Heat Pump Installation in Centennial, CO

Every heat pump job in Centennial lands in one of two piles. A swap pulls out a unit and puts back the same kind of unit. A conversion changes what heats the house: a gas furnace gives way to a heat pump, or the old central AC comes out and a heat pump takes over both jobs.

That sounds like trivia. It isn't. The quickest permit path in the city is written for the first pile, and most people shopping for a heat pump are in the second.

Here's a rough way to sort yourself:

• You already have a heat pump and you're replacing it. Possibly a swap. Still ask the city.
• Replacing a gas furnace with an all-electric heat pump? That's a conversion.
• Keeping the furnace as backup and swapping the AC for a heat pump (dual fuel)? The equipment type is changing, so treat it as a question for the Building Division, not an assumption.
• Adding ductless heads to rooms that never had them? That is new equipment, not a replacement.

The pile you're in also shapes the estimate. A true swap mostly reuses what is already there. A conversion can touch the electrical panel, add a circuit, move the outdoor unit and reroute refrigerant lines, and nobody can price that from a phone call.

Census ACS 2024 1-year figures put the median year built in Centennial at 1984, across 42,799 housing units. By decade, 26.6% were built in the 1970s, 24.6% in the 1980s and 18.7% in the 1990s. Another 11.7% date to the 1960s. Newer homes are the minority: 6.7% from 2000 to 2009, 5.8% from the 2010s, and 3.1% from 2020 or later.

If you live here, there's a good chance your house comes from one of those three big decades. That doesn't dictate the system. It does tell you what the installer ought to look at closely:

• Start with a load calculation, not a copy of the old unit. A proper install begins with a room-by-room heating and cooling load calculation (Manual J). Matching the nameplate on whatever is in the basement now is how houses end up with the wrong size.
• A ducted heat pump uses the ductwork you already have, so the installer checks whether yours will work with it. A finished basement or an addition that has always been chilly might be a better fit for ductless heads.
• The installer checks your electrical panel capacity and whether a new circuit is needed. If the answer is a service upgrade, circle back to the permit section above.
• Snow, drainage and clearance decide where the outdoor unit goes. The spot where the old AC condenser sat isn't automatically the right one.
• Refrigerant line routing and the condensate path both get planned, not improvised.

Then there's the big choice: all-electric, or dual fuel that keeps the gas furnace as backup. Both are legitimate. If you go all-electric, ask about cold-climate models. Per the Xcel 2026 rebate summary effective Oct. 1, 2026, its cold-climate tier calls for a COP of at least 1.75 at 5°F and 5°F capacity of at least 70% of the 47°F rating.

You call (303) 529-8713 or fill out the form, and we connect you with one independent, insured local installer. That's the whole handoff. We aren't the contractor, the utility, a government program or an energy advisor. (If you want a free advisor, Power Ahead Colorado, a DRCOG program, offers one.)

The installer comes out, looks at the house and sets the price. Not before. The estimate is free and there's no obligation to hire anyone.

You'll get more out of that visit if you show up with a few answers:

• Swap or conversion, based on the list up top
• Anything the Building Division told you about your permit path
• Whether you're leaning all-electric or dual fuel
• Your utility, so rebate paperwork starts on the right foot

If you're not sure your street counts as Centennial, check our service areas. Otherwise, call (303) 529-8713 or Get Free Estimate and start with the question that sorts everything else.