

What does this site do and not do?

This site passes your enquiry to an independent local provider. That business quotes, signs the agreement with you and carries out the work, and it is the one whose licences you check. The about page explains how referrals are handled. Before you send your quote details for a second opinion, have the checklist results to hand so the provider can see what you have already been offered.

Next step: send an enquiry with your checklist answers

Start a heating or cooling enquiry and list the job type, your suburb, the system you have now, the rooms involved and any quotes you have already received with their model numbers. Mention whether you expect a VEU discount and whether the house is on mains gas or LPG. With that, a provider can quote against the same scope so your comparison is fair.

Send a job enquiry