Heat pump installation in Wellington
Your installer will walk the job before quoting it and tell you what the pipework, the section and the switchboard add, so the number you get is the price of your house rather than a figure off a list.
What it costs
Supplied and fitted, including GST and a standard install. How far the pipework has to go, whether the outdoor unit is going up at height on a steep section, and what the switchboard needs are what move a quote here, and all three move it further than the choice of brand does.
| Type | Supplied & fitted | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| High-wall bedroom, study or small room | $2,000 to $2,800 | Around 2.5kW, and the cheapest way in. |
| High-wall average lounge or open-plan | $2,800 to $4,200 | A 5 to 6kW unit, which is where most living areas land. |
| High-wall large or south-facing living area | $3,800 to $5,500 | A 7 to 8kW unit, which is what south-facing and single-glazed rooms need. |
| Floor console under windows or replacing a fire | $3,000 to $5,500 | 2.5 to 6kW at skirting height, for rooms with no usable high wall. |
| Multi-split 2 to 3 rooms | $5,000 to $9,500 | Living plus bedrooms from one outdoor unit. One position to solve on a steep section, not three. |
| Multi-split 4 or more rooms | $9,000 to $13,000 | Enough heads for a larger home. |
| Ducted whole home | $12,000 to $25,000+ | 10 to 16kW hidden in the ceiling. Even heat everywhere, nothing on the walls. |
You'll get a firm price once your installer has the right measurements and details of your job. Costs can vary a lot, and the cost page goes into why.
What’s included in the price
Supply and install is handled as one job, so there's no chasing a separate supplier and sparky.
- The heat pump, sized to your room
- Wall brackets or a base for the outdoor unit
- Insulated pipework and the condensate drain
- Electrical connection and certification
- Commissioning and a run-through of the controls
- A tidy-up before they leave
- Manufacturer warranty on the unit
- Removal of the old unit, if you're replacing one
How a heat pump installation works
A standard back-to-back install is usually done in a day.
Free quote
Send your suburb, the rooms you want warm, and a note about access if the section is steep. That last part is what makes the price accurate.
Site visit
Your installer measures the rooms, checks the glazing and insulation, and works out the route between the indoor head and the outdoor unit.
The install
Indoor head mounted, the wall penetration drilled, refrigerant lines run and insulated, the outdoor unit set on brackets or a base, then wired in and charged.
Commissioning
Tested, the electrical work certified, and you get shown how to run it for warmth and efficiency rather than just how to switch it on.
Which type of heat pump suits your home
For one or two living spaces a high-wall usually covers it on its own. Where the whole house needs doing, or there's no wall to hang anything on, the other types of heat pump are worth weighing up.
High-wall
Mounted high on the wall, cheapest to buy and fit, and the right answer for most rooms. Capacity is what matters, because an older single-glazed room loses heat faster than its floor area suggests.
Floor console
Sits at skirting height and pushes warm air out at floor level, so it works where there's no usable high wall, and it slots into the space a fire or gas heater came out of.
Multi-split
Several indoor heads off one outdoor unit. On a steep or exposed section that means one outdoor position to solve rather than three, which is worth real money here.
Ducted
Ducted through the roof space to grilles in every room. Nothing visible and even heat throughout, where the roof space allows it.
What size heat pump do you need
Capacity is what decides the figure, and three other things move it once the size is settled. None of the four is the brand on the box.
How far the pipework goes
Straight through the wall to the other side is the cheapest there is. Taking it round the house, up into the roof space or hidden inside a wall all cost more in time and materials.
The outdoor position
Ground level on a wall bracket is simple. Working at height, on a steep section, or fixing to awkward cladding isn't.
The electrical work
A new dedicated circuit or a switchboard upgrade adds cost, though plenty of installs use what's already there.
The capacity
The bigger the room and the faster it loses heat, the more unit it takes, and that moves the price further than the other three put together.
What size for an older Wellington room?
A lot of the housing here is older timber and single glazed, sitting in the path of the southerly, so rooms lose heat about as fast as a unit can replace it. A south-facing lounge in a 1920s villa through Newtown, Berhampore or Mount Cook needs noticeably more than the same floor area in a newer townhouse, and the older timber up through Karori, Kelburn, Wilton and Wadestown asks the same question.
The published guide is 2.5kW for a bedroom or study, 5 to 6kW for an average lounge, and 7 to 8kW for a large or south-facing living area.
How to read two quotes that differ
A cheaper number usually means a smaller unit or a quicker install rather than a better deal, so the useful question is what capacity is being fitted and why that figure. Compare like for like and the gap normally explains itself.
You can get a starting figure from the heat pump sizing calculator in a minute, and your installer confirms it against the actual room. The cost page works through every factor in detail.
Replacing an old heat pump
Ten years or more, struggling, or throwing error codes generally means replacing beats repairing, because parts get scarce and efficiency has moved on. On the exposed south and east coasts there's a second reason: salt works into the thin aluminium fins on the outdoor unit, and once they have corroded it can't shed heat properly whatever you do to it.
The good news on price is that a replacement often reuses what's already there. If the existing brackets, pipework and wiring are still sound they can stay, which takes a chunk off the job, and that gets checked rather than assumed. Pipework that's the wrong size, or contaminated with the old refrigerant, gets replaced instead.
It's also the moment to reconsider the outdoor position while the old one is coming off the wall anyway. A spot where it can't drain, or one that sits in the salt air on a wall facing the sea, is worth moving now rather than living with for another ten years.
If someone else fitted your current unit, that's fine. Your installer will still come out, look at what's there and quote you on a replacement.
Consent and electrical work
A standard residential split system doesn't normally need building consent, and ducted work forming part of a new build or major renovation is usually covered by that project's consent. The region spans five councils, so it's whichever you sit under -- Wellington City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt, Porirua or Kapiti Coast -- that has the final word if your situation is unusual.
The hard-wiring is carried out and certified by a registered electrician, and the refrigerant work by someone holding an approved filler licence, which is a legal requirement in New Zealand. Both are part of the install and the paperwork comes with it.
Two situations come up often here. Apartments and townhouses where a body corporate or cross-lease has rules about what can be fixed to an external wall, and heritage-listed homes through Thorndon and the older inner suburbs. Either is a quote-stage conversation rather than an install-day surprise.
Looking after your heat pump
A heat pump does a lot of the drying-out work through a Wellington winter, so a clean filter and a clear outdoor coil make a real difference to how well it runs and how long it lasts. Once a year is usually enough, and autumn is the time for it rather than the first cold snap.
Near the south or east coast, add a rinse of the outdoor coil with fresh water every few months. A garden hose on a gentle setting, from the side, never a water blaster. Two minutes, and it's the single best thing you can do for the unit's life.
Your local installer services and repairs the systems they installed, so they know how yours was sized and what's behind the wall. Book a service or see what's involved.
Common questions about heat pump installation
How much does heat pump installation cost in Wellington?
Supplied and fitted, about $2,000 to $2,800 for a 2.5kW bedroom unit, $2,800 to $4,200 for a 5 to 6kW lounge unit and $3,800 to $5,500 for a 7 to 8kW large or south-facing room. Multi-splits run roughly $5,000 to $13,000 depending on the number of rooms, and whole-home ducted starts around $12,000.
Why is one quote cheaper than another?
Usually the unit size, the brand tier, or the install standard. A cheap quote can mean an undersized unit or a rushed job, so compare like for like and ask what capacity is being fitted and why. The answer to that question tells you most of what you need.
Does a steep section cost more?
It can. A unit at ground level on a wall bracket is the simple case; working at height, on a steep section, or fixing to awkward cladding takes longer, and so does pipework that is long or concealed. It's labour rather than a problem, and it belongs in the quote rather than turning up afterwards.
Will I need electrical work as well?
Sometimes. If a new dedicated circuit or a switchboard upgrade is needed that adds cost, but plenty of installs simply use the capacity that's already there. It gets checked at the site visit, so it's priced rather than discovered on the day.
What size do I need for an older villa?
More than the floor area alone suggests. Single glazing, uninsulated timber and a south-facing aspect all push a room up a size, so a lounge sitting at 5 to 6kW in a newer townhouse can want the 7 to 8kW size in a 1920s villa.
Can the old pipework and brackets be reused?
Often, yes, and it's worth asking because it takes real money off the job. If the existing brackets, pipework and wiring are sound they can stay. Pipework that's the wrong size or contaminated with the old refrigerant gets replaced instead.
Do I need consent?
Not normally for a standard residential split system. The electrical work is certified as part of the install. Body corporate or cross-lease rules and heritage listings are the two things worth checking first. Your council -- Wellington City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt, Porirua or Kapiti Coast -- is the authority on consent itself.
What does it cost to run?
A heat pump returns around three to four units of heat for every unit of power it draws, which is why it's the cheapest way to keep most homes here warm day to day. Expect roughly $25 to $60 a month added to the bill for a correctly sized living-room unit through winter, depending on the hours and how leaky the house is.
Get a price for your place
Send your suburb, the rooms you want warm and a word about access, and your local installer will measure up and quote a fixed price.