RESIDENTIAL HVAC · RICHMOND, CA
Richmond has wartime cottages, Point Richmond Craftsmans, shoreline townhomes and newer infill. Whichever one you own, we size the heat pump from the house itself and install it to a permitted design.
Remodels · Retrofits · Heat Pumps · Multi-Zone Systems
Project Inquiry
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Project fit
A lot of Richmond houses are decades old and still on the original heating. We handle the swap, the upgrade and the design work behind it.
One system
Instead of replacing a furnace and a separate air conditioner, a single heat pump system covers both. We size it to your actual load and reuse ducts that pass inspection.
Replacement & conversionNo ducts
Small single-story houses with wall heaters can go ductless with one or two indoor units and a compact outdoor unit, with little disruption inside.
Ductless & multi-zoneManual J & D
We calculate the load for your home and design duct runs that actually deliver the airflow. Useful for permits, a remodel plan, or a quote check.
Manual J load calculationsADU
Richmond lots often have room for a backyard unit or a garage conversion. We design a right-sized heat pump with its own controls.
ADU heating & coolingNew build
Plan the mechanical system with the builder from the start, so ducts, equipment and ventilation are designed into the framing.
HVAC for new constructionAir quality
Industrial neighbors, freeway traffic and wildfire smoke all affect the air in some Richmond neighborhoods. Better filters and balanced ventilation can help.
Ventilation & IAQAn East Bay project to compare
High-end residential remodel
We built this multi-zone Berkeley project in an older home with tight equipment placement. It is a useful reference for Richmond homeowners with similar constraints, though it is not a Richmond job.
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 example from a Berkeley, CA remodel, not a project in this city. Photos and full details on the project page.
View projectLocal projects
Real jobs our own crew designed and installed. Street names only — we keep clients' addresses private.
Two SVZ ducted air handlers (24k and 18k, R-454B) on framed crawlspace platforms, custom sheet-metal plenums, R-8 flex with balancing dampers, condensate pumps and line-hide. Ducts rerouted around a shear wall after asbestos abatement.
Heat pump installation →Full mechanical scope for a whole-house renovation: heat pump heating and cooling, new supply and return ducting, and dedicated ventilation ducting coordinated with the GC.
Full system replacement →Mitsubishi 60k multi-zone with branch box feeding a 12k slim ducted unit, an 18k vertical air handler and 9k one-way ceiling cassettes, with fabricated return plenums.
Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor →Mitsubishi 24k three-port multi-zone with a 12k horizontal ducted unit and a 12k four-way cassette, two Panasonic Intelli-Balance ERVs and 70 ft line sets.
Ventilation & indoor air quality →A city of very different houses
Richmond grew fast in the 1940s with shipyard-era housing, and later neighborhoods filled in with tract homes, bungalows and apartments. Each era handled heating and insulation differently.
That variety is why we do not apply one standard system. A 900 sq ft cottage and a multi-level shoreline townhome need different equipment, different distribution and different permits.
We start with the house you have: how it was built, what has been added, and what is hidden behind the walls and under the floors.
Houses with little wall or attic insulation lose heat quickly. We calculate the load as the house is, and note where insulation work would let us choose smaller equipment.
These old units often leave no ducts behind. We decide between a duct retrofit and a ductless layout based on the floor plan and budget.
Shared walls, HOA rules and limited exterior space shape where an outdoor unit can go. We handle the documents HOAs ask for.
Richmond residents live near industry, rail and highways. Filtration and fresh-air ventilation are worth discussing in the design stage.
Heat pump installations in Richmond are permitted through the City of Richmond’s building services. We prepare the load calculation and equipment documents, and the work is inspected before sign-off.
HVAC design in Richmond
From Point Richmond to the neighborhoods near the shoreline and inland tracts, Richmond covers more housing eras than most East Bay cities. A WWII-era cottage with a wall heater and a newer townhome with a rooftop condenser share a climate but little else. We measure each one and design accordingly.
Design conditions are 36°F for heating and 80°F for cooling. A daily temperature range of about 20 degrees means cool nights and warm afternoons, which suits a variable-speed heat pump running mostly at part load.
ACCA Manual J design data · Richmond (micro-climate)
Richmond expanded rapidly in the 1940s, and many small single-story houses from that era are still standing. They tend to have slab or raised floors, modest attics and original wall furnaces or floor heaters. Insulation varies from none to partial.
Later additions include 1950s through 1970s tract homes with forced-air systems that are now at end of life, plus apartments, condos and shoreline townhomes. Newer infill and ADUs add another category with their own energy code requirements.
In houses that have been added onto, we often find a duct system stretched beyond its design. Manual D gives us a basis to rebuild or replace it.
Additions, converted garages and replaced windows change the load room by room. We measure what exists instead of relying on the original plan.
Slab houses and homes with no attic space are usually better with ductless. Raised-floor houses with an unobstructed crawlspace can take ducts. We run through both options with the load numbers on the table.
Shared walls and HOA rules limit outdoor unit locations. We design around the allowed spots and verify that clearances and sound are acceptable.
Depending on proximity to roads, rail and industry, we may specify higher-efficiency filtration and discuss balanced ventilation so the house stays comfortable and cleaner with windows closed.
One heat pump system takes the place of both, with right-sized equipment and duct repairs where needed.
Replacement & conversion →Compact heat pumps for small houses with wall heaters and no ducts.
Heat pump installation →Load, equipment and duct design for the systems we install, with the documents the permit needs.
Manual J load calculations →Dedicated heat pumps for accessory units, designed to meet energy code.
ADU heating & cooling →Infill and new construction projects that need a complete, code-compliant system from the start.
HVAC for new construction →Filtration, ERV and ventilation strategies for homes where outdoor air quality is a concern.
Ventilation & IAQ →Installation by a factory-recognized contractor with extended coverage on eligible systems.
Diamond Contractor →Heat pump work in Richmond is permitted through the City of Richmond’s building services. We submit load calculations and equipment details, and schedule the inspection.
PG&E delivers electricity in Richmond, and MCE is the community choice provider. Incentives such as TECH Clean California and BayREN offerings can change, and some depend on income or equipment type. We check what is open at the time of your project.
Point Richmond, the Marina Bay shoreline, central Richmond and the inland neighborhoods, plus neighboring El Cerrito, San Pablo and Albany.
Homeowner 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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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 reviewsOur approach
Each step produces something concrete: a load report, a selected unit, a duct or line-set plan, a permit, an installed system, and a tested result.
Age, layout, insulation, windows, current heat source and any planned changes.
A room-by-room heating and cooling load, using Richmond’s mild coastal design temperatures.
We choose a variable-speed unit that matches the load and verify its capacity at winter and summer design conditions.
Duct sizes and routes are worked out, or line sets are laid out for ductless. The permit goes to the City.
Equipment, electrical, drain and distribution are installed by our crew to the plan.
Charge and airflow are verified, controls are set, the inspection is passed, and you get a walkthrough.
The full scope
Most conversions involve more than swapping equipment. Gas lines get capped, circuits get added, drains get routed and openings get closed up.
We test the finished system and explain it to you before we leave.
Tell us about the projectOld furnace, wall heater or AC removed and gas safely capped.
Duct repairs or new line sets installed per the design.
New circuit and disconnect installed, panel capacity confirmed.
Airflow and charge verified, inspection passed, controls explained.
Cost
The biggest swings come from whether usable ducts exist, how many zones you want, what the electrical panel can carry, and how hard the equipment is to reach. Replacing like for like in an easy house is simple. Converting a house with no ducts and an old panel is a larger scope.
Prices as of November 2026. Complex whole-home and design-build projects can exceed these ranges. Rebates and incentives may reduce your net project cost.
Project inquiry
Tell us the type of house, what heats and cools it today, and what you would like to change. A project lead will reply.
Project Inquiry
Thanks — your project details are on their way to 3rdGen. We’ll review them and follow up about the next step.
Collaboration
Contractors, designers and developers can bring us in for load calculations and mechanical design, then have us install. Homeowners can hire us directly for a straightforward replacement.
We serve Richmond and neighboring East Bay cities, as part of a team or on our own.
Mechanical systems coordinated around architecture, ceiling conditions, equipment locations, routing, and finish requirements.
Explore HVAC for architectsClear scope, scheduling, rough-in coordination, submittals, inspections, startup, and project handoff.
Explore HVAC for builders & GCsField execution, equipment selection, controls coordination, submittals, installation, and commissioning aligned with the mechanical design.
Explore engineering coordinationAlready assembling your own project team? We can take ownership of the mechanical scope and coordinate directly with the other professionals involved.
Start a residential projectMitsubishi Electric
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
Extended parts & compressor coverage on qualifying Diamond installations.
Ongoing manufacturer training on the latest hyper-heat systems.
Direct factory escalation if anything ever needs attention.
FAQ
Common questions from Richmond homeowners about sizing, permits, power and air quality.
Yes. Richmond’s design winter temperature is in the mid-30s°F, well within the range of modern cold-climate heat pumps. We size to the calculated load and check the unit’s capacity at that temperature.
If you have good ducts, ducted can be efficient and quiet. If you have wall heaters and no ducts, ductless is usually simpler and cheaper. For many two-story houses, a mix works best.
Yes. Replacing or adding a heat pump needs mechanical and often electrical permits from the City. We handle the paperwork and inspection.
PG&E delivers power in Richmond, and MCE is the generation provider. Programs such as TECH Clean California and BayREN may offer incentives, but they change and have eligibility rules, so we check what is current.
Often yes. We handle the HOA review, outdoor unit placement and noise considerations. Some buildings have limits on where equipment can go, which we ask about early.
A heat pump alone does not clean the air, but the system can include higher-grade filtration and fresh-air ventilation. We can add a filtration plan if smoke or pollution is a concern for you.
Yes. ADUs get their own load calculation and usually a dedicated single-zone heat pump, sized to the unit and its Title 24 requirements.
Nearby service areas
Project Inquiry
Thanks — your project details are on their way to 3rdGen. We’ll review them and follow up about the next step.
