HVAC contractors in Vancouver
Heating in the City of Vancouver splits three ways. Character houses in Kitsilano, Dunbar, Kerrisdale, Mount Pleasant and Grandview often still run hot-water boilers and radiators, with little or no ductwork upstairs. Vancouver Specials and post-war houses across East Van and Marpole usually have a gas furnace and ducts that can take a heat pump. And the condos and apartments of the West End, Yaletown and the rest of the city are mostly heated with electric baseboards, the natural fit for a ductless mini-split if the strata agrees.
The City of Vancouver also has more of its own HVAC rules than anywhere else in the region: a mechanical permit for new or different heating and cooling systems, a heat pump requirement for new air conditioning in houses and duplexes, set zones for outdoor units, and a 2027 efficiency rule for replacement water heaters.
Rules that apply in Vancouver
- Gas and electrical permits
- The City of Vancouver issues both itself, not Technical Safety BC.
- Mechanical permit
- Required since July 2022 to install or replace a heating or cooling system with a different type: $432 plus $15.30 per kW for a one to three storey building. Not needed for repairs or a same-fuel, same-type, same-capacity replacement.
- New air conditioning
- Since January 1, 2023, new permanent AC in a detached house or duplex must be a heat pump that also heats.
- Outdoor unit placement
- A ground-mounted inverter heat pump needs no development permit only within set zones near the house, at least 90 cm from the property line, one unit per yard; the City recommends 55 dBA sound power or less. Wall-mounted units usually need review.
- Water heaters from 2027
- From January 1, 2027, replacement water heaters in detached houses and duplexes must meet the City's highest efficiency standard, with exceptions the City defines.
- Carbon monoxide alarms
- The Fire By-law requires CO alarms in any dwelling with a fuel-burning appliance, inside each bedroom or within 5 metres of each bedroom door.
Vancouver HVAC contractors in the Vancouver Construction Network
- Ariana Heating & Air Conditioning AC Installation · AC Maintenance · AC Repair · Air Exchanger & HRV Cleaning
- Best Way Heating AC Repair · AC Maintenance · AC Installation · Furnace Installation
- Crush Plumbing and Drainage Tankless Water Heater Installation
- Knowledge Hvac & Refrigeration Ltd AC Repair · AC Installation · AC Maintenance · Heat Pump Installation
- Mr Cool Canada HVAC Equipment Supply
- Next Day Services Inc.
- Northrange hvac AC Installation
- Royal Vancouver Air Conditioning AC Installation · AC Repair · Heat Pump Installation · Tankless Water Heater Installation
- Surrey Heat Pumps Heat Pump Installation
- Tek Climate Heating & Air Conditioning AC Installation · AC Maintenance · AC Repair · Radiant Floor Heating
- Vancouver Hood Doctors AC Maintenance · Duct Cleaning
- zero one smart land ltd
- Joyce Heating Service Heating Installation · Furnace Repair · Boiler Service · HVAC Maintenance
- Reid Brothers Plumbing & Heating Furnace Repair · Air Conditioning Service · Heating Installation · Boiler Repair
- Reliance Home Comfort Vancouver Furnace Installation · Air Conditioning Installation · Water Heater Rental · Indoor Air Quality
- Western Pacific HVAC HVAC Repair · Furnace Service · Air Conditioning Installation · Heat Pump Service
Listings come from the Vancouver Construction Network directory. Vancouver HVAC Pro does not verify licences, so confirm a contractor's Technical Safety BC gas licence and WorkSafeBC coverage yourself. See the full HVAC directory.
Typical prices in Vancouver
- Ductless mini-split replacing baseboards in a condo$4,500 to $8,000 per zone
- Ducted heat pump in a Vancouver Special$10,000 to $18,000
- Boiler replacement in a character house$8,000 to $18,000
- Heat pump water heater ahead of the 2027 rule$4,000 to $7,000
- City of Vancouver mechanical permit, 10 kW heat pumpAbout $585
Metro Vancouver ranges for 2025-2026. Neighbourhoods covered: Kitsilano, Dunbar, Kerrisdale, Point Grey, Shaughnessy, Mount Pleasant, Grandview, Marpole, East Vancouver, West End, Yaletown, Downtown.
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HVAC IQ answers for Vancouver
- Adding an HRV to an older Kitsilano house, what should that cost?
- For a Kerrisdale house, what is a reasonable boiler replacement price?
- Does a heat pump water heater make the basement colder in a Dunbar house?
- Do radiators in an older house near Commercial Drive need bleeding every fall?
- Can an unpermitted furnace cause problems when selling a Kitsilano home?
- Hot third floor in a Kerrisdale character home, what cooling options work?
- What should a ductwork design plan include for a house renovation near Commercial Drive?
- Why won't some Vancouver contractors quote without a site visit?
- A Marpole duplex heat pump quote came in at $22,000, is that normal?
- What happens during a boiler service in an older Kerrisdale home?
- Where should the outdoor heat pump unit go on a narrow Vancouver lot?
- How often should a gas boiler be serviced in British Columbia?
Quick answers
Can I still replace my gas furnace in Vancouver?
Yes. A like-for-like gas furnace or boiler replacement is allowed in the City of Vancouver with a gas permit from the City. There is no rule requiring a zero-emission replacement in an existing home.
Do I need a permit for a heat pump in Vancouver?
Yes: an electrical permit from the City, and a mechanical permit when the heat pump is a new or different system. If a gas furnace is removed, the gas line is capped under a gas permit. Your contractor normally pulls all of them.
Also: Burnaby · North Vancouver