Heat Pump Replacement Cost Calculator
Homeowners who hired a professional to install or replace central air or heating equipment in a home heated by a heat pump reported a median cost of $7,900 in 2026 prices; half of them paid $4,500 to $14,100.
$7,900typical cost
Typical range: $4,500 – $14,100
248 real projects from 2021 to 2023, in 2026 prices.
Is your heat pump quote high or low?
| Cost of the project | Share of projects |
|---|---|
| $1,000 or less | 9% |
| $4,000 or less | 22% |
| $6,000 or less | 32% |
| $7,500 or less | 45% |
| $10,000 or less | 60% |
| $12,000 or less | 67% |
| $15,000 or less | 78% |
| $20,000 or less | 89% |
| $25,000 or less | 94% |
The survey does not record the exact equipment installed, its size, its efficiency rating or the brand, so a higher quote is not necessarily too high.
Heat pump replacement cost by home size
Size of the whole home, not of the job.
| Home size | Median | Middle half | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000–1,499 sq ft | $7,400 | $2,300–$13,500 | 55 |
| 1,500–1,999 sq ft | $7,700 | $3,900–$12,800 | 68 |
| 2,000–2,499 sq ft | $9,100 | $4,500–$14,100 | 50 |
Fewer than 30 homes, no figure: 750–999 sq ft (9), 2,500–2,999 sq ft (28), 3,000–3,999 sq ft (20), 4,000 sq ft or more (11).
By home value
| Home value | Median | Middle half | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $200,000 | $5,800 | $1,400–$7,700 | 35 |
| $200,000–$349,999 | $7,700 | $3,900–$12,800 | 67 |
| $350,000–$599,999 | $8,900 | $6,400–$20,300 | 69 |
| $600,000 or more | $13,600 | $9,100–$18,700 | 61 |
Heat pump replacement cost by region and metro area
| Region and division | Median | Middle half | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| South | $7,400 | $4,200–$12,800 | 160 |
| South AtlanticDelaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia | $7,900 | $4,500–$13,600 | 120 |
| West | $12,800 | $7,300–$20,200 | 59 |
| MountainArizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming | $9,100 | $4,500–$13,600 | 37 |
Fewer than 30 homes, no figure: Northeast (24), New England (10), Middle Atlantic (14), Midwest (5), East North Central (2), West North Central (3), East South Central (24), West South Central (16), Pacific (22).
By metro area
| Metro area | Median | Middle half | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | $9,900 | $6,200–$16,900 | 33 |
Fewer than 30 homes, no figure: Atlanta (5), Boston (6), Cincinnati (15), Cleveland (3), Dallas-Fort Worth (9), Denver (1), Miami (13), New Orleans (6), New York (3), Philadelphia (8), San Francisco-Oakland (4), Seattle (10), Washington, DC (14).
Heat pump replacement cost by what was put in
| What was put in | Median | Middle half | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central air conditioning only | $7,700 | $4,500–$11,400 | 121 |
| Heating equipment only | $6,800 | $2,800–$9,100 | 64 |
| Central air and heating equipment | $15,900 | $12,800–$22,100 | 63 |
Heat pump cost by type of unit
What recent permits show: Seattle, Washington
Projects in one- and two-family homes, October 2024 to October 2026, by the equipment named on the permit. One city's records, not survey data: use them to compare types of units, not as a price for your area.
| Equipment named in the permit description | Median | Middle half | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat pump (not described as ductless) | $9,000 | $6,000–$15,000 | 3,120 |
| Heat pump and furnace together | $14,000 | $9,500–$18,600 | 1,175 |
| Ductless mini-split heat pump | $9,000 | $4,800–$14,300 | 3,867 |
About these records
Check against the survey: the 3,120 projects whose descriptions name a heat pump, not a ductless system, and no furnace have a median stated cost of $9,000; homeowners in the Seattle metro area reported $10,100 for central air and heating equipment jobs (301 jobs, 2019, 2021 and 2023 surveys, 2026 prices).
The cost is the estimated project cost written on the permit, not adjusted for price changes and rounded the same way as the other costs on this page. A project is the set of permits at one address that state the same cost, because one job often has both a furnace permit and a refrigeration permit. Not included: 4,571 projects whose permits from the same day state different costs, 558 permits without a cost or an address, and 446 projects in newly built homes. The type of unit is identified from the permit description using fixed rules. A description that names two types may mean two new units or one unit replacing another. A project whose description names none of these types, or names a boiler, a fireplace or a water heater, is not in the table. Groups with fewer than 30 projects are not shown. Source: City of Seattle, "Trade Permits". The City of Seattle makes no claims as to the completeness, accuracy, timeliness or content of this data; it is used at one's own risk. The city has not reviewed or endorsed this site. More about these records
Federal estimates by type of unit
Estimates by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for one unit of the size shown, not costs that homeowners reported.
| Type of unit and assumed size | Typical unit | High-efficiency unit |
|---|---|---|
| Air-source heat pump36,000 Btu per hour (3 tons) | $7,800 | $9,800 |
| Ground-source heat pump36,000 Btu per hour (3 tons) | $16,900–$26,300 | $18,100–$27,400 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Updated Buildings Sector Appliance and Equipment Costs and Efficiencies", Appendix A; 2022 dollars multiplied by 1.14 for 2026 prices. More about these estimates
How homeowners paid for heat pump projects
| Paid mainly with | Share | Median | Middle half | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash from savings | 73% | $7,400 | $4,000–$13,600 | 166 |
| Cash-out refinance | 4% | too few homes | 9 | |
| Home equity loan | 3% | too few homes | 10 | |
| Insurance settlement | 2% | too few homes | 4 | |
| Credit or store card | 9% | too few homes | 24 | |
| Contractor financing | 6% | too few homes | 19 | |
| Other | 3% | too few homes | 10 |
Heat pump replacement: hiring a pro or doing it yourself
88% hired a professional; 12% did most of the work themselves. Central air conditioning: 90% by a professional. Heating equipment: 87% by a professional.
| Who did most of the work | Median | Middle half | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hired a professional | $7,900 | $4,500–$14,100 | 248 |
| Did most of the work themselves | $7,300 | $3,400–$10,200 | 33 |
A do-it-yourself cost leaves out the household's own time.
How often homeowners install or replace central air or heating equipment in a home heated by a heat pump
13.1% of owner-occupied homes heated by an electric heat pump had central air, heating equipment or both added or replaced in the two years before the survey, by a professional or by the household.
| Year the home was built | Share of homes | Homes surveyed |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 17.6% | 99 |
| 1940 to 1959 | 15.8% | 204 |
| 1960 to 1979 | 13.8% | 684 |
| 1980 to 1989 | 14.2% | 572 |
| 1990 to 1999 | 13.1% | 476 |
| 2000 to 2009 | 14.5% | 560 |
| 2010 or later | 7.5% | 368 |
What counts as a heat pump replacement in this data
Counted:
- Adding or replacing central air conditioning, built-in heating equipment (furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, ductwork and radiators), or both, in homes whose main heating equipment is an electric heat pump. A home that had both is counted once, with the two costs added together.
Not counted:
- Room air conditioners.
- Thermostats.
- Repairs and tune-ups that did not add or replace equipment.
The survey records the home's main heating equipment, not the unit that was put in.
Survey categories: "Added or replaced central air conditioning" and "Added or replaced built-in heating equipment". Costs the Census Bureau filled in (23% of the professional jobs) are left out.
Where these numbers come from
American Housing Survey 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau and HUD), in 2026 prices by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index for home improvements. Estimates by type of unit: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Permit records: City of Seattle. The calculations are our own; no agency has reviewed or endorsed them. Methodology · Data source