To compare heat pump quotes, put them on the same footing line by line: the load calculation behind the size, the matched equipment and its AHRI rating, the duct work, the electrical scope, the line set, permits, rebates on the invoice and what commissioning includes. Price gaps of thousands of dollars on the same house usually come from different scopes, not different margins.
The Seattle Heat Pump Company plans and manages ducted heat pump projects across Seattle and King County, with installation by licensed and insured contractors, and publishes Seattle-area price ranges so you can judge a quote before you sign. This guide explains what each line on a quote should say, why quotes diverge, and which sales tactics homeowners report that are worth walking away from. A printable version of the checklist is on the resources page.
Key takeaways
- Seattle-area ducted heat pumps on usable ducts typically run about $6,700 to $20,000.
- Ask for the load calculation, model numbers and the AHRI matched-system rating on every quote.
- Duct work, electrical upgrades and the indoor equipment explain most price gaps.
- Ask who pulls the Seattle refrigeration permit and which rebates appear on the invoice.
Why quotes for the same house differ
Seattle homeowners describe the same experience in different words. Five quotes for the same size system with different advice in each. Bids for one house spread across many thousands of dollars. Quotes inside the city that were roughly double what friends outside it were quoted. Two contractors who would only do the job if the furnace was replaced, and two who said the furnace could stay.
Some of that is pricing. Most of it is scope. A heat pump project has several parts that can be included or left out, and each one moves the price by more than the differences between brands:
- a heat pump coil on the existing furnace, or a new electric air handler
- no duct work, sealing and an added return, or a duct system rebuild
- a new circuit, or a panel and service upgrade
- a reused line set, or new copper
- a standard efficiency tier, or a premium variable-speed system
Two honest quotes can land far apart because one contractor measured the ducts and found the return too small while the other assumed it was fine. Lining the quotes up by these items is how you find out which one is describing your house.
What every quote should state
The load calculation
Seattle’s energy code requires heating and cooling loads calculated with ACCA Manual J and equipment selected with Manual S. A quote should give the calculated heating and cooling loads and the design temperatures used: 24°F heating and 83°F cooling in Seattle and Bellevue, 17°F heating in Redmond. A quote that names a tonnage with no calculation, or matches the old furnace’s size, is guessing. The sizing guide explains what the numbers mean.
Equipment and the AHRI rating
The quote should list model numbers for the outdoor unit and the indoor coil or air handler, not just a brand and a size. Efficiency ratings belong to the combination, so ask for the AHRI certificate or reference number for that exact pairing. It confirms the matched system’s SEER2 and HSPF2, which in turn decides whether it qualifies for City Light’s $300 or $600 contractor discount. The SEER2 and HSPF2 guide explains the tiers.
Duct scope
Ask whether the ducts were measured, and what the static pressure reading was. Then ask exactly what duct work is included: sealing, a new or larger return, resized trunks, or nothing. A heat pump moves more air than a gas furnace to deliver the same heat, so ducts are where many quotes quietly diverge. The existing ductwork page covers the measurements.
Electrical scope
Is the quote for a new circuit and disconnect only, or a panel or service upgrade? If backup heat strips are included, what size? Homeowners report electrical lines on competing bids that differ by a factor of two for the same house, and the explanation is almost always that one bid includes a service upgrade or large strips and the other does not. In the Seattle area, a 100 to 200 amp panel upgrade typically runs about $1,333 to $4,500. The electrical panel guide explains when it is needed.
Permits
In Seattle, every split heat pump needs a refrigeration permit, and only a licensed refrigeration contractor can obtain it. Ask who pulls it and under which license. The quote should also list the electrical permit and, where the indoor equipment changes, the furnace or mechanical permit. Seattle’s current permit fees for a typical job run about $192 to $556. The Seattle permit guide lists each fee.
Rebates on the invoice
City Light’s contractor discount is paid through participating distributors and contractors, and City Light strongly recommends passing it to the customer. Seattle Clean Heat’s $2,000 oil-conversion rebate is applied on the invoice by a participating contractor on qualifying Mitsubishi Electric equipment. PSE rebates require a PSE Trade Ally installer since April 2, 2026. The quote should show which incentives are applied and how. The Seattle rebate guide keeps amounts current.
Commissioning
Ask what happens after the equipment is running: airflow set and measured, refrigerant charge verified by the manufacturer’s method, temperatures and pressures recorded, defrost and backup heat lockout tested, condensate checked, thermostat configured. The installation process guide has the full checklist.
Want a quote you can check line by line?The assessment ends with a written scope: load, equipment, ducts, electrical, permits and rebates.
Get an EstimateA side-by-side comparison table
Copy this into a spreadsheet, or print the version on the resources page, and fill one column per quote.
| Line | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Heating and cooling load | Numbers from a Manual J calculation, with design temperatures |
| Outdoor and indoor model numbers | Both listed, with the AHRI reference for the pair |
| SEER2 and HSPF2 | Matched-system ratings; City Light tier |
| Indoor side | Coil on furnace, or new air handler; backup strip size |
| Ducts | Static pressure result and specific duct work |
| Electrical | Circuit only, or panel or service upgrade |
| Line set | New, or reused with a pressure test |
| Outdoor unit location | Where it goes; noise review expected or not |
| Permits | Which ones, and who pulls the refrigeration permit |
| Rebates | Which ones appear on the invoice |
| Commissioning | What is measured and recorded |
| Exclusions | Oil tank, asbestos, drywall, utility work |
Pressure tactics homeowners report
Some tactics come up again and again in Seattle homeowners’ accounts. A promotion that ends today, with a large discount that disappears if you don’t sign at the kitchen table. Salespeople who lose interest once there is no instant sale. Communication that stops after the contract is signed. None of these says anything about the equipment, and all of them are reasons to slow down.
Conflicting technical claims are harder, because they sound authoritative. Homeowners report being told a heat pump always requires a separate furnace, that a house cannot have a heat pump at all, or that code requires the outdoor unit to sit 30 feet from the property line. The last one is not true in Seattle, where the rule is a sound limit at the property line; the noise ordinance guide explains it. When a claim decides the scope, ask what measurement or rule it rests on.
Red flags on paper
- a price with no model numbers
- no load calculation, or a size copied from the old furnace
- ducts described as “fine” without a measurement
- permits missing, vague, or suggested as optional
- rebates promised but not shown on the quote
- a federal tax credit promised for a new install; the 25C credit ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025
- no mention of commissioning or thermostat setup
Is the quote too high?
Hold each quote against the published ranges. Seattle-area ducted heat pumps on usable ducts typically run about $6,700 to $20,000 and like-for-like replacements about $6,700 to $15,000. A quote far below the range usually leaves something out. One far above it may include work your house needs, or a tier it doesn’t. The installation cost guide breaks down each driver, and the cost estimator gives a range for your house to hold quotes against. When you want a scope written for your own house, a ducted heat pump installation assessment starts with the measurements.