What a Ductless Mini-Split Costs in Metro Vancouver (2025-2026)
A single-zone ductless mini-split in Metro Vancouver typically costs $4,500 to $8,000 installed, and a multi-zone system with two to four indoor heads $9,000 to $18,000. It is the usual answer for homes heated by electric baseboards, for basement suites and additions, and for townhouses and condos without ducts.
Mini-splits heat and cool, so in the City of Vancouver, where new permanent air conditioning in a detached house or duplex must be a heat pump, a mini-split is the common way to add cooling to a house without ducts.
What you will actually pay
Typical Metro Vancouver ranges for 2025-2026.
- Single-zone mini-split $4,500 to $8,000 Line set length, wall type and where the outdoor unit can sit
- Multi-zone, two to four heads $9,000 to $18,000 Number of heads and how far each is from the outdoor unit
- Electrical circuit and disconnect $800 to $2,500 A 100A panel may also need an upgrade, typically $3,500 to $6,000 more
- Annual service $150 to $300 per system Filter and coil cleaning, drain check, refrigerant check
What moves the price
The number of heads drives most of the cost: every extra room with its own head adds equipment, a line set run and labour. Wall construction matters, since concrete and stucco take longer to penetrate than wood siding, and a unit that has to sit far from the heads needs a longer, concealed line set. In a strata, balcony or wall placement usually needs written council approval and sometimes an alteration agreement, and some buildings restrict where outdoor units can go at all.
Replacing baseboards is where mini-splits pay back fastest. BC Hydro's Home Renovation Rebate pays up to $4,000 for a whole-home system or $1,500 for a partial system that replaces all-electric heat, through its Home Performance Contractor Network; income-qualified households can get more through the CleanBC Energy Savings Program.
Permits for this job
A new circuit needs an electrical permit. Seven Metro Vancouver municipalities issue their own electrical permits: the City of Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Maple Ridge. Everywhere else, including Richmond, the electrical permit comes from Technical Safety BC. In the City of Vancouver, installing or replacing a heating or cooling system with a different type also needs a mechanical permit (since July 2022), at $432 plus $15.30 per kW for a one to three storey building; a like-for-like swap of the same fuel, type and capacity does not. The contractor normally pulls every permit and includes the fees in the quote.
Before you sign
The quote should show
- The outdoor and indoor models, rated capacities and which room each head serves
- Line set routing, cover and length, and condensate drainage for each head
- The electrical circuit and disconnect, and the panel's spare capacity
- Wall penetrations sealed against rain, and a raised pad or wall bracket
- Permits, commissioning and the warranty on parts and labour
Ask the contractor
- Whether a heat loss calculation sized each head, rather than one size for every room
- Whether the refrigerant technician is certified under BC's halocarbon regulation
- Where each line set will run and how it will be covered
- For a strata, what the council needs to see before approving
- Whether the contractor is in BC Hydro's Home Performance Contractor Network if you are replacing baseboards
Quick answers
Can one mini-split heat a whole house?
A single head can heat an open main floor well, but doors and hallways stop warm air from reaching bedrooms. Most houses need either a head per main area or a ducted system.
Do my baseboards have to come out?
No. Many homes keep them as backup. Set the baseboard thermostats lower than the heat pump so the heat pump does the work.
Want this done at your place?
Tell us what you have now and what you want, and we'll get you a real quote from a local Metro Vancouver HVAC contractor. We send it out to local contractors for you. Free, no pressure.
HVAC IQ answers behind these figures
- What does a ductless system cost per head in Richmond?
- Does my strata need to approve a mini-split condenser on my balcony?
- Are my baseboard heaters and heat pump fighting each other in Surrey?
- My strata keeps saying no to heat pumps, what are my options in Delta?
- Hot third floor in a Kerrisdale character home, what cooling options work?