Dual-fuel heat pump installs in Denver
Strata Heat Pumps installs heat pumps in Denver County, in every ZIP code listed on this page. The online estimate gives a price range and your rebates for an address in Denver County in about two minutes.
Dual-fuel heat pumps in Denver County
Denver County has 352,593 homes, and 329,578 are occupied. Census figures show that 61.5% use utility gas for heat. A dual-fuel heat pump suits a gas-heated home with ducts and a furnace worth keeping. The heat pump moves heat and cools the home. The gas furnace covers the coldest hours.
Denver County's median home was built in 1974, compared with 1987 across Colorado. Homes built before 1960 account for 35.5% of county housing, versus 16.3% statewide. Older homes are more likely to have small ducts or no ducts. We measure the home, inspect the ducts, and check the electrical panel before installation.
Detached houses make up 41.2% of Denver County homes, below Colorado's 61.8%. Multi-unit buildings make up 49.8%, compared with 26.9% statewide. A dual-fuel system fits a house with a gas furnace and usable ductwork. Ductless equipment fits homes without ducts, additions, and condos.
Denver homes town by town
Denver is the only town in Denver County. It has 352,593 homes, a median build year of 1974, and 61.5% gas heat. This large gas-heated share makes dual fuel a strong choice for many furnace replacements. Each home still needs its own load calculation and duct inspection.
Denver ZIP code 80207 has a 1950 median build year, 70.5% gas heat, and 79.7% detached homes. ZIP code 80219 has 81.2% gas heat, 74.7% detached homes, and 65.8% of homes built before 1960. These homes are strong dual-fuel candidates where the furnace and ducts are in good condition.
ZIP code 80249 has a 2006 median build year, 60.4% gas heat, and 76.6% detached homes. ZIP code 80238 has a 2012 median build year and 63.7% gas heat. Newer homes can need less heating capacity than older homes with the same floor area. We size the equipment to the measured heat load.
Central housing needs a closer look at the existing setup. ZIP code 80202 is 97.4% multi-unit buildings and has 63.7% electric heat. ZIP code 80290 is 100% multi-unit buildings and has 74.5% electric heat. A dual-fuel system keeps a gas furnace, so the current heating equipment determines whether this system fits.
Sizing a Denver County dual-fuel system
Our estimate tool sizes a Denver County system to 1°F outdoors and 70°F indoors. It uses 5,300 ft for the home elevation. An air-source heat pump loses 18% of output at that elevation. We account for altitude and deep cold instead of choosing equipment by floor area alone.
At the design temperature, the heat pump produces 2 units of heat per unit of electricity. Dual-fuel controls use the heat pump for heating and cooling, then use the gas furnace in the coldest hours. This setup keeps furnace backup available for a home that now uses gas.
For a 2,000 square foot, 2-story home with a gas furnace built before 1960, the design load is 3.4 tons. The equivalent 1960 to 1979 home needs 3.2 tons. The 1980 to 1999 example needs 2.8 tons, the 2000 to 2009 example needs 2.4 tons, and the 2010 or later example needs 2.0 tons.
Denver County has 35.5% of homes built before 1960 and 17.7% built in 2010 or later. Those homes need different capacity despite having similar floor area. We confirm insulation, layout, ducts, electrical capacity, and the furnace before selecting a system.
Dual-fuel prices by Denver home age
For the before-1960, 2,000 square foot gas-heated example, dual fuel is $14,000 to $30,600 before rebates and $6,500 to $23,100 after rebates. A ducted heat pump is $17,400 to $37,800 before rebates and $9,900 to $30,300 after rebates. A 1,500 square foot ductless example without ducts is $11,800 to $19,200.
For the 1960 to 1979 example, dual fuel is $14,000 to $25,200 before rebates and $6,700 to $17,900 after rebates. A ducted heat pump is $17,400 to $31,200 before rebates and $10,100 to $23,900 after rebates. The ductless range is $11,800 to $19,200. This period represents 21.9% of Denver County homes.
For the 1980 to 1999 example, dual fuel is $12,100 to $22,500 before rebates and $5,400 to $15,800 after rebates. The ducted range is $15,100 to $27,900 before rebates and $8,400 to $21,200 after rebates. The ductless range is $11,800 to $19,200. Homes from this period account for 14% of the county total.
For the 2000 to 2009 example, dual fuel is $10,200 to $19,800 before rebates and $4,100 to $13,700 after rebates. For homes built in 2010 or later, dual fuel is $10,200 to $17,100 before rebates and $4,700 to $11,600 after rebates. The matching ductless ranges are $11,800 to $19,200 and $11,800 to $19,200.
Dual-fuel prices by system size
A 2-ton dual-fuel system is $10,200 to $14,400 before rebates. The comparable ducted heat pump range is $12,800 to $18,000. A 3-ton dual-fuel system is $14,000 to $19,800, while a 3-ton ducted heat pump is $17,400 to $24,600. These ranges are not a substitute for measured sizing.
A 4-ton dual-fuel system is $17,900 to $25,200, compared with $22,100 to $31,200 for a ducted heat pump. A 5-ton dual-fuel system is $21,700 to $30,600, compared with $26,800 to $37,800 for a ducted heat pump. The dual-fuel range includes the controls needed to keep the gas furnace as backup.
Ductless pricing uses the number of indoor units rather than furnace backup. One indoor unit is $5,800 to $9,400, 2 indoor units are $8,800 to $14,300, and 3 indoor units are $11,800 to $19,200. Four indoor units are $14,800 to $24,100, and 5 indoor units are $17,800 to $28,900. Our estimate uses about 500 sq ft per indoor unit.
Dual-fuel rebates in Denver County
For a 3-ton dual-fuel system in a gas-heated home, total rebates are $7,000. The programs in that total are the Xcel Energy rebate ($4,500), the State of Colorado Heat Pump Discount ($1,000) and the Power Ahead Colorado rebate ($1,500). We file every rebate for the homeowner. Rebate eligibility for dual fuel is confirmed at the walkthrough.
The Xcel Energy gas-heating rebate applies to Xcel Energy customers whose homes now heat with a gas furnace, gas boiler, or propane. Its amount is $1,500 per ton of heating. The State of Colorado Heat Pump Discount applies to every Colorado home and is $1,000. The state discount comes off the invoice.
Power Ahead Colorado applies in Denver County and is $1,500. Homes that now use electric heat have a separate Xcel Energy amount of $750 per ton of heating. The gas-heating and electric-heating Xcel Energy rebates use different current-heating rules, so we confirm the correct rebate path at the walkthrough.
The federal 25C credit ended for systems installed after 2025-12-31. Denver County does not use the Efficiency Works rebate, Boulder County income-qualified rebate, Holy Cross Energy rebate, Mountain Parks Electric rebate, Gunnison County Electric rebate, San Miguel Power rebate, or Sangre de Cristo Electric rebate. Those programs do not apply here.
Dual fuel compared with other systems
Dual fuel keeps the gas furnace for the coldest hours and adds a heat pump for heating and cooling. It fits Denver homes that already use gas heat and have ducts worth keeping. Since 61.5% of county homes use utility gas, many homes begin with the furnace setup that dual fuel uses.
A ducted heat pump uses existing ducts but does not keep the dual-fuel furnace backup arrangement. At 3 tons, the ducted heat pump range is $17,400 to $24,600, while dual fuel is $14,000 to $19,800. For the before-1960 example, ducted equipment is $17,400 to $37,800 and dual fuel is $14,000 to $30,600.
Ductless equipment suits homes with no ducts, additions, and many condos. Multi-unit buildings make up 49.8% of Denver County housing, far above Colorado's 26.9%. A ductless system with 3 indoor units is $11,800 to $19,200. Dual fuel is the right system where usable ducts and a gas furnace are already in place.
What Denver dual-fuel prices include
A dual-fuel price includes the outdoor unit, matched indoor coil, dual-fuel controls, line set, standard 240V circuit, thermostat, permit, and removal of old AC. For the before-1960 example, the price is $14,000 to $30,600 before rebates and $6,500 to $23,100 after rebates.
We install Mitsubishi, Bosch, Daikin, Carrier, and Trane equipment. Most installations take 1 day. Jobs with several ductless units can take 2 or 3 days. Before a dual-fuel installation, we measure the home, check the ducts, and inspect the electrical panel.
The online estimate takes about 2 minutes, and a winter gas bill makes it more accurate. For the example home, the design load is 3.4 tons and the breaker size is 40 A. Those inputs show why correct pricing depends on the home's heating use, ductwork, and electrical setup.
More for Denver
- Ducted heat pump in Denver CountyPrices by home age and the Denver rebates for this system.
- Ductless mini-split in Denver CountyPrices by home age and the Denver rebates for this system.
- Heat pump rebates in Denver County$7,000 on a 3-ton gas home, program by program.
- Pool heat pumps in Denver CountyPool and spa heat pumps: local code rules, running cost and the swim season.
Questions we hear
Which Denver County homes fit a dual-fuel heat pump?
Dual fuel fits a home with a gas furnace, usable ducts, and a need for heating and cooling. Census figures show that 61.5% of Denver County homes use utility gas. Homes built before 1960 account for 35.5% of the county. We inspect the ducts, measure the home, and check the electrical panel before selecting equipment.
How do you size a dual-fuel system in Denver County?
We size to 1°F outdoors and 70°F indoors, using 5,300 ft. Air-source equipment loses 18% of output at that elevation. The before-1960, 2,000 square foot, 2-story gas-heated example has a design load of 3.4 tons. The final size also depends on ducts, insulation, layout, and the existing furnace.
What rebates apply to a Denver County dual-fuel system?
A 3-ton dual-fuel system in a gas-heated home has $7,000 in total rebates. That total includes the Xcel Energy rebate ($4,500), the State of Colorado Heat Pump Discount ($1,000) and the Power Ahead Colorado rebate ($1,500). The Xcel Energy gas-heating rebate requires an Xcel Energy customer whose home currently uses a gas furnace, gas boiler, or propane. We file every rebate and confirm dual-fuel eligibility at the walkthrough.
What does a dual-fuel installation price include?
The price includes an outdoor unit, matched indoor coil, dual-fuel controls, line set, standard 240V circuit, thermostat, permit, and removal of old AC. For the example home, dual fuel is $14,000 to $30,600 before rebates and $6,500 to $23,100 after rebates. The final scope follows the home measurement, duct inspection, and electrical-panel check.
How does dual fuel compare with ducted and ductless heat pumps?
Dual fuel keeps the gas furnace for the coldest hours. A 3-ton dual-fuel system is $14,000 to $19,800, while a 3-ton ducted heat pump is $17,400 to $24,600. Ductless equipment is suited to homes without ducts, additions, and condos. A 3-unit ductless system is $11,800 to $19,200. Denver County has 49.8% multi-unit buildings, which makes ductless a frequent fit for those homes.