Air Conditioning Quotes: The 12 Lines to Check Before You Sign in 2026
L'équipe Proclimo
10 Oct 2026 - 08 min read
Three quotes for a reversible air conditioning system in the same home can come in at €4,200, €7,800 and €11,500. The gap is almost never down to chance: it comes from what is written — and above all from what is not written. Since the VAT rate on air-to-air heat pumps dropped to 5.5% in July 2026, and since the easing of installation formalities that took effect on 1 March 2026, the quote has become the most strategic document in your file. It determines the VAT rate applied, the precise nature of the warranty, and the installer's liability in the event of a breakdown.
Here, line by line, is what a serious quote must contain in 2026.
1. The company's full identity (not just its trading name)
A works quote is a contractual document. French consumer law requires the name or company name, the registered office address, the SIRET number, the legal form and the intra-Community VAT number.
Three checks take five minutes:
- The SIRET number on annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr: does the company really exist, since when, and does its declared activity genuinely correspond to HVAC work?
- Trading name ≠ the entity issuing the invoice: many air conditioning "networks" are lead-generation platforms that subcontract the work. If the quote is issued by a company other than the one that approached you, the issuing company will be your only avenue of recourse.
- The address: a PO box or a registered-address service 600 km from the job site makes a warranty claim considerably harder.
2. The ten-year structural insurance and its validity date
A fixed air conditioning installation, connected to the building fabric and drilled through the façade, falls under the ten-year structural warranty (garantie décennale) as soon as it contributes to heating the home — which is the case for any reversible air-to-air heat pump.
The quote must state the insurer's name, the policy number and the geographical area covered. Ask for the certificate as a PDF and check the expiry date: a lapsed certificate, or one whose declared activity does not cover "génie climatique" (HVAC engineering), gives you no protection. Should something go wrong a few years later, this is the document that will determine whether you are compensated.
3. The refrigerant handling capacity certificate
Any handling of refrigerant (R-32, R-410A, R-290, etc.) is restricted to companies holding a capacity certificate (attestation de capacité) issued by an approved body, and to technicians holding an aptitude certificate (attestation d'aptitude). Since the reform of the categories came into force in 2026, the categories have been redrawn (A1, A2, B, C, D, E) according to the type of equipment and refrigerants handled.
In practice: for a domestic split system, the company must at minimum hold a certificate covering fixed air conditioning equipment. The quote must state the capacity certificate number. Its absence is a major red flag — not only will the installation be illegal, but your home insurer may invoke non-compliance in the event of a claim.
Key point: an installer without a capacity certificate has no right to open a refrigerant circuit, not even for a "simple connection" of a pre-charged system.
4. RGE certification if you are after a subsidy
The 5.5% VAT rate does not depend on RGE certification, but CEE energy-saving bonuses and subsidy schemes do require it. The 2026 RGE reform has tightened completion checks and increased the number of on-site audits.
Check the certification on france-renov.gouv.fr (the RGE professionals directory): the label must be valid on the date the quote is signed, and must cover the relevant category of work ("heat pump", not just "insulation"). A certification obtained after signing makes no difference.
5. The exact equipment description: "reversible air-to-air heat pump"
This is the most profitable line on the quote. Since July 2026, the reduced VAT rate of 5.5% has applied to air-to-air heat pumps meeting the performance criteria set out in the legislation. But for tax purposes, the wording matters.
A quote stating "supply and installation of 3 air conditioners" describes comfort equipment. A quote stating "supply and installation of a reversible air-to-air heat pump, multi-split, SCOP 4.2 (temperate zone), class A+++ in heating mode" describes a high-performance heating system. On a job worth €7,000 excluding VAT, the difference between 20% and 5.5% amounts to roughly €1,015.
The quote must therefore show:
- the brand and the precise commercial reference of the indoor and outdoor units;
- the heating and cooling output in kW;
- the SCOP and the SEER;
- the energy class under the new 2026 energy label;
- the refrigerant and its charge in kg or in tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
6. The VAT rate, line by line
A serious quote does not simply state a blanket "VAT 5.5%". It breaks the figures down:
| Item | Rate applicable in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Eligible reversible air-to-air heat pump + installation | 5.5% |
| Associated works (render repairs, related electrical work) | 5.5% or 10% depending on the nature of the work |
| Non-reversible air conditioner / cooling only | 20% |
| Home completed less than 2 years ago | 20% |
| Supply without installation (direct purchase) | 20% |
Two conditions come up every time: the home must have been completed more than two years ago and be used as a dwelling. The installer will ask you to sign a VAT declaration (the official tax form): read it, because it is you who assume liability for the age of the property, not the installer.
Watch out, too, for the "cooling only" trap: a non-reversible unit remains at 20%. If your quote mixes reversible split units with a portable monobloc back-up air conditioner, the rates must be shown separately.
7. The sizing calculation, and the evidence behind it
This is the technical point on which ten years of comfort depend. An oversized system cycles constantly, consumes more and wears out faster; an undersized one runs at full load from the first cold snap and sends your bills soaring.
A professional quote is based on a sizing report: floor area and volume per room, orientation, type and thickness of insulation, quality of windows and doors, the design outdoor temperature for the municipality, heating requirements in W/m². The rule of thumb "100 W/m²" is not a calculation; it is a sales estimate.
Ask for this document. If it does not exist, ask in writing what basis was used to choose the output. Should a dispute over performance arise later, this exchange will be decisive.
To get objective data even before the survey, many homeowners buy a connected thermometer and hygrometer and log temperature and humidity room by room over a week in winter. Hard data like this is worth far more than a general impression.
8. The refrigerant pipe run and the length of the lines
The distance between the outdoor unit and each indoor unit determines the performance loss, the extra refrigerant charge required and the price. The quote must state:
- the length of refrigerant lines planned per unit (and the price per additional metre);
- the height difference between units;
- the routing method (loft, service duct, surface trunking on the façade);
- the type of protective trunking and its colour, a classic source of friction in apartment blocks.
A quote that does not price the additional linear metre leaves the door wide open to a variation order on installation day.
9. Condensate drainage
The leading cause of water damage linked to air conditioning. The quote must specify where the water goes: by gravity to an existing drain, via a condensate pump, or discharged outside. In the latter case, the discharge point must comply with the building's co-ownership rules and must not run onto a neighbour's property.
Insist that the minimum slope of the drain pipe be stated and, where a condensate pump is used, its brand. A set of condensate collection trays and a condensate tray cleaner are, incidentally, often part of the routine maintenance kit you will keep after installation.
10. The electrical connection: who does what?
A frequent grey area. The quote must state explicitly whether the installer:
- creates a dedicated circuit from the consumer unit, with a suitably rated breaker and cable cross-section;
- or simply connects to an existing circuit — which is often non-compliant with NF C 15-100 for a multi-split heat pump.
If this item is marked "to be arranged by the client", get a quote from an electrician before signing: it can add €400 to €900, and it is precisely why a "very competitive" quote ends up costing as much as the others.
11. Permits, neighbours and noise
Since 1 March 2026, planning formalities have been simplified for heat pumps: many individual installations no longer require a prior declaration, subject to conditions. But simplification does not remove the co-ownership rules, the local planning scheme (PLU), easements in protected areas, or above all the regulations on neighbourhood noise (an increase of 5 dB(A) by day, 3 dB(A) at night, articles R. 1336-4 et seq. of the French Public Health Code).
A good quote states the sound power level of the outdoor unit in dB(A) and its exact position on a sketch. If the unit is planned 1.50 m from your neighbour's bedroom window, now is the time to discuss it, not after commissioning. In tricky cases, a pocket digital sound level meter lets you document the acoustic situation before the work starts — a baseline measurement that always comes in handy.
12. Commissioning, warranties and maintenance contract
The quote must distinguish between three things that are often conflated:
- The manufacturer's warranty on the equipment (2 to 5 years depending on brand, sometimes 10 years on the compressor subject to a recorded annual service).
- The one-year defects warranty (garantie de parfait achèvement) covering faults reported at handover.
- The ten-year structural warranty on the installation.
Beware of clauses making the manufacturer's warranty conditional on servicing carried out by the brand's own network: this is legal, but it ties you in for several years. Check the price of the annual maintenance contract offered, and whether it is optional or included in the quote.
Finally, the leak-tightness inspection requirement applies to equipment whose charge reaches the F-Gas thresholds (from 5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, i.e. around 2.4 kg of R-32). A domestic multi-split system may well be covered: the quote must state the total charge so that you know what you are committing to.
Legal disclosures not to be overlooked
- Date of issue and period of validity of the quote (often 1 to 3 months).
- Completion time for the works or an expected date.
- Payment terms, the amount of the deposit (avoid any deposit above 30%) and the payment schedule.
- The words "free quote" or, if chargeable, its cost.
- In the case of doorstep selling: a 14-day cooling-off period and the standard withdrawal form attached. Without this form, the contract can be challenged.
The checklist to print out before signing
| Point to check | OK? |
|---|---|
| SIRET number verified online | ☐ |
| Valid ten-year structural insurance certificate | ☐ |
| Refrigerant handling capacity certificate | ☐ |
| Valid RGE certification (if claiming a subsidy) | ☐ |
| Wording "reversible air-to-air heat pump" + SCOP/SEER | ☐ |
| VAT broken down item by item | ☐ |
| Sizing report provided | ☐ |
| Line length + price per extra metre | ☐ |
| Condensate drainage described | ☐ |
| Dedicated electrical circuit priced | ☐ |
| dB(A) and location of the outdoor unit | ☐ |
| Warranties and servicing set out in detail | ☐ |
Keep everything together in a document filing wallet — quote, certificates, manuals, invoices. This is the file you will dig out in eight years' time if the compressor gives up the ghost, and a practical guide to heat pumps often helps you ask the right questions at that very first appointment.
In the event of a dispute
If a signed quote is not honoured (different equipment, lower output, VAT reclassified), the sequence is as follows:
- Formal notice by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, citing the lines of the quote that have not been honoured.
- Referral to the consumer ombudsman whose contact details must appear on the quote or in the terms and conditions.
- A report on SignalConso (the DGCCRF platform) in cases of misleading commercial practice.
- A claim with your legal protection insurance, followed by proceedings before the tribunal judiciaire.
For tax matters (VAT reclassified, incorrectly completed declaration), the reference documentation remains the Bulletin officiel des finances publiques (BOFiP) and your local personal tax office. For subsidies, France Rénov' and ADEME publish up-to-date rates and conditions.
A complete quote is long, detailed and sometimes tedious to read. That is precisely the sign of a good one: the installer who spells everything out is the one who has already seen the site, calculated the output and anticipated the constraints. The one who sends you a single page with a price and three lines leaves you to shoulder, alone, everything they did not write down.
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