Common question
Which permits belong in my Seattle HVAC quote?
Seattle’s homeowner heat-pump guide identifies mechanical/furnace and refrigeration permits and says an electrical permit may also be needed, depending on the work. That makes permit responsibility a useful question before you compare proposals.
Ask the company to name the permits for your project, identify who obtains them and explain whether their cost is included. A change to existing equipment and a broader conversion can involve different work. Confirm the property’s actual permitting jurisdiction: Seattle guidance does not establish the rules for a nearby city or an unincorporated King County address.
City of Seattle: Heat Pump Background and Buying Guide · Source checked 2026-09-18
Check the discount behind a quoted net price
Seattle City Light’s heat-pump program uses discounts available through participating distributors, which an installer can pass through in the bid. A discount shown in one proposal therefore deserves an explanation alongside the equipment and installation work.
Use your utility account and the proposed equipment to ask which program applies, how the discount reaches you and whether it is already included in the total. Keep the full installed price visible as well. The city name alone does not confirm customer or equipment eligibility, and the program excludes do-it-yourself installations.
Seattle City Light: Heating and Cooling Your Home · Source checked 2026-09-18
Match the proposal to the contractor record
Washington Labor & Industries provides a public Verify tool for checking contractor registration, bond and insurance information, and relevant trade credentials. Use the company’s legal name or registration number to connect the proposal in front of you to the business doing the work.
If electrical work is included, ask who will perform it and check the relevant electrical credential separately. This helps distinguish the installer, any subcontractor and the company responsible for your contract. A similar trading name or a familiar logo is not enough to make that match.
Washington Labor & Industries: Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business · Source checked 2026-09-18
Compare the proposed heating arrangement
In the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 survey estimates for Seattle, about 33% of occupied housing units used utility gas as their main heating fuel and about 61% 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 37% of Seattle’s housing units in detached one-unit homes and about 57% 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

