Greater London · Air conditioning installation
Air con installers in Soho
F-Gas certified and NICEIC approved, we cover Soho for air conditioning. A fixed price before work begins, and a 24/7 emergency line.
- Uncertainty over the right type and size of system
- A study or office that overheats during the day
- A system on old refrigerant that’s due for replacement
Air con installers in Soho
A new system normally needs a dedicated circuit from the fuse board. Adding a new circuit is notifiable building work under Part P unless it’s done by a registered competent person, and as NICEIC approved contractors we can install and certify it as part of the job. People searching for “air con near me” in Soho want two things: a sensible price and someone qualified. We publish typical prices and do the refrigerant work as an F-Gas certified company.
Many installs in Soho can go ahead as permitted development, but listed buildings, conservation areas and flats need more care: we tell you at the survey if it applies.
In Soho, as across London, the rooms that get hottest are normally under the roof or behind large sunny windows. A single wall-mounted unit in the worst room is often where people start, while a multi-split serves several rooms from one outdoor unit, which helps where outside space is limited.
Nothing is signed off by word of mouth: commissioning details for an installation, a fault and repair note for a repair, or a record of the service. Keep it with the system’s paperwork so it’s to hand next time.
- Place
- Soho (W1F, W1T, W1D)
- Region
- Greater London
- Credentials
- NICEIC and F-Gas
- Prices
- From £1,200 + VAT
- Quote
- A fixed-price quote up front
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
Questions from Soho
Is air conditioning in Soho permitted development?
That depends on the building and where the outdoor unit goes. The Soho Conservation Area takes in the middle of Soho. Since 2025, an air-to-air heat pump on a house can count as permitted development if it meets the conditions and is not used only for cooling. Listed buildings still need consent, and in a conservation area a road-facing wall or roof isn’t allowed under those rules. If there’s any doubt, we ask Westminster council, which is normally the planning authority for Soho.
Do I need permission to put air conditioning in my flat in Soho?
In many cases, yes, once the lease and the building’s rules are checked. Permitted development rules for flats are tighter than for houses, so we check the outdoor unit position and give you the details to send to the freeholder or managing agent.
Can the outdoor unit go on a roof or at ground level?
Wall brackets, ground level and flat roofs are all options, wherever the pipe route, airflow and servicing access work best. We also think about noise near bedrooms and neighbours and position can affect planning.
Do you provide F-Gas records?
Yes. It’s your proof of what was done: the date, the work, and any refrigerant added or recovered.
How do you size the system?
We size each room on the survey, from its size, glazing, orientation and use. Too small, and it runs flat out; too big, and it switches on and off and wastes energy, so we explain why we have chosen a particular output.
Whose job is it to check the system for leaks?
The operator of the equipment, working with qualified engineers. Larger systems need regular checks: at least every 12 months from 5 tCO2e and every 6 months from 50 tCO2e. We can tell you which band your system falls into.
What accreditations do you have?
F-Gas company certification, NICEIC approval for electrical work and MCS certification for heat pumps, and we are Checkatrade members. Our engineers also hold the individual F-gas qualifications needed to work on refrigerant.
Leave it or put it right?
Refrigerant rules have changed what new systems use. From 2025, single splits under 3 kg can’t use refrigerants with a GWP over 750, which is why R32, with a GWP of 675, is now common. Older R410A systems have a GWP of 2088. In a London building, getting the freeholder’s or agent’s agreement can take a while, so it’s worth starting early.
What you pay depends on the system and the number of rooms or units, the access and what the work involves. We give you a fixed price before we start, so you know where you stand.
Why people in Soho choose us
- 24/7 emergency line for breakdowns
- A reply the same working day
- F-Gas company certification
- Clear warranty information from the manufacturer
Read our cost guide or how to check a contractor.
Homes in Soho and air conditioning
The Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures put about 49% of homes across Soho and its surrounding area before 1919, and about 96% of households live in flats, according to Census 2021 figures. Older homes often have solid walls, which take longer to core drill, so we plan pipe routes carefully and keep them as discreet as we can. In flats, the lease and the freeholder usually decide where an outdoor unit can go, and the permitted development rules for flats are tighter. London installs often hinge on outside space, the lease and access to the building.
Plenty of people near Tottenham Court Road station split the week between the train and a spare room, and that spare room is often the first to get a unit. Older streets near St Anne's Church may fall within a conservation area, so we check the planning position before choosing where the outdoor unit goes.
Soho is about 1 mile east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. We cover Soho for air conditioning, along with the rest of Greater London. Soho is one of 764 places in Greater London we cover for homes and businesses.
Our nearest recent job to Soho was on East Hill, Wandsworth (SW18), about 5 miles south-west: installing a Daikin wall-mounted unit in the open-plan living area. Read more
If your postcode is in W1F, W1T and W1D, you’re inside the area we cover. Soho sits on or near the A4 and A301, so getting to you is simple. Places around Soho that are also on our list: West End (1 mile east), Chinatown (1 mile south), Seven Dials (1 mile east), St Giles (1 mile north-east) and St James's (1 mile south). Within a short drive, we also cover Kensington (3 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Whitechapel (3 miles east) and Hampstead (3 miles north-west).
What’s near Soho
Locally, jobs take us to houses, flats and workplaces close to Bar Soho, St Anne's Churchyard and Harris Westminster Sixth Form. You’ll also find LITE Regal International School (0.6 miles west) and London Library (0.5 miles south-west). Soho has its own railway station: Tottenham Court Road station. A little further out are Kingly Court (within half a mile west) and Montfichet's Tower (1.3 miles east). The countryside around Soho includes St. James's Park Lake and Ludgate Hill.
How the job changes from property to property
Wall-mounted split systems
A single-room split is typically £1,200–£2,200 + VAT, including supply, installation, commissioning and F-Gas documentation. Long pipe runs, difficult access and a new circuit affect where your job sits in the range.
Pipework and condensate drains
Cooling produces water as the air is dried, and the condensate drain carries it away. Where it can’t fall naturally to a drain, a condensate pump lifts it, and we plan that on the survey.
What we do, step by step
Anything involving refrigerant is handled by F-Gas qualified engineers, as the law requires, and electrical work is done by us as NICEIC approved contractors. On the day, both are in the same hands. On site, it takes a day or more, depending on the number of rooms, the pipe routes and the access. Photos of the room and where the outdoor unit could go let us plan most of a visit to Soho in advance.
- Diagnosis comes first, with a survey of the rooms, outside space and fuse board.
- Next, a recommendation for each room and a fixed price.
- Then the work: units up, pipes and drain run, and a new circuit where needed.
- Before it runs, the pipework is proved tight and put under vacuum.
- Finally, the clean bill of health: commissioning, the controls explained and your paperwork handed over.
How to prepare
- Let us know if the building has a permit or sign-in process
- Let us know where we can park and unload
- Clear access to the fuse board
How to get a quote
VAT is set out clearly on every quote, and the rate that applies to your job is stated. VAT can differ between homes and businesses and between kinds of work, so we confirm it on the quote. For a fixed-price quote, ring 07833 053749, or email if that’s easier.
Advice
What owners can safely do
For air conditioning, cleaning the indoor unit’s filters is the main job owners can do, if the manual says so. They come out, get a gentle clean and go back only when they’re dry. For a heat pump, the main owner jobs are a clear outdoor unit and sensible control settings.
Some faults have simple causes you can check first: check the mode, the set temperature, the remote’s batteries and the breaker. If the breaker trips a second time, leave it off and call us on 07833 053749 or drop us a line.
Nearby places to Soho
What else we do in Soho
From one of our customers
“Very professional from the initial survey through to installation. The engineer explained everything clearly and the quote was exactly what we paid. Would not hesitate to recommend AirCon Doctor.”
David W., Haywards Heath