Heat Pump Home Assessment Checklist for BC Homeowners

Before calling a single contractor, you can answer 80% of the questions yourself with a 30-minute walk through your home. Homeowners who show up to contractor quotes knowing their panel size, existing heating type, and insulation condition get better quotes, spot red flags faster, and avoid being oversold.

This checklist walks you through exactly what to check — and what each item means for your heat pump project.

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1. Electrical Panel Assessment

This is the most important pre-assessment item. Heat pumps require dedicated electrical circuits, and undersized panels are a common hidden cost.

Find your panel

Typically located in a utility room, garage, or basement. It's the grey or beige metal box on the wall with breakers inside.

Check the total panel amperage

Look at the main breaker at the top — it's the large double-pole breaker. The number on it is your panel's total capacity.

Panel size	What it means
100A	May need upgrade for a ducted heat pump or air-to-water system. Mini-splits often manageable.
200A	Typically sufficient for most heat pump installations without upgrade.
200A+ (service upgrade)	No concerns.

Count available breaker spaces

Look for open slots (empty spaces) in the breaker panel. You need:

• Mini-split (single zone): 1 double-pole space (240V/20-30A)
• Multi-zone mini-split: 1-2 double-pole spaces
• Ducted air handler: 1 double-pole space (240V/40-60A)
• Air-to-water heat pump: 1 double-pole space (240V/30-50A)

If your panel has no open spaces: Budget for a panel upgrade or sub-panel (~$1,500-$3,500).

Note the panel brand

Some older panels have known issues:

• Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok): Common in BC homes built 1950-1990. Known reliability issues. Contractors often recommend replacement regardless of heat pump project.
• Zinsco/Sylvania: Similar concerns.
• Square D, Siemens, Eaton, Cutler-Hammer: Standard reliable brands.

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2. Existing Heating System

Understanding your current system tells a contractor which conversion path applies.

What type of heating do you have?

• Electric baseboard heaters — Simplest conversion. Mini-split replaces individual room heaters. No ductwork needed.
• Forced-air furnace (gas or oil) with ductwork — Ducted heat pump can reuse existing ductwork.
• Oil boiler + hydronic (radiant floor or radiators) — Air-to-water heat pump is the cleanest replacement.
• Gas boiler + hydronic — Same as above; hybrid options also available.
• Central AC with furnace — Simplest swap; many central AC/furnace combos replace directly with heat pump.
• No existing heating system (new construction) — Full design flexibility.

If you have ductwork — assess its condition

Open a supply register (the metal grate on the floor or wall). Look inside with a flashlight.

• Clean, intact ductwork: Good candidate for ducted heat pump
• Disconnected or damaged sections visible: Note this; ductwork may need repair
• Flexible duct (shiny corrugated material): Common in BC; generally acceptable, check for kinks or collapses
• Asbestos-wrapped ductwork (grey/white fibrous wrapping): Common in homes pre-1990; requires professional assessment before disturbance

Note your furnace/boiler age

Older than 15-20 years? This may factor into timing — if the furnace is near end-of-life anyway, full replacement now makes sense rather than keeping it as a hybrid backup.

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3. Home Insulation Assessment

Heat pumps are sized based on your home's heat loss. Poor insulation means you need a bigger (more expensive) system. Improving insulation before or alongside heat pump installation increases efficiency and often qualifies for additional rebates.

Attic insulation

Go into your attic (or look from the hatch). You're looking at the insulation on the attic floor (above your ceiling).

• Less than 6 inches (R-20): Under-insulated. Adding insulation here before your heat pump install improves sizing and efficiency.
• 6-14 inches (R-20 to R-50): Adequate to good.
• 14+ inches (R-50+): Well-insulated.

Wall insulation (harder to assess without opening walls)

For most BC homes built before 1990, assume minimal wall insulation (R-12 or less). Homes built after 2000 typically have better insulation. This affects heat pump sizing but generally doesn't need to be resolved before installing.

Basement/crawl space

Check for insulation on basement walls or under the floor above a crawl space. Uninsulated basements are a significant heat loss source.

Windows

Note if you have single-pane windows (older metal frames, often in 1960-1980s homes). These are significant heat loss points. Replacing windows improves heat pump sizing and comfort but isn't required before installation.

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4. Outdoor Unit Placement Options

The outdoor compressor unit needs a location. Walk outside and identify viable spots.

What to look for:

Clearance requirements (typical):

• 30cm clearance from walls on sides
• 60cm clearance at front (air discharge direction)
• 20cm clearance from ground to bottom of unit
• Not directly under drip edge or area with heavy snow/ice accumulation

Preferred placements:

• South or west-facing wall (sun exposure keeps snow/frost off)
• Sheltered from prevailing wind (less cold weather performance impact)
• Near the electrical panel (shorter wiring run = lower installation cost)
• Accessible for service (technician needs to reach it for maintenance)

Problematic placements:

• North-facing wall in heavy snowfall areas (can ice up in BC Interior winters)
• Under roof drip edge (ice falls on unit)
• Enclosed space with insufficient airflow
• Within 3m of a bedroom window (noise, though modern units are quiet)

For strata/condo owners:

• Is there a balcony? Could an outdoor unit fit there?
• Is there exterior wall space accessible from your unit?
• Check strata bylaws before proceeding.

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5. Home Size and Zone Count

Contractors will calculate this properly, but having a rough number helps you evaluate quotes.

Measure your heated floor area

Walk through and note: _______ sq ft (or m²)

Rough sizing guide for BC:

• Coastal BC: 400-500 BTU/h per sq ft
• Okanagan/Interior: 500-650 BTU/h per sq ft
• Northern BC: 650-800 BTU/h per sq ft

A 2,000 sq ft coastal BC home needs roughly 800,000-1,000,000 BTU/h... no wait, that's not right. Let me use correct units:

A 2,000 sq ft coastal BC home needs roughly 24,000-36,000 BTU/h of heating capacity, depending on insulation.

Count the zones you want

A "zone" is an area controlled by one thermostat/indoor head.

Common configurations:

• 1 zone (single zone): Open-plan home, or just heating one main space. Most affordable.
• 2 zones: Main living area + primary bedroom. Very common.
• 3-4 zones: Main floor + bedrooms separately controlled. Best comfort.
• 5+ zones: Large homes or full whole-home replacement.

Each zone = one indoor unit. More zones = higher cost. Think about which rooms are hardest to heat or cool, and which rooms you spend the most time in.

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6. Hot Water Heating

While assessing for a heat pump, check your water heater. Heat pump water heaters are a related upgrade that can cut water heating costs by 50-70%.

• What is your current water heater type? (electric tank, gas tank, on-demand gas, etc.)
• How old is it? Older than 10 years? May be worth replacing at the same time.
• Is there space for a heat pump water heater (needs ~1.5m vertical clearance, slightly larger footprint than standard tank)?

Heat pump water heaters qualify for separate rebates under CleanBC. Bundling with a heat pump installation sometimes reduces combined contractor costs.

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7. Permit and Access Notes

Know your home's age

• Built before 1990: Possible asbestos in older duct insulation, vermiculite attic insulation, or pipe wrap. Flag this with contractors.
• Built before 1980: May have knob-and-tube wiring in some areas. Relevant if panel upgrade involves re-wiring.

Municipality

Note your municipality. Most BC heat pump installations require a building permit (for the electrical work) and mechanical permit (for the refrigerant work). Your contractor pulls these, but you should be aware:

• Permit fees: typically $200-$600
• Inspection: scheduled after installation, usually within 2 weeks
• No permits = potential insurance and home sale issues

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What to Bring to Your Contractor Quote

Print or screenshot this completed checklist and bring it to your quotes. Cover:

1. Panel size and available spaces
2. Current heating type
3. Home size and zone count you're targeting
4. Outdoor unit placement option(s) you've identified
5. Any specific concerns (strata, heritage building, asbestos, old panel)

A contractor who dismisses this information or doesn't ask these questions before quoting is a yellow flag. Proper heat pump sizing requires a heat load calculation — a contractor who quotes without measuring your home or asking about insulation is guessing.

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Red Flags When Evaluating Quotes

• No site visit before quoting — System sizing requires seeing your home
• Can't name the specific model or HSPF2 rating — You need this for rebate eligibility
• Won't confirm CleanBC registration — Required to claim rebates
• Pushes the cheapest system without cold-climate rating (if you're in the Interior) — Wrong equipment for the climate
• No mention of permits — Unpermitted work creates problems at resale
• Quote dramatically lower than others — Investigate why before accepting

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