Heat pump cost calculator

What each system costs and when it fits

The calculator starts from the 2026 Ontario price ranges on OntarioFurnacePrices.ca and places your home inside them. Bigger homes need more capacity and longer duct and line set runs, so they sit higher in the range. The size band moves you along it but never outside it.

Ducted cold-climate heat pump

Usually fits: homes with ductwork in fair shape, replacing the AC and most or all furnace heating.

Watch for: duct size, backup heat for deep cold and electrical capacity.

Dual fuel

Usually fits: gas-heated homes that want heat pump heating most of the year and gas in deep cold.

Watch for: whether the furnace is new or kept, and the switchover temperature setting.

Mini-split, single zone

Usually fits: one room or open area, such as an addition, a finished basement or a hot bedroom.

Watch for: the line set route and where the outdoor unit sits.

Mini-split, multi-zone

Usually fits: homes without ducts, often heated by electric baseboards.

Watch for: each head adds cost, so skip rooms you rarely use.

Two-head mini-splits are not in our price table, so the calculator places them between a single-zone system and a three-head system, at $6,500 to $10,000. For brand tiers and full breakdowns, see heat pump prices in Ontario and ductless mini-split prices.

What the base price assumes

• A standard installation with a sensible spot for the outdoor unit and a straightforward refrigerant line set run.
• Ducted systems: existing ductwork in usable shape and a furnace or air handler that can work with the heat pump.
• Equipment sized by a heating load calculation, not copied from the old furnace.
• Removal and disposal of the old air conditioner, which is often included. Ask.
• Dual fuel: whether the gas furnace is new or kept is one of the biggest swings in the quote.

Electrical: the line most likely to change your total

Every heat pump needs its own 240-volt circuit and an outdoor disconnect. If the panel has free breaker space and enough capacity, that work typically adds $500 to $2,500. If the panel is full or the service is too small, an upgrade typically adds $2,000 to $4,500 on top.

Ask the heat pump installer for the outdoor unit's minimum circuit ampacity and maximum breaker size from its spec sheet, and give them to the electrician. All-electric homes adding electric backup heat in the air handler need the most capacity. In Ontario, a licensed electrical contractor should file a notification of the work with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA).

Ductwork: when the existing ducts are not enough

A heat pump delivers air at a lower temperature than a gas furnace, so it needs more airflow to deliver the same heat. Ducts that were fine for a furnace can be too small, especially the return air side in older homes. Typical fixes are an added or larger return, a resized trunk or a new run to a cold room, adding $500 to $3,000 or more. Ductless systems skip this line, one reason multi-zone mini-splits suit homes heated by baseboards.

What the fuel question does

How the home is heated now decides which Home Renovation Savings category applies. The result shows that category and its published cap at our last check. It never subtracts a rebate, because eligibility depends on the exact model, your home, ownership and approval before installation.

One detail catches people out: rebate tons are counted from the heat pump's rated heating capacity at 8.3°C (47°F), not its cooling size. Payment guidance at our check was 60 days after post-installation approval. The Canada Greener Homes Loan closed to new applications on October 1, 2025, so do not plan financing around it. Read heat pump rebates in Ontario for the full picture.

Worked example: an electric-baseboard bungalow

A 1,100 sq ft bungalow heated by electric baseboards has no ducts, so the owners choose a multi-zone mini-split with three heads: the living area, the main bedroom and the finished basement. The panel has room for a new circuit.

If the 100 amp panel turned out to be full, the upgrade would lift the total to $11,500 to $20,000. Because the home is heated by electricity, the result shows the non-gas rebate category, subject to pre-approval and product eligibility, and nothing is subtracted. The baseboards usually stay as backup for the coldest nights. For comparison, a gas-heated 1,600 sq ft two-storey adding dual fuel lands at $13,000 to $19,000 with a new circuit. Whether either saves money to run is a separate question for the heating cost calculator.

Limits of this estimate

Real prices also move with brand tier, how much heat the model keeps producing in deep cold, the line set length, how the outdoor unit is mounted (a pad, a wall bracket or a stand above drifting snow) and the season. Read the heat pump buying guide before you compare quotes, and use the heat pump brand guide to compare tiers.