How to price a heat pump installation (refrigeration trade)

The foundation is the heat demand, not what's on the shelf. The heated area, the building's age and insulation standard, and the existing heat source determine the output the unit must deliver. An oversized unit short-cycles and wears itself out; an undersized one fails to deliver on the cold days the customer bought it for. Write the sizing basis into the quote - it is both craftsmanship and your cover if the assumptions change.

• Heated area and ceiling height - and any rooms the unit should not cover
• Construction year and insulation standard: a 1970s house and a low-energy house have very different needs
• Existing heat source and distribution: radiators require higher flow temperatures than underfloor heating
• Outdoor unit placement: distance to boundary, base and noise considerations towards neighbours

The distance between outdoor and indoor unit determines pipe length, insulation and working time - and it varies more from job to job than the unit itself. Count penetrations, condensate drain and any core drilling as what they are: real work with real materials. If the outdoor unit needs a bracket, a tile foundation or vibration dampers, that is also a line the customer can see.

Fixed electrical connection of a heat pump is work that requires authorisation. If you don't hold electrical authorisation yourself, the item must either be included via a subcontractor or explicitly excluded in the quote - the worst place to discover it is on the final invoice. State clearly what is included: new circuit in the board, cabling to the outdoor unit and any RCD protection.

Work on the refrigerant circuit - split systems that must be assembled, evacuated and charged - requires F-gas certification. It is part of your delivery and your credibility: write the certification into the quote so the customer can see the work is done by a certified fitter. Also consider the refrigerant type: newer units running R32 or propane (R290) carry their own requirements for placement and handling.

Pressure testing, evacuation, start-up, adjustment and instructing the customer are hours you will spend. Put them on their own line. The same goes for documentation: the commissioning report and registration of the unit. If the line is in the quote, it is paid for - if it isn't, it's free.

A heat pump needs servicing, and statutory inspections depend on unit size and refrigerant charge. A service agreement offered with the installation is both good business and good service - the customer gets one place to call, and you get recurring revenue that doesn't have to be won again every year.

The method above is exactly the logic Calco follows when you describe a refrigeration job: sizing basis, piping, electrical work as its own item, certification requirements and commissioning as a visible line. Describe the job by voice, text or photos - and get a thorough draft in a couple of minutes, which you adjust with your own prices and hours.