The short answer: we estimate for a typical three bedroom home, you can expect an HRV system to cost between $4,000 to $4,500 - including GST and installation.
If you've tried to find that number out for yourself, you've probably noticed it isn't published anywhere on the HRV website. To get a price, you need to book an in-home consultation with a sales person. We think that makes it harder for homeowners to budget and compare, so we're sharing what we're seeing people actually pay, as of July 2026.
What that price covers
The $4,000-$4,500 stated earlier is for their standard ventilation system - a positive pressure system which draws air from your roof space and pushes it through ceiling vents to reduce condensation and moisture. Add-ons like heat transfer kits or summer kits push the total higher.
Where these numbers come from
We want to be upfront about how we know this. HRV doesn't share a price list, so these figures are based on two things: quotes that our customers have shared with us and pricing that other people have posted publicly online.
That means the range is an honest estimate, not an official figure! Quotes will vary - sometimes considerably - depending on your house, your region, and how the sales conversation goes. If you have been quoted something outside this range, that doesn't mean anything is wrong; it just reflects how flexible pricing can be.
What affects the price
A few things can move the number up or down:
- House size. More bedrooms means more outlets and ducting, which adds to both material cost and installation time.
- Add-ons. Heat transfer kits, summer kits, and fancier control panels are all extras on top of the base system.
- Access. Homes with tight roof cavities or unusual layouts make installation more difficult.
- The sales visit itself. Because pricing isn't published, there's often room for the quoted price to move - particularly if you don't sign on the day.
Why isn't the price on the website?
This is just our opinion, but we think not publishing prices and relying on in-home consultations are a sales tactic. When the price is only revealed in person, it can be tweaked for each customer - and it's harder to compare pricing beforehand. It's a common approach in the industry - and it's one reason ventilation systems have a reputation for costing more than people expect.
None of this means an HRV system is a bad product. Positive-pressure ventilation genuinely works, and HRV have been installing systems in New Zealand for decades.
How to make sure you're getting a fair deal
- Get more than one quote. There are several ventilation companies in NZ - all doing fundamentally the same job.
- Don't sign on the day. A price that's only valid "today" is a pressure tactic, not a deal. Often the price comes down or extras are included if you wait.
- Check what the ongoing costs are. Filter replacements and servicing add up over the life of the system.
Our disclosure
Full transparency: we're Better Vent, and we sell a competing positive-pressure ventilation system - so factor that into how you read this article. For a typical three-bedroom home, we charge $2,600 including GST and installation, and that price is the same for everyone, published directly on our website. Keeping track of what other systems cost is part of how we make sure we stay competitive, and it's why we're comfortable publishing our pricing.
Prices in this article are estimates based on customer-shared quotes and publicly available information as at July 2026, and are not official HRV pricing. HRV is a trademark of its owner; Better Vent is not affiliated with HRV.