What happens on a
free survey
Every form on this site offers one, so it is only fair to say what it is. An hour, no charge, nothing to sign, and a written price afterwards that is valid for 30 days.
- Free, with no deposit and no obligation
- Nothing to sign on the day, and no same-day discounts
- Usually within 48 hours across north London
Brands we work with
A free air conditioning survey takes 40 minutes to an hour. An engineer measures the rooms, checks the consumer unit, works out where the outdoor unit can go, and confirms the planning position for your address. You get a written fixed price by email, usually within two working days, valid for 30 days.
There is nothing to sign, no deposit, and no charge whether you go ahead or not.
What actually happens, in order
- An engineer arrives, not a salesperson. The person who surveys is the person who can tell you what the job involves, because they do the job. We do not run a separate sales team, which is why nobody is going to talk about a limited offer.
- We measure the rooms. Floor area, ceiling height, which way the windows face, how much glazing, what is above and below. That is the heat load calculation, and it is the number the whole quote is built on.
- We look at the consumer unit. Nearly every installation needs a dedicated circuit, and whether the board has a spare way is the difference between 250 and 850 pounds. It is much better to know that now than after you have accepted a price.
- We work out where the outdoor unit goes. Then we look at it from the neighbour's side, because the position that is easiest for us is not always the one that keeps the peace. This is the part of the visit that most often changes the price.
- We plan the pipe route. Where it runs, whether it is visible, whether it can go internally, and what making good looks like. If there is going to be a surface run somewhere you would not like, you find out now rather than on the day.
- We check the permission position for your address. Conservation area boundary, any Article 4 direction, the listed building register, and whether it is a flat. You get that answer in writing whether or not you use us.
- We tell you what we would do, and what we would not. Including where a smaller unit is the right answer, or a different room is the better first job.
What you get afterwards
| What | When | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| A fixed written price | Usually within 2 working days | Not a range and not an estimate. The price you pay |
| The model and output of every unit | With the quote | So it can be compared with another quote properly |
| The permission position for your address | With the quote | In writing, whether or not you use us |
| What is included, itemised | With the quote | Units, install, electrics, commissioning, making good, VAT |
| The first date we could do it | With the quote | A real date, not a lead time |
The quotation is valid for 30 days. There is no deposit at the point of acceptance.
What we will not do
Worth saying explicitly, because the reason people hesitate to book a home visit for anything is that they have had a bad one.
- No price that expires at the end of the visit, and no discount for deciding today
- No contract in the van and nothing to sign while we are there
- No deposit before you have seen a written price
- No quoting for work you did not ask about
- No second visit from somebody more senior to "review" the price
Why we survey rather than quote over the phone
Because the three things that move an air conditioning price the most cannot be seen down a phone line: whether the consumer unit has a spare way, where the outdoor unit can physically go, and how far the pipe has to run to get there. Between them those account for more variation than the choice of equipment does.
A company that gives you a firm figure without seeing the property is doing one of two things. Either it is guessing, in which case the number will change, or it has padded the price enough to cover the worst case, in which case you are paying for a problem you may not have.
Before the survey, if you want a number now
Price it yourself
A calculator that asks the questions the survey asks and gives you a range in about a minute.
Cost calculatorWork out the size
kW and BTU for your room, with the working shown, using the same model we use.
Sizing calculatorCheck the permission
All eight permitted development conditions, and what changes for flats and conservation areas.
PlanningQuestions about the survey
Is the survey really free?
Yes, with no conditions attached to it. No charge, no deposit, no obligation, and nothing to sign on the day. If you decide against it, or against us, that is the end of it and you owe nothing.
The reason it is free is straightforward commercially: we cannot give you a real price without seeing the property, and a company that quotes air conditioning over the phone is either guessing or protecting itself with a margin you are paying for.
How long does it take?
Forty minutes to an hour for a single room, and an hour and a half for a whole house. Most of that is measuring, looking at the electrics and working out where the outdoor unit can go.
We would rather take the extra twenty minutes and be right than be quick and revise the price later.
Will I be pressured into signing something?
No, and there is nothing to sign. We do not carry contracts to surveys and we do not do same-day discounts, because a price that expires at the end of a visit is a tactic rather than a price.
The written quotation arrives afterwards by email and it is valid for 30 days. You are meant to compare it with others.
Do I need to do anything to prepare?
Nothing, but three things speed it up if they are easy. Know roughly which rooms you want, be able to get to the consumer unit, and have an idea of whether you own the freehold.
If it is a flat, the managing agent's name is the most useful thing you can have ready, because the consent process is usually the longest part of the programme.
What if the answer is that I should not have it?
Then we say so, and it happens. A conservatory with an untreated polycarbonate roof, a flat where the only outdoor position faces a neighbour's bedroom window, or a job where the right first spend is on the roof or the glazing rather than on us.
We would rather lose a job than fit something that gets switched off after one summer, because in this trade the systems that get talked about are the ones that disappointed.
How soon can you come?
Usually within 48 hours in north London and often the next working day in Enfield, Barnet and Haringey. Further out it depends on what is booked, and you get the honest date rather than the one that wins the appointment.
Book a free survey
An hour, no charge, nothing to sign, and a written fixed price afterwards that is valid for 30 days. If we think you should not have it, we will tell you that too.
Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm, Sunday closed
Or leave your number