Heat Pump Cost Calculator

Our default — a 3-ton ducted heat pump, standard efficiency, backup strips, existing ducts — prices at $6,795 before state adjustments. That sits inside the published ranges: Angi puts professional installation at $4,237–$7,943, HomeGuide at $3,800–$8,200 (national average $5,819), and Fixr at $5,000–$15,000 averaging $8,350.

In our model a single zone runs about $3,900 installed and a three-zone system about $6,900 ($9,900 at five zones). Sources genuinely disagree here: HomeGuide lists single zones at $1,200–$4,000 and five zones at $6,000–$12,000, while Angi's ductless guide runs higher at $3,000–$8,000 per zone — plan around the middle and get the line-set run length in writing.

On a ducted system, usually yes — strips ($150–$600 installed each, per HomeGuide; we price a typical bank at $375) are the safety net that carries the house when output drops below the balance point, often around 35–40 °F. Fixr notes standard units lean on auxiliary heat in exactly that window. They're resistance heat at roughly 3× the pump's running cost, so they should idle, not lead: a cold-climate-rated unit keeps strip runtime rare.

We add 12% to equipment — about $0 on the 3-ton default. Cold-climate (ccASHP) units hold most of their heating capacity and efficiency down toward 5 °F; HomeGuide cites the ccASHP benchmark of a COP of 1.75 at 5 °F. North of roughly USDA zone 5, or anywhere winter design temps sit in the teens, the premium usually pays back in avoided strip runtime. In Gulf Coast or desert climates it's money you don't need to spend.

Rule of thumb: one ton per 450–600 sq ft, with the smaller number for colder or leakier homes — 3 tons suits a typical 1,500–1,800 sq ft house. Price tracks size almost linearly here: each half-ton of ducted capacity adds about $600 installed in this model, so right-sizing matters to the bill as well as the comfort. Rule of thumb is where the bidding starts, not where it ends — insist on a Manual J load calc. Oversized heat pumps short-cycle, dehumidify poorly in summer, and fall back on expensive strip heat because they never settle into steady operation.

Yes — a mechanical permit and usually an electrical one too: Fixr shows $50–$300 and HomeGuide $250–$400 depending on jurisdiction (we price $250, scaled to local labor). Refrigerant work legally requires an EPA Section 608 certified technician, and most utility rebate programs won't pay out without the permit and a commissioning record, so a contractor quoting 'no permit' is quoting you out of your own rebate.

A heat pump does both jobs in one condenser, so the honest comparison is against the combined equipment bill. In this model the 3-ton ducted default — $6,795 reusing your ducts — buys all of the heating and all of the cooling, while the alternative is two fuel-burning or resistance systems, two installation crews and two things that can die. The one swing line is ductwork: the same heat pump with brand-new ducts climbs to about $11,295 (HomeGuide bands new ducts at $2,400–$6,600). Running costs usually drop hardest where you're displacing oil, propane or resistance electric heat; against an efficient gas furnace in a cheap-gas state the math gets closer — the furnace-vs-heat-pump calculator runs that 15-year comparison directly.

Duct replacement or extension unless you select it ($2,400–$6,600, per HomeGuide), electrical panel or service upgrades, crane lifts for rooftop units, and ground-source systems entirely — geothermal runs $10,000–$25,000 per HomeGuide and is a different technology with its own drill rig. On incentives: the federal 25C heat-pump credit expired December 31, 2025, but state and utility rebates still vary by location — ask your contractor what's currently on the table.