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Questions to ask a heat pump installer before you sign (Manual J, quotes, rebates)
Quick answer. A serious heat pump bid names the equipment models, shows a Manual J (or equivalent) load calculation with your town’s design outdoor temperature, explains capacity at that temperature, states permits and electrical work, and says who handles rebate paperwork. Square-footage-only sizing is a red flag. Pull program-qualified installers from ElectrifyRadar’s state directories, then interview them with the same list.
Steps
- Gather house facts: recent utility bills, existing heat type, duct condition, electrical panel amp rating, and comfort problems by room.
- Shortlist three program-roster installers in your city from Massachusetts (HPIN), Maine (Efficiency Maine registered vendors), New York (NYS Clean Heat), California (TECH Clean California), or Minnesota (mechanical-bond listings). Confirm rebate eligibility on the matching rebate guide.
- Ask every bidder the same questions from the table below. ENERGY STAR’s HVAC Quality Installation bid comparison sheet is a useful parallel checklist.
- Compare on paper, not on a hallway handshake. Reject bids that only quote “X tons for Y square feet.”
- Verify license, insurance, and program registration on the official finder, not only on our copy of the roster.
- Sign only when Manual J (or equivalent), model numbers, warranty terms, and rebate responsibilities are written into the contract.
Questions checklist
| Question | Good answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Did you run Manual J (or equivalent) for this house? | Yes — and they can show the load, rooms, and design outdoor temperature | “We size by square footage” or “same as the last job” |
| What heating capacity do you claim at design temperature? | A BTU number at a stated outdoor °F, compared with the load | Only mild-weather efficiency talk (SEER2/HSPF2) with no cold capacity |
| Exact models and AHRI reference? | Written on the quote; match your state’s QPL / ENERGY STAR Cold Climate list | “We’ll pick something equivalent later” |
| Ducts or refrigerant layout? | Static pressure / duct plan, or head placement and line-set path | No site visit before the final number |
| Permits and electrical? | Who pulls the permit; panel or circuit work as line items | Cash price that “skips the permit” |
| Backup heat plan? | Clear statement: remove, disconnect, or integrated control with switchover temp | Vague “leave the furnace, you’ll be fine” |
| Who files the rebate? | Named party, required photos/serials, and the program deadline | “You figure out the rebate” |
| Who services this in year five? | Local dispatch path; ownership label on ElectrifyRadar if sourced | Pressure to sign today with no service story |
ENERGY STAR publishes a printable HVAC Quality Installation bid sheet at energystar.gov (PDF). Mass Save’s ASHP page also points to “Questions to Ask your Installer.”
Where to find roster installers
- Massachusetts HPIN listings · rebates: /us/rebates/ma/ · deep dive: Mass Save guide
- Maine registered vendors · Maine rebates · Efficiency Maine guide
- NYS Clean Heat contractors · NY rebates · official finder: cleanheat.ny.gov
- California TECH contractors · CA incentives status
- Connecticut Energize CT heat pump installers · CT rebate notes
- Rhode Island Clean Heat RI installers · RI rebate notes
- Vermont ductless specialists · VT rebate notes
- Minnesota mechanical-bond listings · MN rebate status (state approved-contractor list not published as of 2026-11-03)
Ownership rules: how we label ownership · methodology.
What a written bid should include
Ask for the following in the email or PDF before you pay a deposit. If an item is missing, ask for a revision rather than filling gaps from memory after the crew leaves.
- Site address and date of the visit
- Heating and cooling loads from Manual J (or equivalent), with the outdoor design temperature named
- Indoor and outdoor model numbers, and the AHRI reference if your rebate program needs it
- Heating capacity (BTU/h) at the design outdoor temperature, not only at 47 °F
- Whether the system is full displacement, partial displacement, or cooling-led with optional heat
- Electrical scope: panel work, new circuits, disconnects, who pulls the permit
- Duct sealing or refrigerant line-set path, length, and insulation
- Plan for the existing furnace, boiler, or oil tank
- Who files rebate paperwork, which photos or serials are required, and the claim deadline
- Parts, labor, and compressor warranty lengths in writing
- Service phone number and typical response window after the first heating season
How to run the same script on every bid
Print or paste the questions table into a notes app. For each company, fill Bid A / Bid B columns in the meeting. Do not rely on a hallway summary. Mass Save’s air-source heat pump page recommends proposals from at least two or three Heat Pump Installer Network contractors; the same habit helps in Maine, New York, California, and Minnesota even when the program name differs.
| Item | Bid A | Bid B | Bid C |
|---|---|---|---|
| On official finder? (yes/no + date checked) | |||
| Load calc shared? | |||
| Design outdoor °F | |||
| Heating capacity at that °F | |||
| Backup heat plan | |||
| Electrical included? | |||
| Rebate filing included? | |||
| Labor warranty (years) |
The lower total is not automatically the better system if one bid omitted electrical work, used a warmer design day, or left rebate filing to you.
Red flags that deserve a second look
- No load calculation, or “we always install 3-ton units on this street.”
- Capacity discussed only at 47 °F in a cold-climate town — see cold-climate heat pumps.
- Pressure to sign the same day to “lock a rebate” without written terms.
- Company name on the quote that does not match the official finder.
- Refusal to name subcontractors or the electrical permit holder.
- Cash price that “skips the permit.”
None of those alone proves a bad actor. Together they mean you should get another bid before you pay a deposit. Ownership labels on ElectrifyRadar (how we label ownership) are facts about who owns the company when we have a source — not star ratings and not a substitute for the questions above.
Where ElectrifyRadar helps — and where it stops
We publish free directory pages built from official lists, with methodology notes and ownership labels when sourced. We do not sell leads, invent star ratings, or take payment to reorder names. After you shortlist from state and city pages, the interview is yours. For rebate amounts and rules, use the dated program pages linked from rebate guides, including Mass Save and Efficiency Maine.
Sources (as of Nov 2026)
- ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation bid comparison sheet (PDF)
- Mass Save ASHP page (2–3 HPIN proposals; Questions to Ask your Installer)
- ACCA technical manuals (Manual J overview)
- Efficiency Maine vendor locator
- NYS Clean Heat
Questions
What is Manual J and why does it matter?
Manual J is the Air Conditioning Contractors of America procedure for estimating a home’s heating and cooling load. A heat pump that is too large short-cycles; one that is too small runs constantly and can still miss design temperature. ElectrifyRadar marks Manual J on a listing only when a public source says the installer performed or claimed it — and none of the launch-state files say that. See our Manual J guide.
How many quotes should I get?
Mass Save’s air-source heat pump page recommends proposals from at least two or three Heat Pump Installer Network contractors. Use the same written questions for each bid so you can compare equipment, capacity at design temperature, and rebate paperwork side by side.
Should I care if the company is PE- or platform-owned?
Ownership is a fact about who answers the phone in year six, not a star rating. ElectrifyRadar labels PE or platform-owned and Franchise only from cited public lists; otherwise the label is Ownership: unverified. Read independent vs PE-owned HVAC and still compare Manual J bids either way.
Does a program badge (HPIN / Efficiency Maine / Clean Heat) guarantee quality?
No. Program networks document training, insurance, or registration rules the sponsor publishes — Mass Save, for example, says HPIN participation is not an endorsement. Treat the badge as a rebate-eligibility filter, then interview the contractor with the checklist on this page.
What paperwork should I keep after install?
Keep the signed contract, equipment model and serial numbers (photos of nameplates help), Manual J or load sheet, permit finals, warranty registration, and the rebate application confirmation. Mass Save applications filed on or after 1 October 2026 require outdoor-unit serial photos. Efficiency Maine asks for claims within six months of project completion.
Last reviewed 2026-11-03. Publisher: ElectrifyRadar.