Mini Splits for Workshops
Updated August 13, 2026
Find the system that matches your shop — pick your square footage below, then choose a ceiling cassette, wall mount, or concealed ducted head.
Workshops up to 500 sq ft
A single-bay shop or a one-car garage conversion. 9,000 BTU covers it, and the 115V version runs off a standard outlet if the shop has no spare 230V circuit.
Zone Air® Airframe 9,500 BTU 21 SEER2 230V Ceiling Cassette Mini-Split Heat Pump AC, Lineset Sold Separately - Up to 475 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY 9,000 BTU 23 SEER2 115V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump AC & Heater with Pre-Charged Lineset - Up to 450 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY 9,000 BTU 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump AC & Heater with Pre-Charged Lineset - Up to 450 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Thin-Air 9,500 BTU 19.6 SEER2 230V Concealed Mini-Split Heat Pump AC - Up to 475 Sq Ft
Workshops 500 – 650 sq ft
The standard two-car footprint, and the most common shop size. A flush ceiling cassette keeps all four walls free for benches and pegboard.
Zone Air® Airframe 12,000 BTU 21 SEER2 230V Ceiling Cassette Mini-Split Heat Pump AC, Lineset Sold Separately - Up to 600 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY 12,000 BTU 23 SEER2 115V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump AC & Heater with Pre-Charged Lineset - Up to 600 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY 12,000 BTU 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump AC & Heater with Pre-Charged Lineset - Up to 600 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Thin-Air 11,000 BTU 19 SEER2 230V Concealed Mini-Split Heat Pump AC - Up to 550 Sq Ft
Workshops 650 – 900 sq ft
A deep two-bay or small three-bay shop — this is where a single 18,000 BTU head reaches its limit and a second zone starts making sense.
Zone Air® DIY 18,000 BTU 23.5 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump AC & Heater with Pre-Charged Lineset - Up to 900 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY DUAL ZONE 18,000 BTU (9K+9K) 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump System with 2x Pre-Charged Linesets - Up to 900 Sq Ft
Workshops 900 – 1,200 sq ft
Two zones off one outdoor unit — keep the bench area and the finishing room on separate thermostats.
Zone Air® Airframe DUAL ZONE 19,000 BTU (9.5K+9.5K) 21 SEER2 230V Ceiling Cassette Mini-Split Heat Pump System, Linesets Sold Separately - Up to 950 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Airframe DUAL ZONE 21,500 BTU (12K+9.5K) 21 SEER2 230V Ceiling Cassette Mini-Split Heat Pump System, Linesets Sold Separately - Up to 1,075 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Airframe DUAL ZONE 24,000 BTU (12K+12K) 21 SEER2 230V Ceiling Cassette Mini-Split Heat Pump System, Linesets Sold Separately - Up to 1,200 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY DUAL ZONE 21,000 BTU (12K+9K) 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump System with 2x Pre-Charged Linesets - Up to 1,050 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY DUAL ZONE 24,000 BTU (12K+12K) 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump System with 2x Pre-Charged Linesets - Up to 1,200 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Thin-Air DUAL ZONE 19,000 BTU (9.5K+9.5K) 19 SEER2 230V Concealed Mini-Split Heat Pump System - Up to 950 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Thin-Air DUAL ZONE 20,500 BTU (11K+9.5K) 19 SEER2 230V Concealed Mini-Split Heat Pump System - Up to 1,025 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Thin-Air DUAL ZONE 22,000 BTU (11K+11K) 19 SEER2 230V Concealed Mini-Split Heat Pump System - Up to 1,100 Sq Ft
Workshops 1,200 – 1,500 sq ft
Two large zones or three smaller ones. Every multi-zone system here shares a single 27K outdoor condenser, so you only give up one wall outside.
Zone Air® Airframe 3 ZONE 28,500 BTU (9.5K+9.5K+9.5K) 24 SEER2 230V Ceiling Cassette Mini-Split Heat Pump System, Linesets Sold Separately - Up to 1,425 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY DUAL ZONE 27,000 BTU (9K+18K) 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump System with 2x Pre-Charged Linesets - Up to 1,350 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY 3 ZONE 27,000 BTU (9K+9K+9K) 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump System with 3x Pre-Charged Linesets - Up to 1,350 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY DUAL ZONE 30,000 BTU (12K+18K) 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump System with 2x Pre-Charged Linesets - Up to 1,500 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY 3 ZONE 30,000 BTU (9K+9K+12K) 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump System with 3x Pre-Charged Linesets - Up to 1,500 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Thin-Air 3 ZONE 28,500 BTU (9.5K+9.5K+9.5K) 22 SEER2 230V Concealed Mini-Split Heat Pump System - Up to 1,425 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Thin-Air 3 ZONE 30,000 BTU (11K+9.5K+9.5K) 22 SEER2 230V Concealed Mini-Split Heat Pump System - Up to 1,500 Sq Ft
Workshops 1,500 sq ft and up
Three zones for a multi-bay shop, wood shop plus office, or shop plus loft. Mix wall mount and concealed ducted heads across the zones if headroom varies bay to bay.
Zone Air® Airframe 3 ZONE 31,000 BTU (12K+9.5K+9.5K) 24 SEER2 230V Ceiling Cassette Mini-Split Heat Pump System, Linesets Sold Separately - Up to 1,550 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Airframe 3 ZONE 33,500 BTU (12K+12K+9.5K) 24 SEER2 230V Ceiling Cassette Mini-Split Heat Pump System, Linesets Sold Separately - Up to 1,675 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Airframe 3 ZONE 36,000 BTU (12K+12K+12K) 24 SEER2 230V Ceiling Cassette Mini-Split Heat Pump System, Linesets Sold Separately - Up to 1,800 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY 3 ZONE 33,000 BTU (9K+12K+12K) 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump System with 3x Pre-Charged Linesets - Up to 1,650 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY 3 ZONE 36,000 BTU (12K+12K+12K) 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump System with 3x Pre-Charged Linesets - Up to 1,800 Sq Ft
Zone Air® DIY 3 ZONE 36,000 BTU (9K+9K+18K) 24 SEER2 230V Wall Mount Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump System with 3x Pre-Charged Linesets - Up to 1,800 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Thin-Air 3 ZONE 31,500 BTU (11K+11K+9.5K) 22 SEER2 230V Concealed Mini-Split Heat Pump System - Up to 1,575 Sq Ft
Zone Air® Thin-Air 3 ZONE 33,000 BTU (11K+11K+11K) 22 SEER2 230V Concealed Mini-Split Heat Pump System - Up to 1,650 Sq Ft
Find your shop by its dimensions
Most shops are known by their footprint rather than their square footage. Here is where the common builds land — the sq ft column is the raw floor area, before the 20–30% you should add for a shop.
| Shop size | Floor area | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| 12 × 20 | 240 sq ft | Up to 500 sq ft |
| 20 × 20 | 400 sq ft | Up to 500 sq ft |
| 20 × 24 | 480 sq ft | Up to 500 sq ft |
| 24 × 24 | 576 sq ft | 500 – 650 sq ft |
| 20 × 30 | 600 sq ft | 500 – 650 sq ft |
| 24 × 30 | 720 sq ft | 650 – 900 sq ft |
| 30 × 30 | 900 sq ft | 650 – 900 sq ft |
| 30 × 40 | 1,200 sq ft | 900 – 1,200 sq ft |
| 30 × 50 | 1,500 sq ft | 1,200 – 1,500 sq ft |
| 40 × 60 | 2,400 sq ft | 1,500 sq ft and up |
Sizing a shop, and what install involves
Shops lose more heat than finished rooms — bare slab, thin walls, and a big uninsulated door all add load, so size up rather than down when your square footage sits near a tier boundary. The sizing calculator factors insulation and ceiling height, and the garage mini split guide works through the same math on an uninsulated space. If the shop goes unheated overnight in winter, it is worth knowing how these systems behave in cold weather before you choose a size.
Every system on this page is a DIY mini split — the refrigerant is sealed in the line set at the factory, so there is no vacuum pump and no EPA license involved. Most single-zone shop installs run four to eight hours; the install walkthrough covers mounting, line routing, and the electrical. Smaller space than this? Sheds and home offices have their own lineups.
Workshop mini split FAQ
What size mini split do I need for my workshop?
Start with floor area, then add 20–30% because a shop is not a finished room. Bare slab, uninsulated walls, a big door that leaks air, and high ceilings all push the load up. As a rule: up to 500 sq ft takes a 9,000 BTU system, 500–650 sq ft a 12,000 BTU, and 650–900 sq ft an 18,000 BTU. Past about 900 sq ft you are better off with two zones than one oversized head, because a single unit cannot move air to the far corners of a long shop. If your square footage lands near a boundary, size up.
Will a mini split heat an uninsulated shop in winter?
Yes — Zone Air systems produce heat down to -13°F outdoor temperature. But an uninsulated shop loses that heat as fast as the unit makes it, so the honest answer is that the system will run nearly constantly and cost more to operate. Insulating the walls and sealing the gap under the overhead door does more for comfort per dollar than upsizing the equipment. If insulating is not on the table, go one size up from what the square footage suggests.
Should I get a ceiling cassette or a wall mount for a shop?
A ceiling cassette mounts flush in the ceiling and blows four ways, which keeps every wall free for benches, pegboard, lumber racks, and cabinets — the reason most shop owners pick one. A wall mount costs less and ships with its pre-charged line set included, where cassette and concealed ducted systems have the line set priced separately per zone. If wall space is tight or you want the equipment out of the way of dust and overspray, go cassette; if budget is the deciding factor, go wall mount.
Do I need a 240V circuit in my shop?
Not always, which is where shop owners often get bad information. Zone Air 9,000 and 12,000 BTU systems are available in a 115V version that runs on a standard outlet and a 15A single-pole breaker — no new service, no electrician in many shops. The 18,000 BTU and every multi-zone system need 208-230V. If your shop already has a 240V subpanel for a table saw, dust collector, or welder, you have the harder half of the job done.
Will sawdust and shop dust damage a mini split?
Dust is the main maintenance difference between a shop install and a house install. Zone Air indoor units use washable, reusable filters, so the routine is rinsing them rather than buying cartridges — plan on cleaning them noticeably more often than the residential interval, especially in a wood shop. Two placement rules help: mount the indoor head away from the primary dust source such as a miter station or sander, and run the dust collector rather than relying on the mini split to clear the air. The unit filters for its own protection; it is not a shop air cleaner.
Can a mini split hold a steady temperature for finishing and glue-ups?
This is one of the better arguments for a mini split over a space heater in a shop. Most finish and adhesive manufacturers specify a cure range in the mid-60s to mid-70s °F, and a variable-speed inverter compressor holds a set temperature closely instead of cycling hard between too cold and too warm the way a resistance heater does. Running in cooling or dry mode also pulls humidity out of the air, which matters for both finish cure and keeping rust off cast-iron tool tops.
Can one system cover the shop and an attached office or loft?
Yes — that is what the multi-zone systems on this page are for. A 2- or 3-zone system runs several indoor heads off one outdoor condenser, so you get separate thermostats for the shop floor and the office without a second outdoor unit or a second wall penetration. It also lets you keep an office at 70°F while the shop itself sits cooler, which is usually how these spaces actually get used.
Can I install a workshop mini split myself?
Yes. Every system here ships with the refrigerant sealed inside a pre-charged quick-connect line set, so the refrigerant circuit is never opened — no vacuum pump, no manifold gauges, no EPA Section 608 certification. A single-zone shop install typically runs four to eight hours: mount the indoor head, mount the condenser outside, route and hand-tighten the line set, run the condensate drain, and make the electrical connection. Check local building codes, and hire an electrician if a new circuit is needed.