Close in a covered porch and condition it at a posted price
Updated September 2026
A covered porch in Temple, Belton, Harker Heights, or Copperas Cove is shade until the screens or glass go in. Then it is a room with no real heating or cooling. The house system was sized for the original walls, not for the extra volume you just added. A window unit on a new slider looks like you stopped short of finishing the job.
Old West Minisplits installs ductless mini splits as heat pumps on new enclosed porches from Killeen to Waco. The price is posted up front, no standoffs: one zone $2,000, two zones $3,700, three zones $5,400, with four or more quoted individually. These figures are new installs only, not repairs or service calls. Use the form at /#quote.
The house ducts were never sized for that porch
When you enclose a porch, you add cubic feet the original ductwork never served. Tying that volume into existing supply runs usually starves bedrooms and still leaves the porch uneven. A mini split head on the porch wall treats the new room as its own zone.
The outdoor condenser sits on a pad near the porch or beside the house. Line set and standard electrical ride inside the flat price. Insulation, window packages, and framing stay with the carpenter or the homeowner. Old West Minisplits does not perform those trades.
What the posted porch price covers
The flat new-install price covers equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, and a Home Depot run for touch-up paint. Licensed contractors do the work. There are no trip fees and no surprise upcharges on a standard porch mount.
Honest exceptions sit up front, never buried. A very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting can change the job. Other contractors in Central Texas commonly run $3,000 to $6,000 per zone on a custom quote after an in-home visit. Post the layout at /#quote and see the number first.
Finish the envelope, then hang the head
Close the weather envelope before the indoor head goes up. Screens, glass, and any insulation you arranged separately should be in place so the room can hold conditioned air. Mounting on an unfinished stud bay is possible, but a closed wall is the cleaner path.
A mini split is a heat pump, so it cools through brutal Central Texas summers and handles mild winters without a furnace. That is the point of a year-round porch in Salado, Jarrell, or Killeen. Roofing, plumbing, and dehumidifier work belong to other trades you hire on your own. If a permit or rebate is in play, verify current rules with the city, the utility provider, or the IRS.
How we compare
| Factor | Old West Minisplits | Tying into house ducts |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Cost | 1 zone $2,000, 2 zones $3,700, 3 zones $5,400, four or more quoted individually | Ductless jobs commonly $3,000-$6,000 per zone on a custom quote. Duct extensions wait on a walkthrough. |
| When the number appears | Posted up front, no standoffs. Form at /#quote. | Most contractors require an in-home visit before quoting. |
| Summer and winter | Heat pump cools brutal summers and covers mild winters without a furnace. | Added ducts still lean on the original furnace and the original tonnage. |
| Scope on an enclosed porch | New install: equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, touch-up paint. | Change orders for the extra volume, line set, and electrical, with enclosure work mixed in. |
Straight answers
Does the $2,000 one-zone price cover an enclosed porch?
Yes, as a new install of one indoor head and one condenser. The flat figure includes equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, and a Home Depot run for touch-up paint. It is not a repair or service-call price. A very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting are the exceptions stated up front.
Should the porch be fully enclosed before the mini split goes in?
Close the weather envelope first so the room can hold air. Framing, insulation, screens, and glass are not Old West Minisplits trades, so you arrange those separately. A finished wall is the cleaner mount. Send the layout through /#quote when the walls are ready or nearly ready.
Will a mini split heat the new room in winter without a furnace?
Mini splits are heat pumps. They cool through brutal Central Texas summers and handle mild winters without a furnace, which is why they fit a year-round porch. They do not replace a whole-house furnace on the original living space.
What if the porch is long and I also want a head in the living room?
Two zones are $3,700. Three zones are $5,400. Four or more zones are quoted individually. Those prices are new installs only. Describe the rooms on the form at /#quote.
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