The Wall Hole Is Not a Surprise Charge
A ductless mini split cools through a brutal Central Texas summer and handles a mild winter without a furnace. It still needs a path from the indoor head to the outdoor condenser. That path is a line set, and it has to pass through whatever is on the outside of the house: brick, Hardie board, wood, stucco, or metal.
Old West Minisplits posts the price up front, no standoffs. New installs run 1 zone at $2,000, 2 zones at $3,700, and 3 zones at $5,400, with four or more zones quoted individually. Equipment, labor, line set, the wall penetration, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, and a Home Depot run for touch-up paint sit inside that figure, and licensed contractors do the work. These prices are for new installs only, never repairs or service calls.
Brick and stucco take a core, not a hammer
On brick we look for a mortar joint first. A clean core through mortar leaves the face brick intact and gives a round hole we can sleeve. When the joint will not line up with the indoor head, the bit goes through the brick itself and the opening is sleeved, sealed with masonry-grade caulk, and capped on the weather side.
Stucco is a finish over lath and can spider if you shock it. The cut is controlled, a sleeve is set, and the stucco around the hole is patched. Color match on old stucco is never perfect, so the included Home Depot paint run covers trim and interior, not a full stucco recolor. Unusually difficult mounting, such as a high two-story brick wall with no safe staging, is one of the honest exceptions we state up front, never buried.
Hardie board and wood siding
Hardie board is fiber cement. It chips and it wicks water if you treat the cut like pine. We use the right hole saw, sleeve the opening, and seal the cut edge so rain does not travel inside the plank. The line set then sits in a cover or is UV-wrapped so the insulation does not cook on a west wall in Temple or Killeen.
Wood siding is the simplest substrate to open, which is why some shops still try to charge it like a custom event. A sleeved hole, flashing or a wall cap, and a tight interior cover keep water and pests out. The work is in the posted price. A very long line set is the other common exception, and we say so before the job is accepted rather than after the copper is on the truck.
Metal siding, the line set path, and the line we do not cross
Metal siding and metal buildings need a rubber boot or grommet so the copper does not sit on a raw cut edge. Condensate and the suction line both travel with the line set, so the penetration has to pitch and seal or you get a stain down a metal wall. Fasteners and flashings are chosen so the siding is not left with a leak path.
Standard electrical to a nearby disconnect is included, but a panel upgrade the house already needed is not, and a licensed electrician handles that work if the panel is short. We do not do roofing, whole-wall stucco recolor, or insulation trades, and a roof jack or long chase is something a homeowner arranges separately. For a posted-price new install, use the quote form at /#quote.
How we compare
| Factor | Old West Minisplits | Custom-quote HVAC shops |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | New install: 1 zone $2,000, 2 zones $3,700, 3 zones $5,400 | Ductless work in Central Texas commonly runs $3,000-$6,000 per zone after an in-home visit |
| Brick, Hardie, wood, stucco, metal | Wall penetration and line set are inside the posted price | Masonry bits, fiber-cement cuts, and wall caps often show up as extras once they see the siding |
| When you learn the number | Price posted up front, no standoffs | Most require an in-home visit before quoting |
| What rides with the hole | Equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, Home Depot touch-up paint | Line set length and the drill through the wall are common change orders |
Straight answers
Is drilling brick included in the $2,000 one-zone price?
Yes, on a new install the wall penetration is in the posted price, whether the siding is brick, Hardie board, wood, stucco, or metal. Unusually difficult mounting is an exception we state up front. These figures are not repair or service-call prices.
What counts as a very long line set?
A run far beyond a normal condenser placement next to the room being served. We flag it before the job, not after. Typical line set work on an I-35 north house is already in the $2,000, $3,700, or $5,400 new-install price.
Will the hole in my stucco or Hardie disappear?
The opening is sleeved, sealed, and capped. Interior and trim get the included Home Depot touch-up paint. Old stucco and weathered fiber cement will not return to a factory finish from a small patch, and we do not sell a whole-wall recoat.
Can I use these prices to fix a leak in an existing line set?
No. The posted prices are for new installs only. A repair or service call is a different job and is not sold at $2,000, $3,700, or $5,400. Use the quote form at /#quote for a new install.
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