The rental half of the house needs its own climate
You close a door, add a lock, and call half the house a rental. The old ducts do not read the lease. Air, noise, and the power bill still move through the same system, from Killeen to Waco.
A ductless mini split gives the suite its own heat pump, its own head, and its own setpoint. The price is posted up front, no standoffs. One zone is $2,000, two zones are $3,700, three zones are $5,400. Send the plan through /#quote.
Two households cannot share one thermostat
A conversion fails as a rental if the tenant has to knock on your door to change the temperature. Shared returns also move cooking smells, pet dander, and late-night noise. Independent climate is part of making the unit actually separate.
Mini splits are heat pumps. They cool through brutal Central Texas summers and handle mild winters without a furnace in the suite. You keep the existing system for the rooms you still live in.
Ducts were never meant to serve a locked-off wing
Extending trunk line through a new partition means cutting, patching, and betting the old air handler has leftover capacity. Many houses on this corridor do not. Other contractors commonly quote ductless installs in Central Texas at $3,000 to $6,000 per zone, most after an in-home visit.
Old West Minisplits prices a new install in the open. Equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, and a Home Depot run for touch-up paint sit inside the flat number. No trip fees or upcharges. Honest exceptions, stated up front: a very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting.
What Old West Minisplits installs, and what you hire separately
Licensed contractors install the mini split. We do not demo ducts, add insulation, plumb a kitchenette, set a second meter, or upgrade a panel beyond the standard electrical already in the price. Those trades belong to people you hire separately, including a licensed electrician if the house already needed a panel upgrade.
These flat prices are for new installs only, never repairs or service calls. Four or more zones are quoted individually. Permits and occupancy rules for a rental conversion are yours to verify with the local building department, and any tax credit or utility rebate is yours to confirm with the IRS or the utility. Start at /#quote.
How we compare
| Factor | Old West Minisplits | Shared central air |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Cost | 1 zone $2,000, 2 zones $3,700, 3 zones $5,400, new install only | Ductless work commonly $3,000-$6,000 per zone after a visit, duct extensions by custom bid |
| Who sets the temperature | Tenant runs the head in the suite. You keep the original thermostat. | One thermostat for two households, and a shared power bill |
| How you get a number | Price posted up front. Form at /#quote. | Most contractors require an in-home visit before quoting |
| Path through the new wall | Line set on the exterior, no trunk through the partition | New supply runs or shared returns that leak air and sound |
Straight answers
Does the $2,000 one-zone price apply to a converted rental suite?
Yes, if it is a new install. One zone is $2,000, two zones $3,700, three zones $5,400. Four or more zones are quoted individually. These figures are not repair or service-call prices.
Can the tenant have a thermostat that does not control my side of the house?
Yes. Each indoor head has its own control. That is the reason a mini split fits a house split into two dwellings.
Will you put the rental on its own electric meter?
No. Standard electrical for the mini split is included in the flat price. A second meter or a panel upgrade the house already needed is work a licensed electrician handles as a separate job.
Does the suite still need a furnace for winter?
No. Mini splits are heat pumps. They cool the brutal summers and handle mild Central Texas winters without a furnace in the rental. Confirm occupancy and code items with your building department.
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