Heat Pump Installation: Cost, Rebates and What Install Day Looks Like

Updated October 27, 2026

In Northern Virginia, heat pump installation runs $8,499 to $21,650 for a full system, the outdoor heat pump and the air handler inside, installed. From about $142 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. Where your house lands in that range comes down to its size, how the compressor runs, and what the ductwork and the electrical need. Our heat pump replacement page breaks the same range down.

Below: what’s in that price, how the size gets picked, ducted or ductless, what changes when you’re switching from gas, which rebates are actually open, what the county wants for a permit, and what happens on install day.

What heat pump installation costs, and what moves the number

A heat pump heats and cools with the same machine. In summer it moves heat out of the house like an air conditioner. In winter it runs backward and pulls heat in from the outside air, even on a cold day. So a heat pump installation replaces both your heating and your cooling at once, which is why it’s priced as a system.

Inside that range, three things do most of the moving:

• The size. A smaller townhouse system and a large single-family system are different machines.
• How the compressor runs. A single-stage heat pump is on or off. A two-stage one has a low gear. A variable-speed one runs slow and steady most of the winter, holds temperature better in the cold, and costs the most to buy.
• What the house needs around it. A new air handler or just a coil, a new line set or the old one, electrical work, a new pad, and any duct changes.

Our HVAC estimator narrows it for your house in a couple of minutes. Its prices already have our $1,500 off in them, so that number isn’t taken off a second time at the appointment.

What a heat pump installation quote should include

A written quote should name each piece, so you can compare two of them line for line:

• The outdoor unit, with its size in tons and how the compressor runs.
• The air handler inside, with its blower and the backup electric heat strips that help on the coldest mornings. If you’re keeping a gas furnace, the quote names a coil on top of the furnace instead.
• The line set, the two copper lines between the units: reused after a pressure test, or replaced.
• The electrical: a new disconnect, the whip to the unit, and any breaker change the new equipment calls for.
• The pad and the drain: a level pad, and the condensate line with a safety switch.
• The thermostat: a heat pump needs one that knows how to run a heat pump and its backup heat.
• The permit and the inspection, where your county asks for them.
• Haul-away of the old equipment, with the old refrigerant recovered.

If one quote is far lower than another, it’s usually missing one of these. Holding a quote already? How to read an HVAC replacement quote takes one apart line by line.

Sizing a heat pump: Manual J, not the old label

Which size your house takes is a calculation. The standard method is ACCA’s Manual J load calculation: how much heat the house loses on a cold night and gains on a hot afternoon, room by room, from the windows, the insulation, the air leaks and the way it faces.

Fairfax County puts it in writing. Its residential HVAC certification form, required on site for mechanical inspections, says equipment sizing follows ACCA Manual S, based on loads calculated with ACCA Manual J or another approved method.

Sizing matters more on a heat pump than on almost anything else in the house. Too small, and it leans on the backup heat strips through the cold snaps, which costs more to run than the heat pump itself. Too big, and it short-cycles in summer, cooling the air before it has pulled the moisture out, and you live in a cool, clammy house. The old unit’s label only tells you what somebody picked last time.

Ducted or ductless heat pump installation

If your house has ductwork in decent shape, a ducted heat pump is the usual answer: one outdoor unit, one air handler, the ducts you already have. That’s the system price at the top of this post.

A ductless mini split is a heat pump too, just without the ducts. A small outdoor unit feeds one or more heads mounted on the walls, each heating and cooling its own room. One zone runs $7,000 to $10,000 installed. From about $117 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. It fits a room the main system never reached: a converted garage, a sunroom, a finished attic, an addition.

Several zones from one outdoor unit run $11,000 to $30,000 installed, from two heads to six. From about $183 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. That’s how a house with no ductwork at all, often an older one heated by a boiler or baseboard, gets heat pump heating and central cooling without opening the walls for ducts.

Which is right comes down to the house. Our ductless mini split page has the details.

Switching from a gas furnace to a heat pump

If your house heats with gas now, there are two ways to bring in a heat pump, and the choice changes the price, the rebates and the permit.

All electric. The furnace comes out, and a heat pump with an air handler takes over all the heating, with electric heat strips for the coldest hours. The gas line to the furnace gets capped. This is the system price at the top of this post.

Dual fuel. The heat pump replaces the air conditioner and does most of the heating through the mild part of winter, and the gas furnace stays to take over when it gets really cold. You can keep a furnace that still has years in it, or replace both together. Dual fuel is priced at the house, because what it costs depends on whether the furnace stays. Our dual fuel guide walks through the switch point, and heat pump or furnace compares the two side by side.

Two things to know before you switch. Fairfax County lists the conversion of an HVAC system among the jobs that need a mechanical permit. And Dominion’s Heat Pump Upgrade terms say fuel switching isn’t allowed, so a gas house going all electric doesn’t get that rebate. Washington Gas’s dual fuel rebate, below, is the one built for the switch.

Heat pump rebates in Northern Virginia that are open now

Each of these was read on the program’s own page on October 26, 2026, and none of them is ours to promise. Here’s what’s open:

• Dominion Energy Heat Pump Upgrade: $156 to $312 per heat pump by tier, from 15.2 SEER2 and 7.4 HSPF2 up, and $195 for a ductless mini split. It’s for Dominion residential customers in a single-family home, a home energy evaluation comes first, a contractor on Dominion’s list files it, and fuel switching isn’t allowed. Dominion’s program page.
• Washington Gas dual fuel heat pump rebate: $2,000 for a heat pump put in with a new gas furnace rated 95 AFUE or higher, or $1,400 when you keep a furnace rated 90 AFUE or better. It’s for Washington Gas customers in Virginia replacing a central air conditioner with a dual fuel heat pump, and swapping one heat pump for another doesn’t count. A contractor in Washington Gas’s network files it. Washington Gas’s rebate page.
• NOVEC: no heat pump rebate listed.

And two that aren’t open:

• The federal tax credit is gone for a heat pump put in during 2026. The IRS says the energy efficient home improvement credit isn’t allowed for anything placed in service after December 31, 2025. The IRS page, and what that means for your quote.
• Virginia’s Home Energy Rebates aren’t open yet, with no opening date given, and they aren’t retroactive, so a heat pump put in before they open doesn’t count. Virginia Energy’s questions page.

Every program, with who qualifies and how it’s paid, is on our HVAC rebates page. Tell us who sends your gas and electric service, and we’ll check what you qualify for.

Do you need a permit for heat pump installation?

It depends on the county and on the job. Virginia has one building code, but each county runs its own permit office, and they don’t draw the line in the same place:

• Fairfax County lists new, replacement, repair or conversion of HVAC systems among the jobs that need a mechanical permit, with inspections once the work starts. Fairfax’s mechanical permit page.
• Loudoun County issues mechanical work as its own trade permit. Loudoun’s construction permit page.
• Prince William County requires a permit for work on the heating and air conditioning, but lists replacing a heat pump with the same type of unit in the same location among the jobs that don’t need one. Prince William’s permit page.
• Arlington County wants a mechanical permit to add, remove or relocate a system, and doesn’t for a same type, size and location replacement unless the equipment burns gas. Arlington’s mechanical permit page.

So a straight heat pump swap can skip the permit in Prince William and need one in Fairfax, and a switch from a gas furnace is a conversion nearly everywhere. Whether your job needs one should be a line on the written quote, not a surprise after.

What happens on heat pump installation day

Here’s how the day goes on a typical ducted heat pump installation:

1. Protect the house. Floor covers down from the door to the air handler.
2. Old equipment out. The refrigerant is recovered into a tank, never let into the air, and then the old outdoor unit and the old air handler or furnace come out.
3. New outdoor unit set on a level pad, clear of the wall and the downspouts, up off the ground where snow and ice won’t bury the coil.
4. New air handler in, connected to the ducts, with the condensate drain and its safety switch.
5. The line set connected and brazed, with nitrogen flowing through the copper so the inside doesn’t scale.
6. Pressure test and vacuum. The system is pressure tested for leaks, then pulled into a deep vacuum to boil off any moisture before the refrigerant is released.
7. Electrical to the disconnect and the air handler, and the new thermostat wired for the heat pump and its backup heat.
8. Start-up. The charge set to the maker’s spec, then a run in both heating and cooling, with the airflow and temperatures checked at the vents.
9. Walkthrough. How to run the thermostat, where the filter goes, and what the defrost cycle looks and sounds like, so it doesn’t worry you the first cold morning.

A straight swap is usually done in a day. A switch from gas, a new air handler in a tight attic, or a ductless system with several heads can run longer, and the quote should say so.

Getting a heat pump installation quote you can compare

Ask for these in writing, from anyone who quotes you:

• The load calculation, or at least the size it came to and how.
• The model numbers of the outdoor unit and the air handler, so you can look them up.
• Each piece of the job, from the list above.
• The permit, if your county wants one.
• Which rebates the system qualifies for, and who files them.
• The total, and the monthly payment if you’re financing.

Heat pump systems can be financed on approved credit. The terms are on our financing page, and every deal running now is on our offers page. If you’re holding a quote from someone else and want a second look, our second opinion visit is for exactly that, and you don’t owe us anything for looking.

Heat pump installation questions

How much does heat pump installation cost in Northern Virginia?

A full heat pump system, the outdoor unit and the air handler, runs $8,499 to $21,650 installed. From about $142 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. A ductless mini split for one room runs $7,000 to $10,000. From about $117 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit.

What rebates are there for a heat pump in Northern Virginia?

Dominion’s Heat Pump Upgrade pays $156 to $312 per heat pump, but not for switching from gas. Washington Gas pays $2,000 or $1,400 for a dual fuel heat pump. The federal tax credit ended after 2025. Checked October 26, 2026.

Do I need a permit to install a heat pump?

Fairfax requires a mechanical permit for a new, replacement or converted system. Prince William and Arlington exempt a same-type swap in the same spot, unless it burns gas in Arlington. Your quote should say whether yours needs one.

What is a Manual J load calculation?

It’s the standard method for sizing heating and cooling: how much heat a house loses and gains, room by room. Fairfax’s HVAC certification form calls for sizing based on it.

Can I switch from a gas furnace to a heat pump?

Yes. Either all electric, with the furnace taken out and the gas to it capped, or dual fuel, with the furnace kept for the coldest hours. Dual fuel is priced at the house. Dominion’s rebate excludes fuel switching; Washington Gas’s dual fuel rebate is built for it.

Is a ductless heat pump cheaper than a ducted one?

For one room, yes: one zone runs $7,000 to $10,000. For a whole house, several zones run $11,000 to $30,000, which can pass a ducted system. Ductless makes the most sense where there are no ducts to use. From about $183 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit.

How long does heat pump installation take?

A straight swap of a ducted heat pump is usually done in a day. A switch from gas, a tight attic, or a ductless system with several heads can run longer.

Does a heat pump work in a Northern Virginia winter?

Yes. A properly sized heat pump heats through most of a winter here, with backup heat for the coldest hours. Variable-speed models hold up best in the cold. Our heat pump winter guide has the details.

Can I finance a heat pump installation?

Yes, on approved credit. A heat pump system runs $8,499 to $21,650. From about $142 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. The terms are on our financing page.

Get your heat pump installation priced

Start with the HVAC estimator for a price in a couple of minutes, or call (703) 997-9757, book online, or use the form at the top of this page. We’ll size it with a load calculation, tell you which rebates fit your house, and put the whole job in writing. More on the system itself is on our heat pump replacement page.

SwiftPro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing installs and services heat pumps, furnaces, air conditioners and ductless mini splits, and repairs and replaces water heaters, pipes and drains, across Northern Virginia from Chantilly and Ashburn, with a dedicated HVAC team and a separate plumbing team. Family owned, BBB Accredited with an A rating, 24/7 emergency service, Virginia Class A contractor license 2705192276, and rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook. Read the reviews.