Heat pump replacement in Arlington.
A new heat pump system in Arlington costs $8,499 to $21,650 installed. About half of all Arlington households heat with electricity.
- The installed range, published
- Sized to the house, not the old label
- Dedicated HVAC team
Get your heat pump priced
Arlington splits on heat: renters mostly electric, owners mostly gas.
The Census counts a heat pump as electric heat, and by that count Arlington is split down the middle: about half of all its occupied homes heat with electricity. Among renters it’s about 6 in 10, and the typical rented home was built in 1985. Among owners it’s close to 4 in 10, in homes whose median year is 1960, and about 6 in 10 owners burn gas instead.
Fairlington is Arlington’s clearest heat pump case. Its 3,449 garden apartments and townhouses went up from 1942 to 1944 as rentals, and when they were renovated and sold as condos between 1972 and 1977, central heat and air conditioning heat pumps went in. Very little from that first round is likely still running, so a Fairlington replacement is usually a heat pump for a heat pump, with the association’s documents saying where the outdoor half may stand.
In the gas houses, a heat pump usually shows up when the air conditioner quits. It takes the outdoor unit’s place, carries the heating through spring and fall, and the gas furnace takes over when it turns truly cold. If your gas bill comes from Washington Gas, it pays its Virginia customers a rebate toward that dual fuel pairing, but only when the heat pump replaces a central air conditioner. Our dual fuel guide has the amounts and the fine print.
A heat pump replaced with the same type and size in the same spot needs no Arlington permit, though the County’s Zoning office still approves where the outdoor unit stands. Trading an air conditioner for a heat pump, or a furnace for an air handler, falls outside that like-for-like exemption: Arlington’s mechanical permit covers adding, removing or relocating heating and cooling equipment.
Arlington houses, by the numbers
From the Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 survey, owner-occupied homes unless it says otherwise. A heat pump counts as electric heat.
Arlington
- Median home built1960 Census
- Built before 1980about 5 in 10 Census
- Built since 2000about 3 in 10 Census
- Most homes arecondo and apartment buildings, about 6 in 10 Census
- Heated withgas, about 6 in 10 Census
- Rentedabout 6 in 10 Census
- Most houses here burn gas, so a heat pump usually means dual fuel: it replaces the air conditioner and the furnace stays as backup.
- In condo buildings the outdoor unit often sits on a roof, balcony or shared pad, and the association says where a new one can go.
What heat pump replacement costs in Arlington.
The same price book as our heating page and the HVAC estimator, for a heat pump and air handler, 2 to 5 ton.
- A heat pump system, outdoor unit and air handler, installed$8,499 to $21,650
- A gas furnace and air conditioner together, installed$8,898 to $23,000
- Diagnostic visit, when a repair may do$99
Might it be a repair? The diagnostic visit is $99, and the tech prices the repair and the replacement side by side. Financing is available, subject to approval.
With Comfort+ membership at $199 a year, the diagnostic visit is included, and half of each repair bill is banked toward replacing that system, up to $1,500.
When a heat pump in Arlington is worth replacing.
Ice that won’t clear off the outdoor unit
Frost on a cold, damp morning is normal, and a heat pump melts it off on its own every so often. A coil still caked in ice hours later means defrost isn’t working, and on a unit past fifteen, the repair and the replacement belong side by side. A $99 diagnostic visit tells you which.
The AC quit, and you heat with gas
A heat pump can go where the air conditioner sat, heat on mild days and leave the cold nights to the furnace. That’s dual fuel.
You’re in a condo
The outdoor unit may sit on a roof, a balcony or a shared pad, so the association has a say in where a new one goes. Your condo documents say what’s yours.
The paperwork behind a new heat pump in Arlington.
Arlington County
Replacing a furnace or air conditioner with the same type, size and location needs no Arlington permit unless it burns gas, which takes a plumbing and gas permit. With no permit, Zoning still approves where any outdoor equipment goes. Source.
How to pick the best heat pump installer in Arlington.
Questions to ask anybody who quotes you, us included.
Did they read your condo’s rules on the outdoor unit?
In Fairlington or a building along the Metro, the association can decide where an outdoor unit sits, how it’s mounted and what it looks like. Ask whether the installer has read your documents before anything is ordered.
Did they size it, or copy the old label?
Copying the old nameplate repeats whatever guess was made when the house was built. The wrong size runs worse in both seasons.
Is the air handler in the price?
A heat pump system is the outdoor unit plus the air handler inside. Ask whether the quote covers both, matched, in writing.
Who sets up the backup heat?
Set wrong, the electric strips run on mild days. Ask who programs the thermostat and at what outdoor temperature the strips may come on.
What our customers say.
Excellent price and service. Had our AC/heating system replaced. Gave us a great price and top quality install. Can’t say enough good things about them.
5.0 stars across 884 Google reviews. Read them on our reviews page.
Heat pump replacement questions from Arlington.
Is a Fairlington heat pump replacement a straight swap?
Usually close to one: heat pump for heat pump, air handler for air handler, in the same spots. Plan for two things: the County’s Zoning sign-off on where the outdoor unit sits, and whether the new air handler fits the closet or attic the old one leaves.
Does Washington Gas’s rebate cover replacing my old heat pump?
No. Washington Gas says replacements of existing heat pump systems aren’t eligible; its dual fuel rebate is for replacing a central air conditioner. A heat pump for heat pump swap runs $8,499 to $21,650 installed, and the HVAC estimator narrows that to your home.
How much does heat pump replacement cost in Arlington?
$8,499 to $21,650 installed for a heat pump system, the outdoor unit and the air handler, 2 to 5 ton. A small single-stage system lands near the bottom, a big variable-speed one near the top. The HVAC estimator narrows it to your house.
Should I get a heat pump, or a furnace and air conditioner?
A heat pump system runs $8,499 to $21,650 installed; a gas furnace and air conditioner together, $8,898 to $23,000. No gas line usually means a heat pump. With gas, you can keep the furnace and add one; our heat pump vs gas furnace guide runs the numbers.
More from SwiftPro in Arlington.
More from SwiftPro in Arlington
See the range first, then your number.
Call, or book online and pick a window. The price is in writing before the old unit comes out, and if a repair makes more sense, you’ll hear that first.
SwiftPro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is a licensed, BBB Accredited (A rating), independently owned heating, cooling and plumbing company in Chantilly, serving Arlington and the rest of Northern Virginia. Virginia contractor license #2705192276. 5.0 stars across 884 Google reviews. SwiftPro maintains a dedicated HVAC team and a dedicated plumbing team.
SwiftPro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, 4230 Lafayette Center Dr, Suite N, Chantilly, VA 20151, (703) 997-9757. Book online, read our reviews, or see every town we serve.