Our typical ranges
Clement Boston Heat Pumps prices every job from a home visit and a written estimate. These are our typical ranges for the jobs we’re asked about most, before any rebate.
| Job | What it covers | Our typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-home heat pump, ducts reused | Cold-climate outdoor unit on a snow stand, matched air handler or coil, line set, circuit, controls, permits, old system removed | $15,000 to $28,000 and up |
| Heat pump replacement | Swap of an existing ducted heat pump, line set reused where it tests sound | $12,000 to $24,000 |
| Heat pump with new ductwork | Attic or basement air handlers with new duct runs, or a small-duct high-velocity system | $20,000 to $40,000 and up |
| Electrical service upgrade | Typically 100 to 200 amps, customer side, with utility coordination | $3,000 to $6,500 |
| Oil tank removal | Accessible basement tank, emptied and removed, plus the Boston Fire Department permit | $600 to $1,500 |
| Air handler replacement | Air handler matched to an existing outdoor unit | $1,500 to $4,200 and up |
The open-ended tops are real. A large house, a long line set to a roof, a crane day or extensive duct work can push a job past the top of a range, and we say so on the estimate rather than squeezing the scope to fit a number.
What moves the price
Six things account for most of the difference between two jobs that sound the same.
| What changes | Why it moves the price |
|---|---|
| Tonnage from the load calculation | Equipment is priced by capacity, and a proper calculation often lands smaller than the old unit |
| Ducts | Reusing sound ducts is cheapest; a bigger return, sealing or a new trunk adds; new duct systems add the most |
| Line set length and route | A 20-foot run through a basement wall is simple; a 40-foot run to a roof or attic needs a cover and more labor |
| Panel and service | Two new 240-volt circuits on a panel with room is routine; a service upgrade adds $3,000 to $6,500 |
| Outdoor spot | A ground stand is the baseline; porches, roofs and wall brackets add hardware, and sometimes a crane |
| Permits and review | Electrical, sheet metal and gas permits, plus historic or condo review where it applies |
The efficiency tier matters less than people expect. For a Boston house, compare capacity at 5°F across models; most cold-climate ducted units are already variable speed. Our guide to SEER2 and HSPF2 explains the labels.
What’s inside a Boston heat pump price
A heat pump estimate is roughly half equipment, about a third labor and around a tenth electrical work, with permits, materials and removal making up the rest. The public figures behind those parts:
| Part of the price | What sets it | Local figure |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC labor | Installer wages in the metro | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: HVAC mechanics and installers in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton area earn a mean $38.41 an hour, about 23% above the $31.14 national mean |
| Electrical labor | Electrician wages | Electricians in the same area earn a mean $40.08 an hour, about 17% above the $34.37 national mean |
| Electrical permit (Boston) | City of Boston Inspectional Services fee schedule | Service upgrade: $20 plus $0.25 per amp, so $70 for 200 amps |
| Sheet metal permit (Boston) | City of Boston fee schedule | $20 plus $25 per 200 linear feet of duct |
| Building permit, short form (Boston) | City of Boston fee schedule | $20 plus $10 per $1,000 of work, so $300 on a $28,000 job |
| Oil tank removal permit (Boston) | Boston Fire Department | $110 |
| Wall, ceiling and finish repair | Your house | Priced on the estimate: we list every opening and its repair |
A wage is not a billing rate: the hourly price on any invoice also carries insurance, licensing, vehicles, tools and overhead. The wage gap is still a fair guide to why Boston prices run above national averages.
Other towns set their own permit fees. Cambridge, for example, charges $50 plus $25 per 100 linear feet for a sheet metal permit, and triple fees for work started before a permit is issued.
Rebates, loans and what they do to the price
Mass Save’s per-ton rebates and its 0% HEAT Loan are the big ones; towns with their own light plant run their own programs. The federal heat pump credit is gone.
| Program | Who runs it | Amount | What it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-home heat pump rebate | Mass Save sponsors | $2,650 per ton up to $8,500 for systems installed through 2026; $2,350 per ton up to $7,500 from January 1, 2027 | Cold-climate listed equipment, a participating installer in the Heat Pump Installer Network, old system removed or disconnected, proof of weatherization |
| Partial-home rebate (dual fuel) | Mass Save sponsors | $1,125 per ton up to $8,500; $1,000 per ton up to $7,500 from January 1, 2027 | Integrated controls that hand off to the furnace at or below the maximum switchover temperature |
| Basic rebate, including replacing an existing heat pump | Mass Save sponsors | $250 per ton up to $2,500 | Qualifying equipment |
| Income-eligible rebates | Mass Save sponsors | Up to $16,000 for whole-home | Household income limits |
| HEAT Loan | Mass Save, through participating lenders | 0% interest, up to $25,000 | Eligible measures, applied for before the work |
| Light plant programs | Belmont, Reading, Braintree, Wellesley, Concord, Hingham and other town utilities | Varies; for example Belmont Light pays $1,000 per ton up to $5,000 for oil and propane switches | Each town’s own rules |
| Federal 25C tax credit | IRS | Ended | Not available for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025 |
Rebates come after the work. On the whole-home path through 2026, a 3-ton system earns $7,950, and anything from about 3.25 tons up reaches the $8,500 cap. We confirm which program your address falls under before we write the estimate; see Mass Save heat pump rebates and the HEAT Loan.
Three typical budgets
Three typical jobs, priced from our ranges. Each shows how scope, not house size, sets the price.
A Roslindale colonial on two duct systems: $27,400
A gas furnace and a 4-ton attic AC replaced by a 2-ton basement heat pump and a 1.5-ton attic heat pump, with a second return added and the attic ducts rebuilt. Four working days on site.
A Jamaica Plain oil conversion: $28,300
A 3-ton whole-home heat pump on the existing furnace ducts, the return enlarged, the service upgraded to 200 amps and the oil tank removed. Five working days on site. See heat pump vs oil heat.
A Mid-Cambridge renovation with new ducts: $36,800
A steam boiler replaced by a 2-ton attic system and a 1.5-ton basement system on new ducts, timed to a renovation in Cambridge. Nine working days on site.
How to compare quotes
Compare what each quote includes, not the bottom number. The lines below are the ones that most often go missing.
- The equipment model and its capacity at 5°F
- Whether a load calculation was done
- Duct changes, listed one by one
- Electrical work, and who pulls which permits
- Whether the installer is in Mass Save’s network
If a line is blank, ask before you compare; our quote checklist has the full list. For a number for your own house, call us or send the form, and we’ll measure and send it in writing.