♻️ Heat Pump Installation
Heat Pump Installation, Sized to Your Home and Your Rebate
A heat pump installation that holds up starts with a heat-loss calculation to the CSA F280 standard, not a rule of thumb. If you want an Ontario rebate, it also ends with a model on Natural Resources Canada’s qualified list. Then see which type fits your home, what moves the price, and how your current heating fuel sets your rebate.
25+ years of experience TSSA licensed & certified CSA F280 sizing on every quote
Serving Halton, Hamilton & Brantford
Choose Your System
Which Heat Pump Installation Fits Your Home?
A heat pump moves heat instead of burning fuel to make it: in winter it pulls heat from the outdoor air and brings it inside, and in summer it reverses to cool your home, so one system can do both jobs. Air-source systems exchange heat with the outdoor air. Ground-source (geothermal) systems use buried loops instead, which is a much larger excavation project.
For heat pumps installation, your existing ductwork and your current heating fuel decide most of the choice between types, and the fuel also decides your rebate. So match your home to the closest case below.
01
Gas Furnace and Central AC With Good Ducts
A ducted heat pump replaces the central AC, then shares your existing ducts. Because it uses ducts you already have, it is usually the simplest installation and the most common one for forced-air homes.
02
Keep the Furnace as Backup
For a gas-heated home, the heat pump can carry most of the heating season while your furnace takes over on the coldest days. The Ontario program allows a new or existing furnace as backup, so you do not have to remove it. However, the furnace itself is not what the rebate covers.
03
No Ducts, or Ducts Added Later
Baseboard heat, additions, finished basements and some older homes in Dundas, Oakville and Ancaster have no ductwork to share. Instead, a ductless mini-split heats those spaces directly, room by room.
04
Heating With Oil, Propane, Electricity or Wood
Homes without a natural gas line, common around Caistor Centre and West Lincoln, also fall into the higher rebate tier below. For oil-heated homes, the program requires you to size the heat pump and any electric backup so they fully offset the oil heating load.
05
You Already Have a Heat Pump
The Ontario rebate is for first-time heat pump installations, so replacing an existing system is not eligible. Our heat pump replacement page covers repair versus replace, so start there.
06
Building New
New-build homes do not qualify for the rebate. A heat pump is still worth specifying early, because ducts, electrical capacity and the outdoor unit location are cheapest to plan before the walls close.
Not sure which one is your home? Call (905) 689-3777 and we will walk through your ducts and heating fuel with you.
Rebates
How Your Heating Fuel Sets Your Heat Pump Installation Rebate
Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings program, delivered by Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy with Ontario government support, pays by the ton of rated heating capacity, but the rate depends on what heats your home today.
Natural gas (Enbridge Gas customer): cold-climate air-source heat pump
$500 per ton, up to $2,000
Natural gas (Enbridge Gas customer): ground-source heat pump
$3,000 flat
Electricity, oil, propane or wood (Ontario grid): cold-climate air-source heat pump
$1,250 per ton, up to $7,500
Electricity, oil, propane or wood (Ontario grid): ground-source heat pump
$2,000 per ton, up to $12,000
A worked example.
For example, a 3-ton cold-climate air-source heat pump earns $1,500 in a gas-heated home ($500 x 3) and $3,750 in an oil, propane, electric or wood-heated home ($1,250 x 3). The program counts tonnage at the rated heating capacity at 8.3°C (47°F), so the spec-sheet capacity, not the size of the cabinet, sets the number.
What the program requires.
A first-time heat pump installation (replacements are not eligible), a model on Natural Resources Canada’s qualified products list, an owner-occupied single detached, semi-detached, row, townhome or mobile home on a permanent foundation, and a registered participating contractor whose name appears on the program list before installation starts. Also, mini and multi-split systems must have both the indoor and outdoor units installed to qualify.
When you receive the rebate.
After installation, your contractor completes a post-installation application. Once the program approves it, the cheque arrives by mail within 60 days. Finally, you cannot combine the rebate with other Enbridge Gas, Save on Energy or Ontario government incentives. Program rules and amounts change, so we confirm what applies to you at the time of your quote. You can also read the full rules on the official Home Renovation Savings heat pump page, and for how heat pumps work and what the ratings mean, see Natural Resources Canada’s heat pump basics.
Operating Cost
Will a Heat Pump Lower Your Heating Bill?
It depends mostly on what you heat with today and what you pay for it, which is why a single savings percentage is not worth trusting.
1
Gas Furnace and Central AC With Good Ducts
A ducted heat pump replaces the central AC, then shares your existing ducts. Because it uses ducts you already have, it is usually the simplest installation and the most common one for forced-air homes.
Replacing a gas furnace.
The result depends on the price of natural gas against electricity, so the saving is more modest and varies from home to home. Meanwhile, a hybrid setup lets the furnace cover only the coldest days.
3
The home itself.
Insulation, air sealing and the quality of the sizing change the result as much as the equipment does, which is another reason we size to CSA F280.
Pricing
What Does Heat Pump Installation Cost?
If you have searched for cost heat pump installation figures, you have probably seen wide gaps. Heat pump installation prices published for Ontario can differ by thousands of dollars for the same system type, because the equipment is only part of the bill. So these five things move the cost of heat pump installation, and your quote, the most.
01
Your ductwork.
When ducts are in good condition, a ducted installation stays near the low end. However, ducts that need sealing, modification or addition move it up.
02
Your electrical capacity.
A heat pump needs enough electrical capacity. An older panel or a long cable run can also add work that never shows up in an equipment price.
03
The equipment tier.
Cold-climate rating, variable-speed compressors and the number of indoor heads on a multi-zone system also change the equipment cost.
04
The size.
Cost rises with tonnage, which is why the size has to come from your load calculation and not from the old furnace or a square-footage guess.
05
Your backup heat.
Pairing with an existing furnace means no new backup heat to install, but homes without a furnace need electric backup built into the design.
What a Complete Quote Lists
Ask any contractor for a written quote that separates these lines, so you can compare two quotes fairly.
- The exact equipment model and its rated heating capacity, including at cold temperatures
- The load calculation that sets the size
- Electrical work and any panel changes
- Duct work, line set and indoor unit or air handler
- Permits and commissioning
- Whether the model is on Natural Resources Canada's qualified list, if you want the rebate
What Different Homes Typically Need
The right system and the price both follow the home, so these are typical Ontario installed price ranges for the common cases in our service area, before rebates.
Older detached home with working ducts, cold-climate ducted heat pump (a panel upgrade may be extra)
$8,000 to $14,000
Newer detached home with a modern panel and ducts, ducted heat pump
$5,500 to $12,000
Townhouse, semi-detached or older home without ducts, ductless multi-zone
$7,000 to $14,000
Addition, basement or a single room, ductless single-zone
$3,500 to $6,500
Large two-storey home, heat pump with furnace backup (hybrid)
$9,000 to $18,000
Ranges before rebates, based on published Ontario pricing. A panel upgrade, duct work or a larger home can move a quote above them, but your written quote reflects your own home.
Want to spread the cost? See our financing options.
Sizing
Why We Size to CSA F280 Before We Quote
Sizing is the one decision in a heat pump installation that you cannot fix cheaply later, so we settle it first.
01
A Load Calculation, Not Square Footage
CSA F280 is the Canadian standard for calculating how much heating and cooling a home needs. We use it to set the size, instead of matching the old furnace or guessing from floor area.
02
Cold-Weather Capacity, Not the Headline Rating
Because a heat pump produces less heat as the outdoor temperature falls, cold-climate models publish their heating capacity at low temperatures. Then we check that figure, not the headline rating, against your home’s load.
03
The Rebate Is Not a Sizing Target
Because the program pays the rebate per ton, a larger unit can look better on paper. So the right size is the one your load calculation supports, because an oversized unit can short-cycle and cost more to run.
What To Expect
How a Heat Pump Installation Works, Start to Finish
Here is how a heat pump install runs, from the first measurement to the final walkthrough: measure first, quote in writing second, and install only after you have seen the number.
1
Load calculation and home check.
First, we calculate the heating and cooling load to CSA F280 and check your ducts, electrical panel and where the outdoor unit can go.
2
Equipment selection.
Then we match a model to the load and your priorities. If a rebate applies, the model must also be on Natural Resources Canada’s qualified list.
3
A written quote before any work.
You get the model, the size and the full scope in writing, and we confirm which municipal permits apply before work starts, so you know the number before you commit.
4
Installation.
The outdoor unit, the indoor unit or air handler, the line set, the electrical connections and any duct changes. A typical heat pump installation takes one to three days, although the ductwork and electrical work involved can change that.
5
Commissioning and walkthrough.
We start the system, check the refrigerant charge and airflow, explain the defrost cycle so it does not surprise you in winter, and set up the thermostat and controls with you. We clean up the work area before we leave, and our maintenance plans keep the system running the way we commissioned it.
6
Rebate paperwork, if it applies.
Finally, for a qualifying install, the contractor completes the post-installation application with the program.
Before You Sign
What to Check With Any Heat Pump Installer
Comparing heat pump installers? Ask each one these questions, including us, because quotes only compare fairly when everyone answers the same things.
- Licensed and insured, with licence numbers you can look up
- A written, itemized quote that names the model and its rated capacity
- A load calculation behind the size, not a guess from square footage
- Permits and inspections handled wherever the municipality requires them
- Listed as a participating contractor before work starts, if you want the Ontario rebate
- Warranty terms in writing before you sign
- Recent, verifiable local reviews
Equipment
How We Choose the Model We Install
We choose equipment for your heat pump installation by its capacity at cold temperatures, its rebate eligibility and its warranty, instead of by brand name alone. Look at both the cooling efficiency rating (SEER) and the heating efficiency rating (HSPF), where higher is better, but ask which test standard each number uses, because older and newer ratings are not directly comparable. However, in our climate, the heating capacity at low temperatures matters as much as either number. Then ask us which qualifying models fit your home and what each one costs.
What Homeowners Say
Real Reviews From Real Customers
Read verified Google reviews from homeowners across Halton and Hamilton on our reviews page before you decide on a heat pump installation.
Our Guarantee & Warranty
Licensed, Trained, and Backed by a Real Guarantee
Our guarantee: we stand behind our heat pump installation work across every service area we cover. Every sizing recommendation also follows a CSA F280 load calculation rather than a rough estimate. Learn more about our team.
Our warranty: a labor warranty covers the work we perform, and the manufacturer’s equipment warranty covers the unit. Coverage length varies by brand and model, and your technician confirms the exact terms in writing before the installation starts.
- 25+ years of experience
- TSSA License #000198117
- Licensed, insured, and available 24/7 for service calls
- CSA F280 sizing on every quote
Related Services
Heat Pump Installation & Related Services
Heat Pump Repair
Diagnosis, repair and 24/7 emergency service for heat pumps that stopped heating or cooling.
Heat Pump Maintenance & Tune-Up
The routine care that keeps a new installation running the way we commissioned it.
Heat Pump Replacement
For an existing heat pump that is aging, failing, or costing more to fix than it is worth.
All Heat Pump Services
The full list of what we install, repair and maintain.
Furnace Installation
For a hybrid setup, or when a furnace is the better fit for your home.
Heat Pump Installers Serving Halton, Hamilton & Brantford
Searching for heat pump installers near me or heat pump installation near me? These are the hubs we install from.
Prefer local details? See our Burlington page or Hamilton page. Don’t see your neighborhood listed? Call (905) 689-3777, chances are we still service it.
Ready to price out your heat pump installation?
Talk to a technician, then get a written quote based on your home’s real load, not a guess.