Mini-split vs central air: what permit values show in 2026
Reviewed by Matt Kovalik, licensed Minnesota journeyworker electrician. License AJ703617 (verify). Updated October 2026.
This page puts ductless mini-split permits next to central air conditioner replacement permits for each region, with the middle half, the median and the number of permits behind each. Where it helps, it adds furnace and AC replacements done together.
They are different jobs. A mini-split usually heats and cools and needs no ductwork. A central air replacement swaps an outdoor unit and coil on an existing duct system, and a furnace and AC job replaces both halves of that system. Comparing the figures is not comparing like for like.
We can see the differences between them in each region, but permits do not record why they differ, so we do not offer a cause. Use the calculators to check a quote for any of these jobs.
Bars show the middle half of declared permit values on one shared scale; the tick is the median.
Northeast
$7,290 to $18,120, median $12,410
361 permits in Buffalo and Pittsburgh
$5,620 to $10,560, median $7,050
475 permits in Buffalo and Pittsburgh
$8,630 to $14,990, median $11,550
581 permits in Buffalo and Pittsburgh
Midwest
$6,810 to $13,500, median $8,870
22 permits in Cleveland early read, limited sample, n=22
$5,300 to $7,880, median $6,620
481 permits in Cleveland
$8,250 to $13,580, median $11,000
815 permits in Cleveland
South
$9,310 to $18,340, median $13,860
34 permits in Baltimore
$6,290 to $12,020, median $8,530
204 permits in Baltimore
$8,150 to $14,970, median $12,000
420 permits in Baltimore
West
$5,020 to $14,950, median $9,000
8,409 permits in Seattle
$7,430 to $11,610, median $8,880
1,026 permits in Seattle
$7,470 to $17,390, median $13,860
273 permits in Seattle