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Furnace-to-Heat-Pump Conversions
Gas-to-electric upgrades planned around your ducts, electrical capacity, and how the house actually loses and gains heat. We do not treat the old furnace label as the design.
Heat pump installation
Heat Pump Installation for Bay Area Homes
Designed for This House—Not Copied Off the Furnace Label.
You already know a heat pump is the direction. 3rdGen designs and installs furnace-to-heat-pump conversions, gas-to-electric upgrades, and new ducted or ductless systems sized for how your Bay Area home actually performs.
We plan capacity, distribution, equipment placement, and electrical coordination before anyone orders equipment—so the system heats, cools, and fits the house you have.
Project Inquiry
Inquiry Sent
Thanks — your project details are on their way to 3rdGen. We’ll review them and follow up about the next step.
Strategy
A Heat Pump Has to Fit This House
A lot of heat-pump quotes start from the nameplate on the existing furnace. That number is not a design. It does not know your ducts, your rooms that never get comfortable, or whether the panel can carry the new load.
The right time to settle those questions is before equipment is ordered—not after a same-size swap is already hanging on the pad.
We evaluate the envelope, existing distribution, electrical capacity, and how you actually live in the house, then recommend a heat-pump system that belongs here.
What you are deciding
What we design around it
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Furnace conversion vs a new system
Capacity from a load calculation on this envelope
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Ducted, ductless, or mixed
Distribution that matches the architecture and the ducts you have
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Panel capacity and electrical work
Electrical reviewed before we promise a path
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Winter heat and inland summer spikes
Equipment selected for Bay Area heating and cooling loads
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Uneven rooms or weak returns
Airflow and zoning—not just a new outdoor unit
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Rebates, Title 24, and permits
Documentation as part of design-build, not a paper chase later
Systems
Heat Pump Systems Built Around the Home
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Whole-Home Heat Pump Systems
A properly designed heat pump replaces separate furnace and AC roles with year-round comfort. We size, place, and commission one system that heats and cools the home you live in.
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Ducted, Ductless & Mixed Layouts
Existing ducts when they work. Ductless or hybrid layouts when they do not. We match distribution to the house, not to whatever is easiest to hang.
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Electrical, Permits & Title 24
Panel capacity is reviewed early. Permit, Title 24, rebate documentation, and inspection coordination stay with the same design-build team that sizes the equipment.
Process
Clear From the First Conversation
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01
Confirm the home and the goal
We review the house, existing equipment, comfort problems, and whether a heat pump is actually the right path—or whether you belong on full-system replacement instead.
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02
Size the system to this envelope
Capacity comes from a load calculation on this house, not square-footage rules of thumb or the nameplate on the furnace being removed.
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03
Plan distribution and electrical
We settle ducted vs ductless, outdoor-unit siting, line-set routes, and panel work before equipment is ordered.
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Install, start up, and hand off
The same team installs, commissions, and walks you through the system—including filters, controls, and what to expect in the first season.
Coordination
Comfort Is in the Details
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Load-based equipment selection
We select capacity and model from calculated heating and cooling loads so the system can actually heat the house in winter.
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Duct and airflow work
Leaky runs, starved returns, and rooms that never catch up are often why the old system felt bad. New equipment alone rarely fixes that.
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Outdoor unit siting
Pad location, line-hide, clearances, and neighbor noise are designed with the architecture—not dropped where the old condenser sat.
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Electrical coordination
Heat-pump loads, disconnects, and panel or subpanel work are planned with your electrician before install day.
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Controls and zoning
Thermostats, heads, and zone strategy are chosen for how you use the house, not a one-thermostat default.
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Rebate and permit documentation
We retain the load-calc and equipment docs jurisdictions and incentive programs commonly require.
Best fit
This Page Is for Homeowners Who Already Want a Heat Pump
If electrification, a furnace conversion, or a new heat-pump system is the decision, start here. If the whole system needs to go and you have not chosen the technology yet, use Full-System HVAC Replacement.
- Furnace-to-heat-pump conversions
- Gas-to-electric upgrades
- New whole-home heat pump systems
- Ducted, ductless, or mixed replacements
- Homes with uneven rooms or weak airflow
- Electrification projects with rebate documentation
Available rebates and incentives may help offset qualifying heat-pump project costs. Financing is optional during the proposal.
When the equipment is Mitsubishi Electric, we design and install it as a Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor .
The 3RDGEN difference
Designed Before It’s Installed
A new HVAC system should be based on what your home actually needs, not simply the size of the equipment that happened to be there before.
01Manual J
Determine what the home needs
We evaluate how your home gains and loses heat so the system matches the house, not a rule of thumb.
02Manual S
Select equipment that matches
We choose heating and cooling equipment that fits those needs without oversizing.
03Manual D
Plan airflow and room comfort
We plan how air moves through the home so rooms feel balanced and comfortable.
04Startup & testing
Install, start up, and test
We install the system, start it up, and verify it is working the way it should before we call the job finished.
You do not need to become an HVAC expert. That is our job. We use the technical work to give you a better finished system.
How We Design SystemsMitsubishi Electric
Proud Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor
As a Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor, we design and install ducted, ductless, and multi-zone systems for Bay Area homes, with factory-trained crews and longer warranty options on qualifying residential installs.
Mitsubishi is not automatically the answer to every home. We start with what the project requires and recommend the system that makes sense.
12 Year Parts &
Compressor Warranty
12-year warranty
Extended parts & compressor coverage on qualifying Diamond installations.
Factory-trained crews
Ongoing manufacturer training on the latest hyper-heat systems.
Priority support
Direct factory escalation if anything ever needs attention.
Our Field Projects
Real Bay Area homes, engineered and installed.
Berkeley, CA · High-End Residential Remodel
Hearst Remodel — Berkeley
The six-zone Mitsubishi ductless system was installed, permitted, inspected, and completed in June 2023 as part of the home’s remodel-for-sale scope. The finished system gave the remodeled home zoned heating and cooling without requiring a conventional ducted retrofit.
View project →
Kensington, CA · Full-System Residential Retrofit
Kensington Ct, Kensington: two ducted heat pumps in the crawlspace (in progress)
In progress. When finished, each floor will have its own variable-speed heat pump and thermostat on new, balanced duct distribution.
View project →
Berkeley, CA · High-End Residential Remodel
Virginia St, Berkeley: three-floor ducted heat pump with ERV and wildfire filtration (in progress)
In progress. When finished, all three floors will have zoned heat pump heating and cooling, continuous balanced fresh air and high-MERV filtration for wildfire smoke.
View project →
Berkeley, CA · VRF / Multi-Zone System
Capistrano Ave, Berkeley: five-zone Mitsubishi Smart Multi heat pump
The house runs on a single heat pump with five independently controlled zones, and the owner received a full closeout package with the startup report and manuals.
View project →
Oakland, CA · Heat Pump Conversion
Carlton St, Oakland: two gas furnaces replaced with ducted heat pumps
Both gas furnaces are gone. The house runs on two independent R-454B heat pumps, so each floor heats and cools on its own schedule from its own thermostat. The City of Oakland final inspection passed.
View project →
Berkeley, CA · VRF / Multi-Zone System
Grizzly Peak Blvd, Berkeley: ductless ceiling cassettes for a hillside home
The two most-used rooms now have quiet, flush-mounted heat pump heating and cooling. The permit inspections were passed.
View project →
Piedmont, CA · Full-System Residential Retrofit
Hazel Ln, Piedmont: 3-ton ducted heat pump after asbestos abatement
The upper level has a clean, sealed duct system with no asbestos and a variable-speed heat pump for heating and cooling.
View project →
Oakland, CA · Full-System Residential Retrofit
Ivanhoe Rd, Oakland: rigid duct replacement after asbestos abatement
The house has a sealed, insulated rigid duct system with no asbestos and balancing dampers on the branches.
View project →
Oakland, CA · VRF / Multi-Zone System
Madera Ave, Oakland: four ceiling cassettes upstairs, one wall unit downstairs
Every bedroom and living space has its own zone, with flush ceiling cassettes upstairs and a single wall unit downstairs.
View project →
Orinda, CA · VRF / Multi-Zone System
Miner Rd, Orinda: concealed ducted multi-zone heat pump
Three zones of heating and cooling with no visible indoor units, only grilles.
View project →
Piedmont, CA · VRF / Multi-Zone System
Pacific Ave, Piedmont: 42k five-port multi-zone heat pump
Four rooms are heated and cooled from one quiet outdoor unit, with each zone controlled on its own. HERS testing passed.
View project →
Oakland, CA · Full-System Residential Retrofit
Skyline Blvd, Oakland: ducted heat pump with ERV and MERV 16 filtration
The home has heat pump heating and cooling, balanced fresh air from the ERV and MERV 16 filtration, all on one duct system. A separate ductless mini-split covers one more space, and the HERS testing passed.
View project →
Corte Madera, CA · Full-System Residential Retrofit
Blue Rock Ct, Corte Madera: two-zone ducted heat pump with ERV
Each floor has its own heat pump and thermostat, and both get continuous fresh air from the ERV. As a Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor install, the equipment carries Mitsubishi's 10-year warranty plus 2 extra years.
View project →How it goes
A clear path from first question to finished system
One team from the first call to the last: a trained, tested system, not a project that gets handed off three times along the way.
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01 Tell us what you’re planning
Three questions in the form, or a phone call. You tell us the house and the goal; we tell you whether we are the right shop for it.
~40 seconds
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02 We review the home and project
A site visit with the person who will design the system: ducts, panel, equipment locations, and the rooms that never feel right.
60-90 min
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03 Receive a recommendation and proposal
A written scope: equipment, capacity, distribution, electrical work, and what is included, in plain language you can compare against other bids.
Within 5 days
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04 Permitting and installation
We handle permits, Title 24, and inspections, and coordinate with your electrician so no one is waiting on anyone.
2-5 days on site
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05 Startup and final testing
We start the system, verify airflow and performance, register the warranty, and walk you through operating it.
Same week
Service areas
Where we install heat pumps
Each city page covers local design temperatures, typical housing, permits and rebates for heat pump installs there.
FAQ
Common Questions
Straight answers about heat pump installs, design, and what happens after you reach out.
How much does a heat pump installation cost in the Bay Area?
Most of our ducted heat pump installs land between $20k and $30k when the existing ducts are usable, and $25k–$45k when ducts need repair or resizing. Ductless multi-zone systems with three or four heads typically run $25k–$40k. Panel upgrades, asbestos abatement and permit scope are priced separately after a site visit and load calculation.
Which cities do you install heat pumps in?
We are based in Berkeley and install across the East Bay, Marin, San Francisco, Lamorinda, Walnut Creek and the Tri-Valley. Recent heat pump jobs include ducted Mitsubishi systems in Kensington crawlspaces, multi-zone systems in Berkeley and a ductless conversion in Piedmont.
Is the right-sized heat pump going to keep us warm in winter?
Yes, when it is designed for the house. Bay Area winters sit well inside the operating range of modern inverter heat pumps, and we select capacity from a load calculation on your envelope, not from the old furnace nameplate. Where a house needs it, we design a backup or dual-fuel strategy rather than oversizing.
Do we need an electrical panel upgrade?
Sometimes. A heat pump can add meaningful electrical load. We review your panel capacity early, coordinate with your electrician when an upgrade or subpanel is needed, and design the mechanical scope so electrical work is planned, not discovered mid-install.
Ducted or ductless: which fits our home?
It depends on existing ducts, zoning goals, and how the house is built. We evaluate both and recommend ducted, ductless, or a mixed layout based on the home, not what is easiest to hang.
How long does a heat pump installation take?
Most straightforward replacements take a few days on site. Furnace conversions, duct changes, and remodel-tied installs follow the project schedule. We confirm timing once we review the home and scope.
Who handles permits and Title 24?
We do. Permit, Title 24, and inspection coordination are part of design-build, not a surprise add-on at the end. We retain the load-calc and equipment documentation jurisdictions and rebate programs commonly require.
Do you service what you install?
We stand behind the install: startup, handoff, and warranty support on the systems we design and put in. We are not a repair or emergency dispatch company for unrelated breakdowns. If you need that path, we will say so clearly.
How do your bids compare to other quotes?
We bid the designed scope: equipment selected for calculated loads, distribution that fits the house, and the coordination work required to finish cleanly. A lower same-size box swap is a different product. We explain what is included so you can compare apples to apples.
What if I still need to choose between a heat pump and another system?
Use Full-System HVAC Replacement. This page is for homeowners who have substantially decided on heat-pump technology. If a remodel or addition is driving the mechanical work, use HVAC for Remodels.
Can a heat pump replace my furnace?
In most homes, yes. Whether your home has existing ducts or not, we’ll help determine the right approach.
Do you work with architects and general contractors?
Yes. When a remodel or new build includes an architect or contractor, we coordinate directly with the project team.
What happens after I submit the project form?
We review the home and the project, then send a recommendation with scope and pricing: what we recommend, why, and what it includes.
Project Inquiry
Inquiry Sent
Thanks — your project details are on their way to 3rdGen. We’ll review them and follow up about the next step.