Worthing is a seaside town with a long front, a busy centre and quieter streets running back towards the Downs. Most of the questions we get about cost come back to the same few points. Here they are, in roughly the order people ask them.
How much will it cost?
Our prices, + VAT:
- single room: £1,200–£2,200;
- two rooms on one outdoor unit: £2,800–£4,500;
- three to five rooms: £4,500–£8,500;
- yearly service: £95–£150;
- repair visit: from £75 for diagnosis;
- air-to-water heat pump: £8,000–£16,000, before the £7,500 grant.
The installation price covers supply, fitting, commissioning and F-Gas documentation. We give a fixed price after a site survey.
Why is my quote at the top of the range?
Usually it’s one of these: a long pipe run between the units, a high wall that needs safe access, a solid wall, an electrical upgrade, a condensate pump, or a larger unit for a sunny room with lots of glass. We list each item so you can see where the money goes and whether a different position would save some of it.
Does living near the sea make a difference?
Yes, to how we protect the outdoor unit. Salt in the air settles on the coil and the metal casing and can corrode them. We look for a spot out of the direct wind, ask whether a coated coil or coastal version is available for the model, and recommend washing the coil at each service. That may add a little to the price, but it’s cheaper than replacing a corroded unit early. Our salt air guide has more detail.
Is my street in a conservation area?
Adur and Worthing Councils list 27 conservation areas in Worthing. They include Marine Parade and Hinterland, Marine Gardens and Steyne Gardens, as well as places away from the front such as Broadwater, West Tarring and Goring. Two, Castle Goring and Highdown, are inside the South Downs National Park.
In a conservation area, an outdoor unit must not be fixed to a wall or roof that fronts a road if it is to count as permitted development. A listed building needs listed building consent. We plan the position with this in mind.
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.
Do I need planning permission at all?
For many houses, no. The Planning Portal says an air source heat pump can be permitted development if the outdoor unit is 1.5 m³ or less, it meets MCS 020(a), it’s not used only for cooling and it isn’t on a pitched roof. Air-to-air heat pumps have been included since 2025. Flats have lower limits (0.6 m³). Cooling-only units are not covered, so ask the council.
I live in a flat. What do I need?
Permission from the building owner or management company, in writing, before anything is fixed to the outside. Many Worthing flats are in shared blocks and conversions, and the lease decides who owns the walls and roof. See our flats guide. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can I get a grant or pay less VAT?
Possibly. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump that replaces fossil-fuel heating, heats the whole home and is fitted by an MCS-certified installer. It isn’t available for a system added alongside a boiler. HMRC’s Notice 708/6 zero-rates qualifying heat pumps in homes until 31 March 2027, then 5%. Whether your unit qualifies depends on the facts, so we confirm the VAT on your quote. This is general guidance, not tax advice.
What about shops and offices?
We fit wall, cassette and ducted systems for businesses and quote after a survey. Business installations pay standard-rate VAT. See our Worthing air conditioning page or our Worthing area page.
Quick answers
Which council handles planning in Worthing?
Adur and Worthing Councils. If your home is inside the South Downs National Park, as the Castle Goring and Highdown conservation areas are, the National Park Authority is the planning authority.
How often should a seafront unit be cleaned?
At least once a year as part of a service. Units right on the front may benefit from a coil rinse more often, and we’ll advise after the first service.
Can you give me a price without a visit?
For a simple single room, photos of the room, the outside wall and the consumer unit are often enough. Larger jobs need a site survey.
Is a coated coil essential near the front?
Not essential, but worth considering for units close to the sea. We’ll show the option and price on your quote if your model has one.
Do you cover Lancing and Shoreham too?
Yes, we work right across Adur and Worthing and the wider South East.
Related services
More advice
- Coastal Air Conditioning: Protecting Units From Salt Air
- Air Conditioning Installation Cost in Brighton and Hove: 2026 Price Guide
- Air Conditioning Cost in Chichester and Bognor Regis: 2026 Guide
- The £2,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme Grant for Air-to-Air Heat Pumps
- 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.