Modern air-source heat pumps work well in cold regions, and Seattle's winter climate is generally milder than many of those areas, which works in your favor here. Properly sized and installed, a heat pump keeps pulling usable heat from outdoor air even when it feels genuinely cold outside.

The details still matter: correct sizing, good airflow, solid ductwork where relevant, and proper commissioning. Some homes pair the heat pump with backup or auxiliary heat, depending on the system and what the homeowner needs it to cover.

Often, yes, though the right answer depends on your ductwork, electrical capacity, and heating load. Homes with usable forced-air ductwork may be good candidates for a ducted heat pump as a central replacement. Some homeowners go fully electric.

Others keep the furnace as backup in a dual-fuel setup, where controls determine when the heat pump runs and when the furnace takes over. It's rarely a simple swap. Ductwork, electrical work, controls, and old equipment removal usually factor into the project.

Sometimes, though it needs checking rather than assuming the ducts built for your old furnace will just work. A few signs are worth noticing before that conversation: rooms that never quite reach temperature, ductwork running through an unheated attic or crawlspace, or visible gaps and disconnected sections at the joints.

When the installer looks at your ducts, they're checking size, insulation, airflow, and leakage, since even ducts in good shape for a furnace aren't automatically sized right for a heat pump. If sealing or modifying the ductwork turns out to be part of the project, the installer should explain how that affects the scope and price.

Properly, it's not a square-footage guess. The industry standard is a Manual J load calculation, which factors in your home's size, layout, insulation, windows, air leakage, and local design temperatures to estimate actual heating and cooling need.

Getting this wrong causes real problems: an undersized system struggles to keep up, while an oversized one cycles too often and wastes energy without necessarily improving comfort. For ducted systems, sizing also affects airflow. For ductless systems, each zone needs its own sizing and placement.

Permit requirements come down to the scope of the work rather than a blanket yes or no. Mechanical permits can apply to HVAC equipment installation, refrigeration permits may apply to split systems and mini-splits, and electrical permits may apply if wiring is being installed or altered.

Seattle also inspects permitted residential refrigeration work, including heat pumps and mini-splits, through SDCI. Every project is a little different, so the installer is the right party to confirm exactly what applies and handle the filing.

We want to be upfront about where our role ends. We provide general information and may connect you with our exclusive independent third-party heat pump installation partner.

We don't install heat pumps, provide quotes, assess homes, obtain permits, administer rebates, or manage your project. The installer handles all of that: the home assessment, the quote, system recommendations, scheduling, the installation itself, permits, inspections, rebate discussions, warranties, and any communication about your project once it's underway.