Can you install a heat pump on a hillside Kensington property?
Yes. Equipment location, routing, site access, drainage, and future serviceability simply need to be incorporated into the mechanical design.
RESIDENTIAL HVAC · KENSINGTON, CA
Residential HVAC & Heat Pumps in Kensington, CA
Whole-home heat pump systems for Kensington remodels, retrofits, and substantial HVAC replacements — designed around hillside properties, existing homes, equipment placement, architecture, and access.
Remodels · Retrofits · Heat Pumps · Multi-Zone Systems
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- 5.0 Google Rating 5.0 out of 5 stars
- Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor
- C-20 + C-36 Licensed & Bonded
- Serving the Bay Area since 2015
Project fit
Residential HVAC projects we handle in Kensington
Whole-home heat pump retrofits, remodel mechanical scopes, ducted and concealed systems, multi-zone HVAC, ventilation, and substantial residential projects where the system needs to work with both the house and the site.
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New system
Heat Pump Installation
New ducted or ductless heat pump systems sized for your home, comfort goals, and how the house is built.
Heat pump installation -
Full upgrade
Heat Pump Replacement & Conversion
Replace aging furnace and AC together, or convert gas heat to a heat pump with ducts, electrical scope, and controls planned as one job.
Replacement & conversion -
Central
Ducted Heat Pump Systems
Central heating and cooling through existing or updated ductwork, with loads and airflow checked before equipment is selected.
Ducted heat pumps -
Room-by-room
Ductless & Multi-Zone Heat Pumps
Mini-splits and multi-zone layouts when zoning, architecture, or tight routing make ductless or mixed systems the better fit.
Ductless & multi-zone -
Coordinated
HVAC for Remodels & Additions
Mechanical design and rough-in coordinated with your architect or builder while walls and ceilings are still open.
HVAC for remodels -
Fresh air
Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality
ERV/HRV, filtration, and balanced ventilation coordinated with your heating and cooling scope when the project needs it.
Ventilation & IAQ
Relevant East Bay work
Whole-home heat pump remodel
View project →
High-end residential remodel
Hearst Remodel
A representative East Bay residential project showing the system planning, site coordination, equipment placement, and field execution we bring to Kensington homes.
- Home type
- Existing home, remodel for sale
- System
- Fujitsu multi-zone ductless heat pump
- Mechanical scope
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- · Six indoor wall units
- · Two outdoor units
- · Wall-mounted outdoor brackets
- · Refrigerant routing and field coordination
Challenge
- Existing older home with limited equipment placement options
- Outdoor units required side-yard wall bracket mounting
- Finish-sensitive interior installation
- Coordination with the general contractor’s remodel schedule
3RDGEN scope
- Six-zone ductless heat pump installation
- GC-led remodel coordination
- Permit and inspection support
- Startup as part of the completed remodel scope
Outcome
The six-zone Fujitsu ductless system was installed, permitted, inspected, and completed as part of the home’s remodel-for-sale scope — delivering zoned heating and cooling without a conventional ducted retrofit.
Representative published remodel scope — location, photos, and full details on the project page.
View projectBuilt around the property
Kensington heat-pump projects often have to solve the site before installation begins
Kensington homes can combine hillside conditions, established construction, compact or irregular sites, remodel constraints, and limited options for exterior mechanical equipment. On those properties, equipment siting and routing deserve the same attention as equipment selection.
3rdGen evaluates heating and cooling loads together with ductwork, zoning, equipment placement, access, ventilation, routing, and long-term serviceability before determining the mechanical approach.
Kensington is an unincorporated Contra Costa County community with its own design-review framework for qualifying residential projects, particularly when the residential building envelope is expanded.
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Hillside & access conditions
Slopes, stairs, crawlspaces, and limited exterior access can influence equipment placement, routing, installation logistics, and service access.
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Existing homes
Framing, previous remodels, existing ducts, and limited mechanical space can shape whether ducted, concealed, or multi-zone equipment makes sense.
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Outdoor equipment
Placement needs to consider clearances, access, sound, routing, property conditions, and how the equipment relates to the residence and neighbors.
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Remodel coordination
Early mechanical input can protect ceilings, framing, finishes, access, and routing before those conditions are locked into the project.
Kensington HVAC permitting is handled through Contra Costa County. The County requires permits for air-conditioning installations, while qualifying residential expansions can also fall under the Kensington Design Review process.
Homeowner reviews
Trusted by Bay Area Homeowners
5.0
5 out of 5 stars from 207 Google reviews 207 Google reviews
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Mitsubishi mini-split installed with outstanding care. Indoor and outdoor units done right. High efficiency meant a meaningful federal tax credit too.
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Expand
Devin and his crew did a fantastic job installing AC for our whole house. High quality Mitsubishi equipment and a clean installation throughout.
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Devin is meticulous, methodical, and knowledgeable. Professional crew and a heat pump install we trust completely.
Photos from the installs above
Read all 207 reviewsHow we work
Heat pump work, start to finish
On many Kensington projects, the important decisions happen around the home, the existing system, and the distribution — not from copying the equipment that came out.
01 — Project review
Plans, goals, existing system, remodeling scope, and known constraints.
02 — Load & system design
Manual J / system sizing where appropriate, zoning strategy, equipment selection, and distribution.
03 — Equipment & routing
Indoor equipment, outdoor equipment, duct / refrigerant routing, ventilation, access, and serviceability.
04 — Permit / coordination review
Equipment locations, GC/architect coordination, and permit requirements where they apply.
05 — Installation
Rough-in and finish installation coordinated around the project.
06 — Startup & closeout
Startup, controls, commissioning checks, inspection coordination, and homeowner handoff.
Complete project delivery
The whole heat-pump project—not just the outdoor unit
A Berkeley electrification project can touch the furnace, ducts, electrical service, controls, equipment locations, permits, and finished interiors. We plan those connections as one scope.
The result is a complete system designed for the home, installed to the plan, and tested before handoff.
Tell us about the project-
Existing equipment and gas heat
Removal and replacement planned around the complete conversion.
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Ducts, zoning, and controls
Reused, modified, or replaced according to what the design requires.
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Electrical and permitting
Capacity, circuits, documentation, inspections, and other trades coordinated with the HVAC scope.
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Startup and commissioning
Operation and airflow checked before the project is handed back to you.
Cost
What a whole-home heat-pump project costs — and what moves the number
Kensington projects can vary considerably based on the property itself. Hillside access, existing ductwork, concealed equipment, number of zones, outdoor-unit locations, electrical scope, routing, and remodel coordination can all affect the project beyond the cost of the equipment.
Scope Typical 3rdGen Project Range What drives it
Ducted heat pump, existing ducts usable $20k–$30k Equipment tier, capacity, controls, condenser location and access
Ducted heat pump + duct repair or resizing $25k–$45k Amount of ductwork replaced, crawlspace or attic access, return-air changes
Ductless multi-zone, 3–4 heads $25k–$40k Head type, line-set length, routing, concealment and finish conditions
Whole-home ducted + ductless combination $40k–$80k+ Multiple systems, zoning, ductwork, filtration, ventilation and architectural coordination
New construction system $20k–$50k+ Building size, system count, Title 24/design requirements and coordination with the build
ADU system $8k–$15k Zone count, head type, line-set routing, and whether the ADU shares the main house or stands alone
Electrical panel upgrade, when required $8k–$10k+ Service size, meter location, utility requirements and site conditions
Complex whole-home and design-build projects can exceed these ranges. Rebates and incentives may reduce your net project cost.
Project inquiry
Tell us about your Kensington HVAC project
Planning a whole-home heat pump, remodel, substantial replacement, or multi-zone system? Send us the project details and plans if available.
- Reviewed by a project lead, not a dispatcher
- We tell you if your scope is not a fit for us
- No high-pressure in-home sales appointment
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.
Project teams
We work with the people designing and building your home
On Kensington remodels, mechanical decisions can affect architecture, framing, ceiling space, exterior equipment, access, and the larger construction plan. Early coordination gives those details a chance to be solved deliberately.
We work within existing project teams in Kensington and across the East Bay — or directly with homeowners when that is the right path.
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Architects
Mechanical systems coordinated around architecture, ceiling conditions, equipment locations, routing, and finish requirements.
Explore HVAC for architects -
General Contractors & Builders
Clear scope, scheduling, rough-in coordination, submittals, inspections, startup, and project handoff.
Explore HVAC for builders & GCs -
Mechanical Engineers
Field execution, equipment selection, controls coordination, submittals, installation, and commissioning aligned with the mechanical design.
Explore engineering coordination -
Homeowners
Already assembling your own project team? We can take ownership of the mechanical scope and coordinate directly with the other professionals involved.
Start a residential project
Mitsubishi 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.
FAQ
Common Questions
Straight answers on heat pumps, hillside retrofits, and whole-home HVAC scope in Kensington.
Can the system be installed with minimal visible equipment?
Potentially. Ducted and concealed fan coils can be considered where the architecture and available space support them.
Who handles HVAC permits in Kensington?
Contra Costa County handles building permits for Kensington, including air-conditioning installations.
Can you coordinate with our architect or GC during a remodel?
Yes. Design-sensitive remodels and builder-led scopes are a strong fit for 3rdGen.
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.