Open-Concept Additions Need Zoning, Not One More Register
An open-concept addition looks simple on the plans. Kitchen, dining, and living share one volume, often under a taller ceiling, with the original system still sitting in the old house. Air never quite makes the far seating, and one thermostat cannot serve a cooktop load and a sofa at the same time.
Old West Minisplits posts the price up front. A new ductless heat pump install is $2,000 for 1 zone, $3,700 for 2 zones, and $5,400 for 3 zones. Four or more zones are quoted individually. These prices are for new installs only, never repairs or service calls.
Why an Open Addition Fights a Single Thermostat
Open-concept additions share air across kitchen, dining, and living space with few walls to stop the mix. Heat stacks at the ceiling while the far seating stays behind in summer, and the cooktop load never matches the sofa. A furnace or air handler in the original house was sized for closed rooms, not this new volume.
Independent indoor heads are how you zone that volume. One head can hold the living space. A second head can take a bedroom or office the addition created, on its own setpoint. We will not pretend one wall unit civilizes a long great room if the load says two.
Heat Pumps Across New Framing
Mini splits are heat pumps. They cool through brutal Central Texas summers and handle mild winters without a furnace. Indoor heads mount high on a wall, and a slim line set runs to an outdoor unit. Licensed contractors set that path through the new construction.
The flat price includes equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, and even a Home Depot run for touch-up paint, with no trip fees. Honest exceptions sit up front: a very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting. Insulation, duct demolition, and panel work beyond the included electrical are trades you arrange separately.
Posted Price Versus the Custom Quote Ritual
Other ductless installs in Central Texas commonly run $3,000-$6,000 per zone on a custom quote, and most of those contractors require an in-home visit before they name a number. That is a standoff. Old West Minisplits posts 1 zone at $2,000, 2 zones at $3,700, and 3 zones at $5,400 for new installs only.
Submit the layout of the addition through the quote form at /#quote. Describe how the rooms open into each other and where you want independent control. Four or more zones are quoted individually. We do not invent that number here.
How we compare
| Factor | Old West Minisplits | The usual contractor |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Cost | 1 zone $2,000, 2 zones $3,700, 3 zones $5,400, new installs only | Ductless jobs commonly $3,000-$6,000 per zone after a site visit |
| Open-plan zoning | Separate heads and setpoints for the great room and side rooms | One thermostat still running the original house and the addition together |
| When the number is known | Posted on this page, no standoffs | After an in-home visit, often with allowances |
| What the job includes | Equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, and a Home Depot paint run | Scope that shifts once the crew sees the framing |
Straight answers
Is $2,000, $3,700, or $5,400 a repair price if the addition already has a mini split?
No. These flat prices are for new installs only, never repairs or service calls. If equipment already in the addition needs service, this page is the wrong number.
How many zones does an open kitchen and living addition need?
One zone can be enough when the volume is modest and the glass is reasonable. Two zones make sense when the great room is long, the ceiling is tall, or a closed room sits off the open plan. Three zones at $5,400 cover the open volume plus two quieter rooms, and four or more are quoted individually.
Will a mini split work if the addition still opens to the original house?
Air will still mix at the opening. A head in the addition holds that volume better than a distant register, and you can set it without fighting the old thermostat. Close doors on side rooms when you want true isolation.
How do I start without waiting on a sales visit?
Use the quote form at /#quote. Describe the addition, the openings, and the rooms you want on their own control. Licensed contractors perform the install once the plan is clear.
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