How much does a ductless mini-split cost?

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes one installed cost for a ductless mini-split heat pump. The figure comes from a March 2023 study that Guidehouse and Leidos prepared for EIA. It is in 2022 dollars and covers one unit with a capacity of 12 kBtu/h. It is a federal modeling input, not a 2026 quote, and we did not adjust it for inflation. We found no mini-split cost in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) 2017 efficiency rule for central air conditioners and heat pumps.

EIA's mini-split cost estimate

The EIA study says, "All costs are shown in 2022 dollars (2022$)." Its table for residential ductless mini-split air-source heat pumps lists these values.

Item	EIA value
Capacity	12 kBtu/h
Retail equipment cost	$1,580 (2022$)
Total installed cost	$2,030 (2022$)
Annual maintenance cost	$100 (2022$)
Average life	15.3 years
Efficiency range in the table	16.0 to 33.1 SEER

Source: EIA, Updated Buildings Sector Appliance and Equipment Costs and Efficiencies, Appendix A (March 2023). Estimates in 2022 dollars, not 2026 prices.

The table lists the same $1,580 equipment cost and the same installed cost, in 2022 dollars, in every column. That holds from the 16.0 SEER installed-base units to the 33.1 SEER high-efficiency units.

How EIA built the figure

A footnote says the "Representative capacity" was "determined from most frequent capacity in AHRI database." AHRI, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, is the industry's trade group. The study's text then says, "Due to the similarities in design, cost estimations were determined based on smaller capacity (24 kBtu/h) split-system heat pumps and Gordian's RSMeans Data – Building Construction Costs 2023."

The table's capacity is 12 kBtu/h, while that sentence says costs were based on 24 kBtu/h units. We report EIA's figure, in 2022 dollars, as EIA lists it. We do not scale it up or down by size.

Mini-splits compared with ducted heat pumps

EIA says, "A mini-split heat pump could be equal in capacity and efficiency to a split-system heat pump as there are no inherent design changes between split-system and mini-split heat pumps, aside from the ductwork." It adds that mini-splits "are generally more efficient (often > 20 SEER) and smaller in cooling capacity (often ≤ 24 kBtu/h) compared to split-system heat pumps."

Our heat pump cost guide has DOE and EIA figures for ducted split systems. Those figures describe larger systems, so we do not set them beside the mini-split figure. Our ductless mini-split guide covers how these systems work.

DOE mini-split cost figures we did not find

We found no DOE installed cost for ductless mini-splits. We ran a text search of DOE's 2017 direct final rule for central air conditioners and heat pumps. We also searched its December 2016 support document. The search found neither "ductless" nor "mini-split" in either one. As of October 2026, DOE's former Energy Saver page on ductless mini-split heat pumps returned a "not found" error. We did not open archived copies of that page.

What adds to a mini-split's cost

DOE's Building America Solution Center (BASC) describes several things that add to cost, but it gives no dollar figures. On the number of indoor units, it says, "It is often the case with ductless systems that it does not make sense for an indoor unit to be installed in every single room. This is due to cost implications and because even the smallest indoor heads may provide much more heating or cooling than is needed for the individual space."

BASC gives one example with extra heads for a kitchen, office and bathroom. It says those heads "would provide more capacity than is needed to condition the small spaces and the extra units would add considerably to the overall cost of the system." On controls, it says, "Some makes and models require the use of the manufacturer's own thermostat, which can sometimes be costly, while others allow the use of any generic 5-wire thermostat."

For ongoing costs, BASC recommends that you "inquire about the MERV rating of the air filters compatible with the unit, cost of replacements, and the recommended schedule of filter cleaning or replacement." Our MERV ratings guide explains filter ratings. The same BASC page says duct losses "can account for more than 30% of heating and cooling energy consumption if ducts are located in an unconditioned area." It gives no source year for that figure.

ENERGY STAR's ductless heating and cooling page has no date. It says, "A typical household's energy bill is around $1,900 annually, and almost half of that goes to heating and cooling!" The page gives no year for the $1,900 figure.

SRP rebate for mini-splits in the Phoenix area

Salt River Project (SRP) is a public power utility in the Phoenix area. As of October 2026, it listed $225 per ton for an "inverter-driven mini split" at 15.2 SEER2 or higher. That amount appears in its heat pump column, and the AC column for that row shows a dash. The page shows no date. It says the new system must replace or supplement an existing central heat pump or central AC. A contractor licensed in Arizona must install it before April 30, 2027. The rebate must be submitted within 6 months of installation. Programs change, so confirm with your utility. Our rebate finder covers other programs, and our 25C guide covers the federal tax credit's status.

Mini-split cost data we could not find

We found no primary multi-zone or per-head installed cost. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Regional Technical Forum keeps ductless heat pump measures with cost inputs. They are in spreadsheet workbooks, and we did not open them. We also checked pages from SRP, Austin Energy, PSE, Tacoma Power, Seattle City Light and the Washington State Department of Commerce. As of October 2026, none of them showed an installed cost for mini-splits. We did not check utilities in Jacksonville or Columbus.

For related figures, see our guides to AC replacement costs and HVAC repair costs.

For an overview of all our cost guides, see what federal sources say about HVAC replacement costs.