Farnham and Godalming are both in Waverley, a borough with 44 conservation areas. In both towns, the town centre is one of them. So if you live or work in the middle of either, the first question about air conditioning isn’t which brand, it’s where the outdoor unit can go without upsetting the planners. Away from the centres, the picture is often simpler, and most houses fall under the normal national rules. This guide covers both, with our prices first.
Costs at a glance
- One room: £1,200–£2,200 + VAT
- Two rooms: £2,800–£4,500 + VAT
- Three to five rooms: £4,500–£8,500 + VAT
- Air-to-water heat pump: £8,000–£16,000, before the £7,500 grant, 0% VAT on homes at present
- Servicing: £95–£150 + VAT; repair diagnosis from £75 + VAT
Installation prices include supply, fitting, commissioning and F-Gas documentation. Businesses are quoted after a survey.
The conservation areas
Waverley Borough Council’s conservation areas page names these in the two towns:
| Farnham | Godalming |
|---|---|
| Farnham Town Centre | Godalming Town Centre |
| Shepherd and Flock | Godalming Crownpits |
| Godalming Navigations and River Wey | |
| Ockford Road |
In a conservation area, permitted development for a heat pump doesn’t cover an outdoor unit on a wall or roof that fronts a road, or one nearer the road than the building. An Article 4 direction can remove other rights.
Listed buildings
If your home or shop is listed, listed building consent is separate from planning and is needed for most external work, and sometimes for internal work that affects the building’s character. Drilling through historic walls, fixing trunking to old plaster and siting units on a roof all need care. Talk to the council early, and see our listed building guide and listed buildings page.
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.
What drives the price in a historic centre
Hiding the outdoor unit usually means a rear yard, a flat roof or a garden some way from the room. Longer pipe runs, more trunking and careful routing through older buildings take more time. Solid walls take longer to core-drill. Where there’s no easy fall for condensate, a small pump is fitted. Each of these is shown on the quote so you can weigh up the options.
On newer streets outside the centres, jobs are often simpler and sit lower in the band.
Shops and offices in the town centres
Independent shops, cafés and offices in older buildings often have no ceiling void, so a wall-mounted or floor-standing indoor unit may suit better than a cassette. The outdoor unit usually needs a rear yard or flat roof, and the landlord’s consent. We work out the order of work around opening hours, and price commercial jobs after a survey. Business installations pay standard-rate VAT. See our retail air conditioning page for the options.
Rules for houses elsewhere
The Planning Portal explains that a heat pump on a house can be permitted development if the outdoor unit and housing are no more than 1.5 m³, it complies with MCS 020(a), it isn’t used solely for cooling and it isn’t on a pitched roof. Air-to-air heat pumps are covered since 2025. Flats have smaller limits. Waverley becomes part of the new West Surrey Council on 1 April 2027 (Surrey reorganisation hub); until then, Waverley handles planning.
Grants and VAT
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump that replaces fossil-fuel heating and meets the whole heating demand, or £7,500 towards air-to-water. Homes on oil or LPG without mains gas can get an extra £1,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump until March 2027. We’re MCS certified and apply for you.
VAT on qualifying heat pumps in homes is 0% until 31 March 2027, then 5% (HMRC Notice 708/6). We confirm the VAT on your quote. Shops and offices pay the standard rate. This is general information, not tax advice.
Local pages: Farnham and Godalming.
Quick answers
Can I fit air conditioning in a listed shop in Farnham?
Often, with listed building consent. A hidden outdoor unit and a careful pipe route are the usual approach.
Is Godalming town centre a conservation area?
Yes. Waverley lists Godalming Town Centre as a conservation area, along with Crownpits, the Navigations and River Wey, and Ockford Road.
Who do I ask about planning in Godalming?
Waverley Borough Council until 31 March 2027, then the new West Surrey Council.
Does a conservation area make the job more expensive?
Only if the position the rules allow means more pipework or access work. We show any extra on the quote.
Related services
More advice
- Air Conditioning Installation in a Listed Building: Complete Guide
- Air Conditioning Cost in Guildford: 2026 Price Guide
- Air Conditioning Cost in Woking and Camberley: 2026 Price Guide
- Air Conditioning for Retail: Shop and Showroom 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.