Dorking and Leatherhead are both in Mole Valley District, so the same council handles planning in each. The district has 26 conservation areas, and parts of the Dorking and Leatherhead conservation areas have Article 4 directions on top. Around the towns there are villages and rural homes where the question is often less about cooling and more about replacing an oil boiler.
This guide covers our prices, those planning controls, and what rural homes should know about heat pump grants.
Our prices
All + VAT, with supply, installation, commissioning and F-Gas documentation included:
- single room split system, £1,200–£2,200;
- two-room multi-split, £2,800–£4,500;
- three to five rooms, £4,500–£8,500;
- air-to-water heat pump, £8,000–£16,000, before the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant (0% VAT on homes at present).
Servicing costs £95–£150, and a repair visit starts at £75 for diagnosis. Larger commercial systems are priced after a survey.
What Article 4 means for an outdoor unit
Mole Valley District Council’s conservation areas page says there are additional planning controls over change in parts of the Dorking, Brockham and Leatherhead conservation areas. Those controls are Article 4 directions. They take away some of the permitted development rights a homeowner would normally have.
The Planning Portal says Article 4 can remove the rights that let you fit an air source heat pump without an application. So in those parts of town, it’s sensible to check with the council before you buy anything. Even without Article 4, an outdoor unit in a conservation area must not face a road. That can mean a longer pipe run to a rear garden, which adds cost. We’ll measure both routes on the survey so you can compare.
Leatherhead businesses
Leatherhead has offices and commercial buildings as well as homes. For business premises, the price depends on the ceiling (cassette or ducted units need a void), how many rooms run at once, landlord rules for the roof or plant area, and when we can work. If total capacity is over 12 kW, TM44 inspections may apply; our TM44 guide explains. We quote commercial jobs after a survey.
Want it done properly? AirCon Doctor installs, repairs and services air conditioning and heat pumps across London and the South East, from our base in East Grinstead. We’re an F-Gas certified company and NICEIC approved. Get a fixed-price quote.
Rural homes: grants for leaving oil
If your home is heated by oil or LPG and has no mains gas, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme currently offers an extra £1,500 on top of the standard grant for an air source or ground source heat pump, until March 2027. The standard grant is £7,500 for air-to-water. An air-to-air heat pump can get £2,500 if it replaces the fossil-fuel heating and meets the full heating demand of the home.
There are conditions: homes only, an MCS-certified installer, one grant per property, and no grant to replace an existing low-carbon system or for a hybrid. We’re MCS certified and make the application for you. Our heat pump cost guide goes into the figures.
Planning rules everywhere else
Outside the controlled areas, the Planning Portal rules apply. No application is needed for a house heat pump whose outdoor unit is 1.5 m³ or smaller, it complies with MCS 020(a), it isn’t only for cooling, and it’s not on a pitched roof or in the grounds of a listed building. Air-to-air units are included since 2025. A detached house may have two units; other houses one.
A note on councils: the government has confirmed that Mole Valley will become part of a new East Surrey Council from 1 April 2027, according to the Surrey reorganisation hub. Until then, Mole Valley District Council handles planning as usual.
VAT
HMRC’s Notice 708/6 zero-rates qualifying heat pumps installed in homes until 31 March 2027, after which the rate is 5%. HMRC says most air conditioning units are air source heat pumps, but each case depends on the facts, so we confirm the VAT on your quote. Businesses pay the standard rate. This is general information, not tax advice.
Local pages: Dorking and Leatherhead.
Quick answers
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in central Dorking?
Possibly. Parts of the Dorking conservation area have Article 4 directions, which can remove permitted development rights. Check with Mole Valley District Council before you commit.
Can a rural home near Dorking get more grant money?
Until March 2027, homes on oil or LPG with no mains gas can get an extra £1,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump.
Will the new East Surrey Council change the rules?
The national permitted development rules stay the same. Local policies may change over time, so we check the current position at the time of your job.
Do you service heat pumps as well as air conditioning?
Yes. We service both and keep the F-Gas records.
Related services
More advice
- Air Source Heat Pump Cost UK 2026: Complete Guide
- The £2,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme Grant for Air-to-Air Heat Pumps
- Do I Need Planning Permission for Air Conditioning in the UK?
- Air Conditioning Cost in Reigate and Redhill: 2026 Price Guide
- All advice
This guide is general information, checked against the sources linked on 30 October 2026. It isn’t legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, grants and product ranges change, so check the current position before you rely on it.