Common question

Does the permit path change with my project?

Denver’s quick-permit guidance separates mechanical and electrical work and distinguishes equipment replacement from new buildings and additions. Its residential lists include forced-air heating, air conditioning and ductwork, but only eligible work can use the quick-permit route.

Ask each company to describe the changes at your home and identify the permit path for that scope. Include any electrical changes in the discussion instead of treating them as an unexplained extra. City and County of Denver guidance applies within that jurisdiction; a Denver-area mailing address does not settle which authority handles the property.

City and County of Denver: Quick Permits · Source checked 2026-09-18

Check the Denver license for the work being quoted

Denver issues its own contractor licenses and certificates and does not reciprocate them from other counties or states. Its licensing page includes a public verification link, giving you a way to check the company named on the proposal.

Ask for the relevant Denver credentials and identify any separate company responsible for electrical work. Match those names to the written scope before choosing an installer. A company working elsewhere along the Front Range still needs the appropriate credentials for the actual job and jurisdiction; location in the region is not the same as authorization for your project.

City and County of Denver: Contractor Licensing · Source checked 2026-09-18

Ask which current heat-pump program the quote uses

Power Ahead Colorado is a Denver Regional Council of Governments program with incentives for eligible cold-climate heat pumps installed through participating contractors. Its energy advisors can help homeowners understand available incentives and discuss possible upgrades.

If a proposal includes a rebate, ask the company to identify the program by name, explain the proposed equipment and show the price before the incentive. Use that information to check the offer with the program. Keep a question mark beside an unconfirmed discount instead of letting an advertised net price decide which proposal looks best.

Denver Regional Council of Governments: Power Ahead Colorado launches heat pump rebate · Source checked 2026-09-18

Compare the proposed heating arrangement

In the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 survey estimates for Denver, about 61% of occupied housing units used utility gas as their main heating fuel and about 36% used electricity. These citywide estimates include rental homes and have sampling uncertainty. Electricity does not identify a particular type of heating equipment.

Start with the fuel and model on your own system. If one proposal keeps that arrangement and another changes it, ask each company to separate retained equipment, removal, new equipment and any proposed electrical or gas work. That makes the difference in scope easier to compare.

Census ACS 2020–2024 via MCDC: house heating fuel · Source checked 2026-09-19

Make the quote fit your property

The 2020–2024 Census survey estimates put about 40% of Denver’s housing units in detached one-unit homes and about 50% in buildings with two or more units. These approximate figures include occupied and vacant units. They do not show whether a particular home has shared heating or cooling equipment.

Describe your actual property, the rooms served and access to the equipment. If a system or outdoor space is shared, ask who can authorize the proposed work. Have each company state which equipment and spaces its quote covers, so you can compare the same project.

Census ACS 2020–2024 via MCDC: units in structure · Source checked 2026-09-19