Short answer
Technicians on ServiceSeeking typically charge $80 to $140 an hour↗ for reverse cycle work, averaging about $109 an hour↗ in its May 2026 guide. Cleaning jobs in its 2024 data cost $120 to $998 (average $258)↗, and duct cleaning $180 to $750 (average $265)↗. Any work on the refrigerant needs a licensed technician.
What do air conditioning technicians charge?
ServiceSeeking's May 2026 guide puts the typical range at $80 to $140 an hour↗, with an average of about $109 an hour↗. A two-hour visit at that range comes to $160 to $280 before parts or refrigerant.
Its wider 2024 sample of air conditioning and heating technicians averaged $113.78 an hour on average↗. Rates have not moved much between the two samples, so a quote well outside that band is worth a question.
Ask whether a quote is hourly or fixed. A fixed price for a standard service is easier to compare, as long as it lists what is included.
What have cleaning jobs cost?
Show the numbers
| Air conditioner cleaning | $120 to $998 (average $258) |
|---|---|
| Duct cleaning | $180 to $750 (average $265) |
These are 2024 figures, the latest cleaning breakdown ServiceSeeking publishes, so expect 2026 prices to have moved. Look where the averages sit, though: close to the bottom of each range. A few large jobs stretch the top, and most homes pay nothing like the maximum.
When is "topping up the gas" illegal?
When nobody has found and fixed the leak first. The Australian Refrigeration Council is blunt about it: topping up a system before it has been fully tested and all identified leaks repaired is illegal↗, whoever does it.
A sealed system should not need regular top-ups. If a technician offers to add refrigerant without a leak test, you are paying for a repeat visit and breaking the rules at the same time.
Who can do what on a service call?
Licensed work covers installing, servicing and decommissioning↗, and anything else that risks letting refrigerant escape. Handling refrigerant without a licence is an offence↗.
There is a catch in the licence types. A technician with the restricted split system licence can install, but has no service or repair that touches refrigerant↗. If the job involves the refrigerant, ask for someone with a full licence.
How do you compare two service quotes?
- Is it a fixed price or hourly, and is there a call-out fee?
- Does it cover filters, the indoor coil, the drain line and the outdoor unit?
- If refrigerant is mentioned, is a leak test included first?
- What is the technician's ARC licence number, and which type is it?
Rates are what tradespeople quoted on one platform, not a regulated price. Your area, access to the unit and the system's condition all change the bill.