Can my existing ductwork be reused with a heat pump?
Sometimes. We evaluate duct size, condition, leakage, return-air capacity, layout, and airflow before assuming the existing distribution should remain.
Residential HVAC · Novato, CA
Residential HVAC & Heat Pumps in Novato, CA
Whole-home heat pump systems for Novato homeowners planning HVAC replacements, remodels, additions, and substantial comfort upgrades — including ducted systems, multi-zone equipment, ventilation, and load-based system design.
Remodels · Retrofits · Heat Pumps · Multi-Zone Systems
Project Inquiry
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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 Novato
Whole-home heat pump installations and replacements, remodel mechanical scopes, ducted and multi-zone systems, ventilation, and residential projects where the existing system should be evaluated as a whole before new equipment is selected.
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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 Marin work
Whole-home heat pump remodel
View project →
High-end residential remodel
Hearst Remodel
A representative Marin or Bay Area project showing the type of whole-home system planning, equipment coordination, distribution decisions, and field execution we bring to substantial Novato residential HVAC projects.
- 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 existing system
A new heat pump should improve the whole system — not just replace the equipment
Many Novato projects begin with an existing central heating and cooling system. Replacing that equipment creates an opportunity to look beyond the outdoor unit and evaluate the ductwork, airflow, zoning, returns, equipment locations, and electrical requirements that determine how the system actually performs.
3rdGen evaluates the home’s heating and cooling loads together with the existing distribution system before determining what should stay, what should change, and how the new heat-pump system should be configured.
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Existing ductwork
Existing ducts should be evaluated for capacity, leakage, layout, return air, and condition before a new heat pump is designed around them.
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Whole-home comfort
Equipment sizing and air distribution should reflect the home’s actual heating and cooling requirements rather than simply matching the system being removed.
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Zoning & larger layouts
Where one thermostat or one distribution strategy does not serve the home evenly, zoning, multiple systems, or multi-zone equipment can be evaluated as part of the redesign.
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Remodels & additions
Changes to floor area, glazing, insulation, ceilings, and room layout can change the mechanical load and should be accounted for before the HVAC design is finalized.
Novato offers an express permit path for qualifying like-for-like residential HVAC replacements when the equipment location does not change. Other HVAC scopes move through the standard permit process, making equipment location and project scope worth considering early.
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 Novato 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
A Novato heat-pump project can range from a relatively direct central-system replacement to a more involved mechanical redesign. The difference usually comes from what the home requires around the equipment — duct modifications, zoning, electrical scope, equipment access, ventilation, and remodel conditions. Key drivers include existing duct condition, number of zones, duct modifications, equipment access, electrical scope, remodel conditions, indoor and outdoor equipment locations, and ventilation scope.
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 Novato HVAC project
Planning a whole-home heat pump, HVAC replacement, remodel, addition, or multi-zone system? Send us the project details and we’ll review whether the scope is a fit.
- 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
For remodels, additions, and larger residential projects, early mechanical coordination helps resolve equipment locations, duct routes, zoning, electrical requirements, ceilings, and service access before those decisions become difficult or expensive to change.
We work within existing project teams in Novato and across Marin — or directly with homeowners when that is the right path.
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Architects
Early HVAC input around equipment locations, duct routing, visible mechanical elements, ventilation, and future service access.
Explore HVAC for architects -
General Contractors & Builders
Clear scope, rough-in coordination, equipment planning, scheduling, and field execution that fits the larger project.
Explore HVAC for builders & GCs -
Homeowners
A mechanical strategy built around comfort, the existing home, project goals, and how the finished system needs to perform.
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, replacements, and whole-home HVAC scope in Novato.
Can a heat pump replace both my furnace and air conditioner?
Yes. A properly designed heat-pump system can provide both heating and cooling. The right configuration depends on the home’s loads, ductwork, electrical capacity, zoning, and comfort goals.
Should my new heat pump be the same size as my existing HVAC system?
Not automatically. We prefer to select equipment around the home’s actual heating and cooling requirements rather than simply matching the capacity of the system being removed.
Can you improve rooms that are consistently hotter or colder?
Potentially. As part of a full-system project, we can evaluate airflow, duct sizing, return air, zoning, room loads, and system configuration to determine what is contributing to the imbalance.
Do you install both ducted and ductless heat pumps?
Yes. 3rdGen works with central ducted heat pumps, ductless systems, concealed units, and multi-zone configurations depending on the home and project.
Can you work with my architect or general contractor?
Yes. Remodels, additions, and builder- or architect-led residential projects are a strong fit for the way 3rdGen works. Early coordination gives the mechanical system a better chance of fitting the architecture and construction plan cleanly.
Does a heat-pump replacement require a permit in Novato?
Yes, depending on scope. Novato offers an express permit process for qualifying like-for-like residential HVAC replacements with no change in equipment location. Projects outside those conditions use the standard permit process.
Are rebates available for Novato heat-pump projects?
Heat-pump and home-efficiency incentives may be available depending on the equipment, utility account, project scope, and current program requirements. Novato points residents to regional programs such as BayREN for home-efficiency and heat-pump incentives.
Do you handle small HVAC repair calls?
3rdGen is structured around full-system replacements, heat-pump projects, remodels, additions, multi-zone systems, and technically involved residential HVAC scopes rather than general service-call work.
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.