Where we install
Strata Heat Pumps installs heat pumps in Boulder County, Larimer County, Weld County, Broomfield County, Adams County, Denver County, Arapahoe County, Jefferson County, Douglas County, El Paso County, Pueblo County and ZIP codes 80504, 80516, 80439, 80832 and 81069. The online estimate prices a ducted heat pump for any Colorado ZIP code in about two minutes and lists the rebates that apply there.
What a ducted heat pump is and which homes it fits
A ducted heat pump is one outdoor unit and one indoor air handler that heat and cool the whole house through the ducts you already have. It replaces both the furnace and the central air conditioner. In winter it pulls heat out of the outdoor air and moves it inside. In summer it runs the other way and cools. It moves heat instead of burning fuel, so the house has no flame and no exhaust.
It fits a home with ducts in fair shape and a furnace or central AC near the end of its life. The house can heat with gas, propane or an electric furnace today. Before we install, we check the ducts and the electrical panel, because those two things decide how simple the job is.
If your central AC just failed and the furnace is old, price this system first. The heat pump sits where the AC sat and cools the house the same way in summer. The difference is that it heats in winter too. Buying an AC alone leaves the old furnace to carry every cold night for years.
How a ducted heat pump handles Colorado cold and altitude
We size every system to a design temperature: the cold outdoor reading at which the house must still hold its thermostat setting. For Boulder County our estimate tool uses 1°F outdoors and 70°F indoors. Larimer County uses 5°F.
Altitude matters as much as cold. Thin air carries less heat, so an air-source heat pump loses about 3.4% of its output for every 1,000 ft of elevation. At 5,300 ft, the height our sizing uses for Boulder County, the loss comes to 18%. We take that loss off before we pick a size, so the unit is not small from day one.
At the design temperature the sizing assumes 2 units of heat for each unit of electricity the heat pump uses. On milder days it does better. The air handler carries backup heat for defrost cycles and the very coldest hours, and that backup is part of the price, not an extra.
The equipment in a ducted system
Every ducted price includes the same parts: the cold-climate outdoor unit, a variable-speed air handler with backup heat, the line set that joins them, a standard 240 V circuit, a thermostat, the permit and removal of the old equipment. None of these is an add-on.
A variable-speed air handler runs longer at a lower speed, which keeps rooms even and the air quiet, and it lets the outdoor unit follow the weather instead of cycling on and off at full power.
Brands we install include Mitsubishi, Bosch, Daikin, Carrier and Trane. We pick the model for the house, its heat load and its ducts, and the walkthrough confirms that choice.
Sizing a ducted heat pump
Our estimate tool works out the heat load from your home: its size, the number of stories, the build year and how it heats today. A winter gas bill makes the number sharper, because it shows what the house really burned in cold weather. The load then gets the altitude correction and rounds up to the next standard size.
Ducted systems come in 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4 and 5 tons. The smallest system we fit is 2 tons, since summer cooling sets a floor even in a small, tight house. Above 5 tons the estimate stops and we quote the home by hand.
Build year moves the load more than most owners expect. Take a 2,000 sq ft two-story gas home in Boulder County. Built 1980 to 1999, the most common build years there, it needs 2.8 tons. An older, leakier house of the same size needs 3.4 tons, and a newer one needs 2.0 tons.
The example home needs a 30 A circuit. If the panel has no room, a smart load-sharing device at $500 to $1,500 can stand in for a panel upgrade at $2,500 to $7,500. We check the panel at the walkthrough and price whichever the house needs.
How the install goes, start to finish
It starts with the online estimate, which takes about two minutes and shows a price range with your rebates already taken off. Next comes the walkthrough. We measure the home, check the ducts and the panel, and do the load calculation that sets the final price.
Most installs take one day. The crew removes the old furnace and AC, sets the outdoor unit and the new air handler, runs the line set and the circuit, and wires the thermostat. The permit is in the price.
We file every rebate for you. The State of Colorado Heat Pump Discount comes straight off the invoice, so you never wait for that money.
Living with a ducted heat pump
A heat pump heats differently from a furnace. A furnace blasts hot air for a few minutes and shuts off. A heat pump runs longer at a lower speed and sends out air that feels warm rather than hot, so rooms stay closer to the thermostat setting all day.
Set the thermostat and leave it. Deep setbacks at night make the system climb back in the cold morning hours, which is when the backup heat is most likely to come on. In summer the same system cools the house, so there is no separate AC to service.
The filter at the air handler needs the same care as a furnace filter, and the outdoor unit needs clear space around it, free of snow drifts and shrubs.
Ducted heat pump prices and a typical project
Our estimate tool prices a ducted heat pump by size, before rebates: $12,800 to $18,000 for 2 tons, $17,400 to $24,600 for 3 tons, $22,100 to $31,200 for 4 tons and $26,800 to $37,800 for 5 tons. For the Boulder County example home the range is $15,100 to $27,900 before rebates and $8,400 to $21,200 after them.
Age changes the price through the size. An older, leakier version of the Boulder County example needs 3.4 tons, and the estimate range for that home is $17,400 to $37,800 before rebates. For a newer house of that size the range is $12,800 to $21,300. These ranges are wider than the size table on this page, because the estimate allows a band around its best guess of the size. Rebates follow the size too, since the Xcel Energy rebate pays per ton of heating.
A typical project is the full swap: furnace and central AC out, heat pump and air handler in, on the existing ducts. Extras sit outside the range and appear only when the home needs them. Ductwork changes run $1,000 to $5,000, an extra 240 V circuit $500 to $900 and a condensate pump $150 to $450.
Rebates for a ducted heat pump
In Boulder County a 3-ton ducted heat pump in a gas-heated home collects $7,000: the Xcel Energy rebate ($4,500), the State of Colorado Heat Pump Discount ($1,000) and the Power Ahead Colorado rebate ($1,500). A home on electric heat gets $4,700, because the Xcel Energy rebate pays $750 per ton of heating there instead of $1,500 per ton of heating.
A propane home in Boulder County lines up $7,000 on the same job, because the Xcel Energy rebate counts propane heat the same as gas: the Xcel Energy rebate ($4,500), the State of Colorado Heat Pump Discount ($1,000) and the Power Ahead Colorado rebate ($1,500).
Longmont Power & Communications customers get the Efficiency Works rebate of $2,000. Households under the program income limit in Boulder County can add $1,700 through the Boulder County income-qualified rebate.
The federal 25C credit ended for systems installed after 2025, so it no longer adds to any of these totals.
Ducted, dual fuel or ductless
Choose dual fuel instead when the gas furnace is fairly new and you want to keep it for the coldest hours. It costs less up front: $14,000 to $19,800 for 3 tons.
Choose ductless when the house has no ducts, or the ducts are too small or too far gone to reuse. A ductless system with three indoor units runs $11,800 to $19,200 before rebates.
Ducted heat pump prices by size
| System size | Price before rebates |
|---|---|
| 2 tons | $12,800 to $18,000 |
| 2.5 tons | $15,100 to $21,300 |
| 3 tons | $17,400 to $24,600 |
| 3.5 tons | $19,800 to $27,900 |
| 4 tons | $22,100 to $31,200 |
| 5 tons | $26,800 to $37,800 |
| Included |
|---|
| Outdoor unit |
| Variable-speed air handler with backup heat |
| Line set |
| Standard 240V circuit |
| Thermostat |
| Permit |
| Removal of old equipment |
| Extra | Price range |
|---|---|
| Electrical panel upgrade to 200A | $2,500 to $7,500 |
| Smart load-sharing device (instead of a panel upgrade) | $500 to $1,500 |
| Extra 240V circuit | $500 to $900 |
| Ductwork changes | $1,000 to $5,000 |
| Condensate pump | $150 to $450 |
Estimate only. Your final price comes after we review your home and do a load calculation. Rebates have budgets and rules that can change. Strata applies for the rebates for you.
Ducted heat pump rebate programs and utilities
| Program | Amount | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| Xcel Energy rebate | $1,500 per ton of heating | Xcel Energy customers and homes that now heat with a gas furnace, a gas boiler or propane, on any of the three systems. |
| Xcel Energy rebate | $750 per ton of heating | Xcel Energy customers and homes that now heat with electric heat, on any of the three systems. |
| State of Colorado Heat Pump Discount | $1,000 | every Colorado home, on any of the three systems. |
| Power Ahead Colorado rebate | $1,500 | homes in Adams County, Arapahoe County, Boulder County, Broomfield County, Clear Creek County, Denver County, Douglas County, Gilpin County, Jefferson County and Weld County, on any of the three systems. |
| Efficiency Works rebate | $2,000 | customers of Longmont Power & Communications, on a ducted heat pump or a dual-fuel system. |
| Boulder County income-qualified rebate | 50% of the price (up to $2,000) | homes in Boulder County and households under the program income limit, on any of the three systems. |
Of the electric utilities our data maps in the install area, Longmont Power & Communications and Xcel Energy have rebate programs. Black Hills Energy, Colorado Springs Utilities, Fort Collins Utilities and Loveland Water and Power have no rebate program in our data yet, so for those homes the estimate counts only the programs that do not depend on the electric utility and adds: "Your utility may offer a rebate. We will check." Some install-area ZIP codes have no utility in our data; there the estimate lets the homeowner pick theirs.
Ducted heat pump pages by county
- Ducted heat pumps in Adams CountyPrices by home age and $7,000 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
- Ducted heat pumps in Arapahoe CountyPrices by home age and $7,000 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
- Ducted heat pumps in Boulder CountyPrices by home age and $7,000 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
- Ducted heat pumps in BroomfieldPrices by home age and $7,000 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
- Ducted heat pumps in DenverPrices by home age and $7,000 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
- Ducted heat pumps in Douglas CountyPrices by home age and $7,000 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
- Ducted heat pumps in El Paso CountyPrices by home age and $1,000 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
- Ducted heat pumps in Jefferson CountyPrices by home age and $7,000 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
- Ducted heat pumps in Larimer CountyPrices by home age and $5,500 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
- Ducted heat pumps in Pueblo CountyPrices by home age and $1,000 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
- Ducted heat pumps in Weld CountyPrices by home age and $7,000 in rebates on a 3-ton job in a gas-heated home.
Other systems we install
- Dual-fuel heat pumpsCold-climate heat pump with your gas furnace as backup (dual fuel).
- Ductless mini-splitsDuctless mini-split (cold-climate).
- Pool and spa heat pumpsHow a cold-climate electric pool heater works on the Front Range.
- Colorado heat pump rebatesEvery program, who qualifies and how they stack.
Questions we hear
Will a ducted heat pump keep the house warm in a cold snap?
Yes, when it is sized right. We size to an outdoor design temperature of 1°F in Boulder County and 5°F in Larimer County, and we correct for the 18% output loss at 5,300 ft. The air handler carries backup heat for the coldest hours and for defrost cycles, and that backup is part of the price.
Can I keep my existing ducts?
Yes, if they are in fair shape. The heat pump runs on the ducts you have, which is why this is the simplest whole-home swap. We check them at the walkthrough. Where they are too small or leak badly, ductwork changes run $1,000 to $5,000 and sit outside the price range, so you see them before you agree to anything.
How long does a ducted heat pump install take?
Most installs take one day. The crew takes out the old furnace and AC, sets the outdoor unit and the air handler, runs the line set and the circuit, and wires the thermostat. A job that needs ductwork changes or panel work takes longer, and we tell you that at the walkthrough.
What does a ducted heat pump cost after rebates?
For a 2,000 sq ft two-story gas home in Boulder County built 1980 to 1999, our estimate tool gives $15,100 to $27,900 before rebates and $8,400 to $21,200 after rebates. Your own number depends on size, build year and utility. The online estimate works it out for your address in about two minutes.
Is there still a federal tax credit for heat pumps?
No. The federal 25C credit ended for systems installed after 2025. What pays now is the State of Colorado Heat Pump Discount, utility rebates such as Xcel Energy and Efficiency Works, and the Power Ahead Colorado rebate in its counties. We file all of them for you, and the state discount comes off the invoice.