How We Set the Cost Ranges on This Site
Last reviewed 2026-09-27.
What the ranges are
Every price on this site is a range for a typical job in Metro Vancouver in 2025-2026, never a single contractor's quote and never a promise of what your job will cost. Each range has two ends because the same job costs different amounts in different houses: a single-zone mini-split on an outside wall is a different job from a ducted heat pump that needs new ductwork and an electrical service upgrade, and the cost page for that job says which is which.
Where they come from
The ranges are aggregated across the Vancouver Construction Network, the contractor directory this site belongs to, and its knowledge base of homeowner questions about heating and cooling in British Columbia. They are checked against BC Hydro's published heat pump and air conditioning guidance, the City of Vancouver's mechanical permit fee schedule, and published Metro Vancouver rates for the same jobs. Where a figure comes from a public body, the page names it: BC Hydro and Better Homes BC for rebates, Technical Safety BC or the municipality for permits.
What they are not
They are not quotes, and they do not include GST. They do not include rebates unless the page says so, because rebate eligibility depends on what heats your home today and on household income. They do not include an electrical service upgrade unless the page says so, because that is often a separate line on the quote.
Permit authorities
Gas and electrical permits come from different authorities. Six Metro Vancouver municipalities issue their own gas permits for most residential work: the City of Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, Maple Ridge, the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver. Seven issue their own electrical permits: the City of Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Maple Ridge. Everywhere else, each permit comes from Technical Safety BC. Both lists come from Technical Safety BC's published jurisdiction list and are the basis for every permit statement on this site. The City of Vancouver also requires a mechanical permit to install or replace most heating and cooling systems.
When they are reviewed
The ranges carry a review date and are reviewed at least yearly, or sooner when a rebate program or a permit fee changes. If a figure on a page looks out of date to you, the estimate form on that page reaches us, and two or three real quotes from local HVAC contractors are the fastest way to find out what your job costs today.