My San Ramon house is from the 1980s. Can I reuse the ducts?
Sometimes. We test static pressure and inspect the runs. If the ducts can deliver the airflow, we reuse them. Where they cannot, we replace only the sections that need it.
RESIDENTIAL HVAC · SAN RAMON, CA
Residential HVAC & Heat Pumps in San Ramon, CA
Whether your San Ramon home is a 1980s tract house with tired ducts or a newer Dougherty Valley build with solar on the roof, we size the heat pump from the actual house, not from the old unit’s label.
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
San Ramon scopes
How we help San Ramon homeowners
Different neighborhoods call for different work. Here is what we usually do for older homes, newer homes and attached housing.
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1970s–80s homes
Aging Tract-Home Replacement
Heat pump replacement paired with the duct and return repairs that original construction left unfinished.
Replacement & conversion -
Tight envelopes
Right-Sizing Newer Homes
A Manual J that reflects modern windows and insulation, often showing a smaller system than the existing one.
Manual J load calculations -
Quiet comfort
Variable-Speed Ducted Systems
Inverter-driven heat pumps that run low and long for even temperatures, selected to match the calculated load.
Heat pump installation -
Attached housing
Condo & Townhome Systems
Ductless and compact ducted options, with outdoor-unit placement planned around shared walls and association rules.
Ductless & multi-zone -
Add-on space
ADUs & Garage Conversions
A small heat pump sized to a separate unit’s load, with Title 24 documentation.
ADU heating & cooling -
IAQ
Fresh-Air Ventilation
ERV or HRV and better filtration for tighter homes where air exchange needs to be designed in.
Ventilation & IAQ
Published project example
Whole-home heat pump remodel
View project →
High-end residential remodel
Hearst Remodel
A published whole-home ductless heat pump project from Berkeley, not San Ramon. It shows how we work through equipment placement and refrigerant routing in an existing house.
- 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 projectLocal projects
Heat pump & HVAC installs for San Ramon homes
Recent installs by the 3rdGen crew that serves San Ramon: ducted and ductless heat pumps, air handlers and ductwork.
Old and new
San Ramon homes need either duct repair or careful downsizing
The city grew in waves. Neighborhoods from the 1970s and 80s have original duct systems that were adequate when built and have since aged. More recent areas, such as Dougherty Valley, were built to later energy codes with tighter envelopes.
That difference shows up in the load calculation. An older house may need its ducts rebuilt to move the air a heat pump needs. A newer house often needs a smaller system than the one it came with.
Either way, we calculate before we recommend, and we explain the reasoning in plain terms.
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Worn original ducts
Sagging flex duct, crushed returns and thin insulation limit airflow in older tract houses, regardless of how good the new equipment is.
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Oversized existing equipment
In newer homes, existing systems are sometimes larger than the load requires, causing short cycling and uneven rooms.
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Solar and panel capacity
Homes with rooftop solar need the heat pump and panel to be considered together. We check both.
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HOA and shared walls
Condos and townhomes often limit where a condenser can go and how loud it can be. We design around that from the beginning.
San Ramon heat pump design
Two generations of San Ramon homes, two different HVAC problems
San Ramon has older tract neighborhoods from the 1970s and 80s, where the original ducts and equipment are worn out, and newer Dougherty Valley homes from the 2000s, which are tighter and often have solar. The older houses need duct and capacity rework. The newer ones need careful equipment matching and a look at the electrical side.
Design climate · Title 24 Climate Zone 12
- Winter design temp
- 32°F
- Summer design temp
- 90°F
ACCA has no San Ramon entry, so we use Dublin, immediately to the south: 32°F heating and 90°F cooling design. Some hillside and inland parts of town run a few degrees hotter on peak days, which we adjust for when the house sits on a ridge or has a west-facing exposure.
ACCA Manual J design data · Dublin, CA (nearest ACCA micro-climate station)
What we see in San Ramon houses
In the older neighborhoods, two-story homes with attic ducts are common. After decades, flex duct has sagged, insulation has shifted, and returns are often undersized. The equipment has been replaced once or twice without anyone redoing the duct design.
Dougherty Valley and other newer developments were built to modern energy codes, so envelopes are tighter and loads are smaller than the square footage suggests. A system sized by rule of thumb is frequently too big for these houses.
Townhomes and condos in San Ramon bring a different set of constraints: shared walls, limited outdoor space and association rules about where condensers can sit.
Manual J on tight, newer houses
For homes with good windows and insulation, the calculation often lands a ton or more below an existing system’s size. Right-sizing lets a variable-speed unit run longer at low speed, which is quieter and more even.
Manual S and solar
Many San Ramon homes already have rooftop solar. We choose equipment efficiency and staging with that in mind and check inverter and panel capacity as part of the design.
Manual D on aging tract ducts
For 1970s and 80s houses, we test whether existing ducts can deliver the airflow a heat pump needs. Where they cannot, we show the specific sections to replace.
Condo and townhome placement
For attached housing, we look at outdoor-unit locations, line-set routes through shared structures, and sound to neighbors before choosing between ducted and ductless equipment.
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Heat pump replacement for 1970s–80s homes
Replace worn furnaces and ACs with heat pumps and correct the duct problems that came with the original construction.
Replacement & conversion → -
Right-sized systems for newer homes
Equipment matched to a modern, tight envelope using a real Manual J, not the old unit’s tonnage.
Manual J load calculations → -
Ductless for condos and additions
Mini-split and multi-zone options for attached homes, converted garages and rooms that ducts cannot reach.
Heat pump installation → -
Backyard ADU heat pumps
Single-zone systems for detached units, with Title 24 compliance paperwork supported.
ADU heating & cooling → -
Whole-house ventilation
ERV and filtration for tight houses that need controlled fresh air.
Ventilation & IAQ → -
Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor service
Factory-trained installation on Mitsubishi systems, with warranty terms on qualifying equipment.
Diamond Contractor →
San Ramon permits, utilities and incentives
San Ramon HVAC permits are handled by the City’s Building Services. The application typically needs the load calculation and equipment specifications, which we provide. HOAs in newer communities may also review outdoor equipment locations.
San Ramon residents are served by MCE for generation, with PG&E for delivery. Federal, state and regional incentives such as TECH Clean California and BayREN come and go. See our rebates page for how we handle them, and we will confirm what applies to your equipment during scoping.
Areas we serve near San Ramon
San Ramon neighborhoods including Dougherty Valley, Canyon Lakes and Crow Canyon, plus nearby Danville, Dublin and Alamo.
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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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
Measure the house, pick the system, then build it
A San Ramon project follows the same sequence whether the house is forty years old or ten: calculate, select, design, permit, install, verify.
01 — House review
We confirm the age of the house, existing equipment, attic or crawlspace access, solar, and what you want fixed.
02 — Manual J load report
Room-by-room loads that capture how the house was really built, including glass area and insulation.
03 — Manual S and D
Equipment chosen to match the load and ducts sized for the airflow, with sections to replace identified.
04 — City permit
Documents are submitted to San Ramon Building Services, with HOA paperwork when the neighborhood asks for it.
05 — Installation
Equipment set, ducts or line sets run, and electrical connected to your panel.
06 — Commissioning
Charge, airflow and controls checked, then a walkthrough covering how to run the system.
Included in the work
What a San Ramon heat pump project covers
We handle the equipment, the duct changes, the electrical connection and the permit as one scope. Fewer handoffs mean fewer things to coordinate on your side.
We test the finished system and explain controls before we leave.
Tell us about the project-
Load and equipment package
Manual J, S and D documents ready for the permit.
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Duct and line-set work
Existing ducts corrected or refrigerant lines routed per design.
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Electrical connection
Breaker, disconnect and any solar or panel coordination.
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Commissioning
Charge, airflow and thermostat setup verified at handoff.
Cost
Where the price of a San Ramon heat pump project comes from
In older tract homes, duct work is the swing item. In newer homes, it is more often equipment selection and electrical capacity, especially with solar. Condos add access and placement constraints. We price what the calculation shows you need.
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.
Start here
Tell us about your San Ramon home
Share the neighborhood or approximate build year, what is installed now, and what you want changed. We will respond with what we would look at first.
- 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.
Collaboration
We fit into your remodel or build team
For San Ramon renovations and additions, we share load results and equipment dimensions with your designer or contractor early so the mechanical plan does not hold up framing or finishes.
We work with design and construction teams in San Ramon, the Tri-Valley and the East Bay, or straight with homeowners.
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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
Questions we hear from San Ramon homeowners.
My Dougherty Valley home is newer. Why would I need a smaller system?
Newer homes have better windows and insulation, so cooling loads are often lower than rule-of-thumb sizing suggests. A Manual J tells us the real number.
I have solar. Does that change what I install?
It can. We consider the heat pump’s efficiency and electrical demand along with your panel and inverter setup, so the new load fits the electrical system.
Can I put a heat pump in a condo or townhome?
Often yes. Placement of the outdoor unit and line sets is the main question, and your HOA may need to approve it. Ductless systems are a common fit.
Who issues the permit?
The City of San Ramon Building Services. We prepare the submittal, including the load calculation.
Which utility and incentives apply to me?
MCE supplies generation by default and PG&E delivers it. Incentive programs like TECH Clean California and BayREN change, so we check current availability during scoping rather than promise an amount.
Is a ductless system quieter than a ducted one?
Indoor units are typically very quiet. Noise depends more on installation and placement than on ducted versus ductless, which is why we plan both the indoor and outdoor locations.
Nearby service areas
Heat pump and HVAC design near San Ramon
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.