RESIDENTIAL HVAC · SAN FRANCISCO, CA
In San Francisco the hard part is rarely the equipment. It is finding a place for the outdoor unit, a path for the lines, and a permit route that fits a building with no spare space. We plan all three before ordering anything.
Remodels · Retrofits · Heat Pumps · Multi-Zone Systems
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Project fit
Victorians, Edwardians, stucco rowhouses, flats and condos. Each gets the same load-calculated approach with very different routing.
Low profile
Slim ducted cassettes and compact wall units that fit plaster walls and tall ceilings, with refrigerant lines routed through closets, soffits and old chases.
Heat pump installationGas out
Replace the in-wall gas heaters and old boilers common in older San Francisco buildings with heat pumps that also provide cooling.
Replacement & conversionLoad report
We produce Manual J and equipment documentation for building permits, remodel drawings and condo or HOA approvals.
Manual J load calculationsRemodel
Gut remodels are the best time to hide ducts and refrigerant lines. We lay out mechanical with your architect before drywall.
HVAC for remodelsADU
Ground-floor and garage units get their own right-sized heat pump with a controlled path for lines and drain.
ADU heating & coolingFresh air
Air-sealed and well-insulated renovations need planned ventilation. We design ERV and filtration to manage moisture and stale air.
Ventilation & IAQAN URBAN BAY AREA REFERENCE
High-end residential remodel
This Berkeley remodel is a close relative of many San Francisco jobs: an older building, little room for equipment, and a multi-zone system routed around finished surfaces. It is not a San Francisco project.
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 projectLocal projects
Real jobs our own crew designed and installed. Street names only — we keep clients' addresses private.
FIT FIRST, THEN SIZE
Lots are narrow, buildings share walls, and many homes have no attic, no basement and no yard. Where the condenser goes can decide the whole design.
Options include a rear yard pad, a rooftop platform, a side passage, or a bracket on an exterior wall. Each comes with clearances, access, and neighbor sound considerations, and each affects line-set length.
Cooling is a smaller part of the load here than in most Bay Area cities, but a house that has never had it still benefits from the option. Fog and foggy summers push heating to the front.
Lines may need to pass through several floors. We check the length, lift and available chase space against the manufacturer’s limits.
Original plaster, millwork and ceilings are worth protecting. We choose routes and indoor units that keep cuts to a minimum.
When yards are not an option, outdoor units may go on a roof or in a light well, which needs structural, access and airflow checks.
Multi-unit buildings need board sign-off for exterior equipment and penetrations. We supply drawings and specs for that review.
In San Francisco, a heat pump is permitted mechanical work, and electrical or building permits may apply depending on scope. Many installs go through the Department of Building Inspection’s online permit process.
HVAC design in San Francisco
Most San Francisco homes are flats, rowhouses and narrow single-family houses packed tightly together. Many are a century old, some are condos in larger buildings, and few have a yard, attic or basement to spare. The system has to be small, quiet and routed with care, so we plan the space and the load together.
San Francisco’s design temperatures are about 40°F for heating and 71°F for cooling, with a narrow daily swing. Fog keeps summer loads low, so heating drives most equipment choices. Neighborhoods farther from the ocean can run warmer than the station value.
ACCA Manual J design data · San Francisco Co (micro-climate)
Victorian and Edwardian flats often have tall ceilings, bay windows and old wall furnaces or boilers with radiators. Replacing them means finding new paths without damaging plaster and woodwork.
Stucco rowhouses and mid-century houses in the western neighborhoods usually have a garage on the ground floor and living space above. Garage space can host an air handler or provide a path for lines, but fire separation rules apply.
Condos and multi-unit buildings add shared walls, limited exterior access and association rules. Roof access, if any, may be shared.
With cool summers, heating is the main driver. We calculate infiltration and envelope losses carefully for older buildings, since leaky windows and plaster walls change the result a lot.
Small flats often need under a ton of cooling and a modest heating capacity. Selecting a unit that can modulate that low matters more than picking a big brand name.
Where we use short ducts, we size them for low static pressure and plan registers that suit historic rooms. Otherwise, line sets feed individual wall or ceiling heads.
Line sets through closets and soffits, with indoor heads placed to suit rooms and finishes.
Heat pump installation →Take gas heating out and bring modern electric heating and cooling in.
Replacement & conversion →Load and equipment documentation for building permits, remodels and condo approvals.
Manual J load calculations →Compact heat pumps for converted spaces, designed to meet energy code.
ADU heating & cooling →Mechanical rough-in coordinated with the architect and builder while walls are open.
HVAC for remodels →Factory-trained installers with extended coverage on qualifying Mitsubishi systems.
Diamond Contractor →Heat pump work in San Francisco goes through the Department of Building Inspection, and mechanical and electrical permits are the typical starting point. Larger or exterior-facing projects may add review. We prepare and file the documents.
PG&E delivers electricity and CleanPowerSF is the default generation provider. Incentive programs, including TECH Clean California and BayREN, change often. We check what is open for your project and do not promise amounts.
Residential neighborhoods across the city, from the Richmond and Sunset districts to Noe Valley, the Mission and Bernal Heights, plus nearby Daly City and the East Bay.
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 reviewsThe sequence
In a dense city there is little room for rework, so we resolve placement, sizing and permits before anyone opens a wall.
Floors, shared walls, rooftop or yard options, and what exists now. We may ask for photos of utility closets and the electrical panel.
Heating-dominated loads with moderate cooling, calculated room by room using San Francisco design temperatures.
Compact equipment with the right capacity at design conditions, chosen to fit the available space and line-set limits.
Short duct runs where ducts exist, or concealed line-set routing where they do not. We prepare the permit through the City.
Careful cutting, patching and sealing, with equipment brought in by stairs, ladders or hoists as needed.
Charge and airflow checks, controls programming, city inspection and a walkthrough.
Start to finish
In dense buildings, a clean install means careful cutting, sealed penetrations and tidy line-set covers. We plan the finish work along with the mechanical.
We test airflow and refrigerant charge, schedule the city inspection, and walk through the controls with you.
Tell us about the projectOutdoor unit and route confirmed with you and any building association.
Lines and drains run through chases, soffits or closets.
Dedicated circuit and condensate path completed to code.
Permit signed off, system tested, controls explained.
Cost
Equipment is only part of it. Rooftop work, long vertical line sets, multi-story routing, patch and paint, HOA documentation, and panel upgrades often decide the final scope in a San Francisco building.
Complex whole-home and design-build projects can exceed these ranges. Rebates and incentives may reduce your net project cost.
Project inquiry
House, flat, or condo? Send the building type, what heats it now, and any photos of utility spaces or outdoor areas.
Project Inquiry
Thanks — your project details are on their way to 3rdGen. We’ll review them and follow up about the next step.
Project teams
City remodels involve many trades in tight spaces. We give your architect equipment dimensions, line-set routes and clearances early so the drawings reflect what will actually be installed.
We take on San Francisco work through design teams, general contractors and building owners, or directly with residents.
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
Placement, permits, power and rebates: the questions San Francisco homeowners ask us most.
Options include a rear patio or deck pad, a side passage, an exterior wall bracket, or a roof platform. We check clearances, access and neighbor distance, then choose the one that works with the building and the permit.
We use existing chases, closets and soffits where possible, and small-diameter refrigerant lines that need far less space than ducts. Slim ducted cassettes can serve a few rooms from a single hidden spot.
Many homes do fine without, but heat pumps cool as a side effect of heating. Warm spells, western exposure and top-floor units can make it worth having. Cooling load is smaller here, so equipment is usually modest.
Mechanical permits at minimum, and often electrical. Larger projects or exterior changes can add building or planning review. We handle the filing.
PG&E delivers it, and CleanPowerSF is the default generation provider. Rebates from programs such as TECH Clean California and BayREN can change, so we confirm what is available when we scope your work.
Usually, with board approval. We provide drawings, sound data and mounting details for the HOA, and size the system to the unit.
It can be. We calculate the added load from the heat pump and anything else you plan to electrify, then tell you whether the panel can handle it or needs work.
Heat pumps work fine in fog. In well-sealed homes, planned ventilation helps control indoor humidity, which we can add to the design.
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.
