Making a Sunroom Usable Through an Austin Summer
Updated September 2026
A sunroom sounds like the best room in the house until June hits. Austin's sun turns that glass box into a hot, humid space you avoid from late morning until October. The fix is not another box fan or a portable unit wheezing in the corner. A properly sized ductless mini split can turn that dead square footage back into a room you actually use, even when it is 105 outside.
Old West Minisplits installs ductless mini splits at flat, published prices. One zone costs $2,000. Two zones cost $3,700. Three zones cost $5,400. That price includes equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, and even a Home Depot run for touch-up paint. No trip fees, no surprise add-ons after the work starts.
Why a Sunroom Needs Its Own System
Sunrooms are usually cut off from the rest of the house's central air. The thermostat in the hallway does not know your sunroom is 95 degrees at 10 a.m. Running ductwork out to a sunroom is expensive, invasive, and often impossible without tearing up finished ceilings or walls. A ductless mini split solves that by putting a small, quiet indoor unit right in the sunroom, connected to an outdoor condenser by a slim line set. It cools that one space hard without touching the rest of the house.
Cooling Summers, Handling Mild Winters
Every mini split Old West Minisplits installs is a heat pump. That means it cools through brutal Central Texas summers and also provides heat for our mild winters. You do not need a furnace or separate heating system for a sunroom. When a cold front drops Austin to 35 degrees in January, the same unit that kept you sane in August will warm the room without a noisy space heater. It is one system, year-round, with no gas line and no ductwork.
The Honest Exceptions, Told Up Front
Flat pricing works because we tell you the exceptions before you sign, never after. The three honest exceptions are: a very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting. If your sunroom is on the far side of a long ranch house and the condenser has to sit 80 feet away, that costs more. If your electrical panel is already maxed out and unsafe, that is a separate issue. If the only mounting spot is a 20-foot wall of glass with no studs where you need them, that is unusual. Those are the only reasons the price changes, and we tell you before any work starts.
How we compare
| Factor | Old West Minisplits | The usual |
|---|---|---|
| Installed price for one zone | $2,000 flat, published online | Commonly $3,000-$6,000 per zone on a custom quote |
| Quote process | No in-home sales visit required for a flat price | Most local HVAC contractors require a sales visit and a custom quote |
| What the price includes | Equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, touch-up paint run | Often itemized with separate charges for electrical, line set, or cleanup |
| Surprise add-ons | None beyond three stated exceptions told up front | Trip fees, permit fees, or add-ons can appear after the quote |
| Service area | Austin and I-35 corridor, Waco/Killeen to San Antonio, same flat price | Many contractors charge different rates by neighborhood or distance from the shop |
Straight answers
Will one mini split really cool my entire sunroom?
In most Austin sunrooms, yes. A single properly sized indoor unit can handle a sunroom up to about 400-500 square feet, depending on glass exposure, ceiling height, and insulation. If your sunroom is very large or broken into two distinct areas, a two-zone system at $3,700 flat is usually the better move. The key is that the unit runs continuously and efficiently, unlike a window unit that cycles on and off loudly.
Why not just use a window unit or portable AC?
Window units and portable ACs are cheap upfront but they cool one room loudly, block a window, drip condensate, and are far less efficient. A window unit in a sunroom also fights a losing battle against all that glass. A ductless mini split is quieter, more efficient, does not block your view, and removes humidity without dumping water on your floor. You pay more upfront, but you get a room you actually want to sit in.
What if my existing sunroom unit is broken or old?
If you have an aging or poorly installed system that is failing, chasing repairs on an old unit can be a money pit. Old West Minisplits does not repair existing units or offer maintenance contracts. We install new flat-price ductless systems. If your old unit is leaking, short cycling, or just cannot keep up anymore, a new $2,000 one-zone install is often a better use of money than another service call on a dying system.
Do I need an in-home visit to get a price?
No. The flat price is published. One zone is $2,000, two zones are $3,700, three zones are $5,400. You can request a quote through the form on this page. If your install falls into one of the three honest exceptions (very long line set, panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting), we will tell you before any work begins. No trip fees, no surprise add-ons after the fact.
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