Wait till fall to get bids on mini-split AC? (contractor, floor)

[yourown2feet]

We have a nice-sized bonus room over the garage, which could be a fifth bedroom, but it's always too warm. We're considering having a mini-split installed in that room.

Would it be smarter to wait till fall to get bids? We've heard that AC installers tend to inflate summer bids due to excessive demand.

Just wondering...it would be nice to use this room, but we could wait a few months if necessary.

[howlinowl]

From what I've seen of mini-splits, they're not that difficult to install. You'd probably need an electrician to install power outside, or the A/C contractor my hire that part out if he's not licenced for it. There is an outside unit and an inside unit, it comes precharged with copper refrigerant lines. The lines may have to be lengthened and resoldered, as the bedroom is on the 2nd floor and the outside unit would probably be at ground level. No ductwork, all the air comes from the inside unit on the wall. All they should need to install the unit would be a couple of holes in the wall to pass the lines through. If the install is pretty straight forward I imagine that it would take maybe a day max to install. Dunno if you'll find someone to install cheaper in the fall, maybe if things slow down but the labor on a job like this isn't that intensive, they may not really come down much as they would on a regular split system.