A DC heat pump quote should name the exact AHRI-matched indoor and outdoor models, show your home’s heat loss and the system’s output at 14°F, and itemize electrical, duct, permit and startup work. It should also say who files the DCSEU paperwork within 30 days. At Perennial DC Heat Pumps we install ducted heat pumps across Washington, DC, and this is the checklist our written estimates follow.
Does the quote say what’s coming out and what’s going in?
The first lines should tell you what kind of job it is. A matched heat pump replacement, a furnace conversion and an air-handler-only job carry different work and different DCSEU tiers. Our estimate lists what we remove, what stays and the exact model numbers, not just a series name.
It should also name the rooms served. A quote for your existing conditioned floors isn’t the same as one that adds a finished basement or attic room. If you want gas heat gone entirely, say so and we’ll write it in, because that decides whether the $4,000 or $5,000 conversion tier is realistic.
Will it keep your coldest rooms warm at 14°F?
Ask every quote for three numbers: heat loss at 14°F, heat gain at 94°F, and the chosen system’s heating output at 14°F from the manufacturer’s extended tables. Those are ENERGY STAR’s Washington, DC design points, and our estimates show all three. Our load calculation guide explains why output at 47°F isn’t the number that matters.
The quote should also give the backup heat size, in kW for strips or Btu/h for a furnace, and say whether your ducts were checked for the airflow the new system needs. If duct work is left out, it should say what evidence supports reusing the ducts and what limits remain.
Where will the outdoor unit sit, and who handles approvals?
The quote should draw or describe the outdoor unit’s spot, how it’s mounted (pad, wall bracket or roof stand), its clearances and the line route. DC’s average seasonal snowfall is about 13.8 inches, per the National Weather Service, so we set stand height and meltwater drainage from the manufacturer’s instructions for your site.
For a historic property, exterior equipment changes go through Historic Preservation Office review, and in Georgetown also the Commission of Fine Arts. Equipment in front-yard public space needs a DDOT public space permit. In a condo, the association approves placement. Our estimate says which of these apply to you and who obtains each one.
Put these questions into a project brief
Describe what you know about the property. Technical unknowns can stay unknown.
Are the hidden extras written down?
Each of these should be its own line, marked included, excluded or conditional:
- Line set: reused after a pressure test, or replaced, with the route
- Refrigerant and leak-sensor wiring for an A2L system
- Outdoor-unit circuit, air-handler and backup circuit, and disconnect
- Load calculation result and any heavy-up to 200 amps
- Condensate drain, trap and float switch or secondary pan
- Thermostat model and setup
If an unknown condition could trigger a change order, the quote should name it, give the price or how it will be priced, and say how you approve it.
Who pulls the permits, and how are rebates shown?
The DC Department of Buildings permits carry listed fees: $50.60 for an instant mechanical permit up to 10 tons or a Class E refrigeration permit up to 120,000 Btu/h, $22 for an instant general electrical permit and $64.90 for a heavy-up. These are fees only. We line up the permits before work starts, and our estimate shows whether each fee is included.
Rebates belong below the price, not inside it. Our rebate guide lists what DCSEU requires: paid itemized invoice, model and serial numbers, AHRI certificate, DOB mechanical permit, distributor invoice and, for conversions, proof of fuel-system removal. The quote should name who puts them together. Our typical range for a whole-home ducted installation is $8,000 to $18,000 before rebates, and our cost guide explains what sits outside it.
How will you know it was started up right?
Refrigerant startup has three separate steps: a nitrogen pressure test to find leaks, evacuation to the micron level the manufacturer specifies, and charge verification by weight or by the method in the instructions. “Startup included” doesn’t show all three, so ask for the readings; we put them in your handover records.
Airflow should be set and measured against the equipment’s requirements, and each control mode tested: cooling, each heating stage, auxiliary heat and emergency heat. If a mode can’t be tested in the season you install, the quote should set the follow-up visit. Our first-week article covers what to log afterward.
Which quote is really the better deal?
Put the quotes side by side in the same categories and mark each item included, excluded or unresolved. A cheaper quote can be the right choice when its limits are clear; the risk is a low total that hides a missing heavy-up, duct fix or permit.
Our planning tools organize your budget and system details, and the printable worksheet has these categories ready to fill in. Request an estimate with your current equipment, the rooms involved and what you want fixed, and we’ll build your estimate line by line from the start.
Questions before you decide
Is a model-series name enough to compare equipment?
No. A series covers several capacities, coils and control options. Ask for the exact outdoor and indoor model numbers and the AHRI certificate number for the pair; our written estimate gives both, because that fixes the rated capacity and efficiency and it's what DCSEU checks.
How should an unresolved access condition appear?
As a named assumption with a price or a pricing method, for example replacing the line set through finished ceilings if the pressure test fails. We also state who approves the change before work goes ahead, instead of burying it inside an all-in total.
What makes a cheaper quote a fair comparison?
The same rooms served, the same capacity at 14°F, the same backup, and the same electrical, duct, permit and startup work. Line the quotes up item by item; a lower total that leaves out a heavy-up or a duct fix is a different project.