Des Moines and Burien share a coastline, a housing vintage, and a climate — and they share almost the same heat pump pricing. What they do not share is one answer on rebates. Des Moines is served by one electric utility citywide. Burien is split down the middle between Seattle City Light and a second electric utility, address by address. That single detail changes the bottom line by thousands of dollars, and it is the thing most quotes get wrong.
Here are the real 2026 numbers, and what actually drives them on this stretch of the sound.
The short answer: 2026 installed ranges
Both cities price in our standard market tier. These are installed costs — equipment, labor, materials, permit.
| System | Installed range |
|---|---|
| SystemDucted heat pump (whole home) | Installed range$12,000 – $18,000 |
| SystemDuctless mini-split | Installed range$8,000 – $14,000 |
| SystemHeat pump replacement (like-for-like) | Installed range$10,000 – $16,000 |
| SystemHeat pump repair | Installed range$150 – $1,500 |
| SystemDuctwork replacement or modification | Installed range$3,000 – $8,000 |
One note on geography: waterfront Normandy Park, wedged between the two, sits in a higher market tier — $13,800 to $21,600 for a ducted heat pump. Larger homes, harder access, and heavier equipment do cost more to install, and we would rather say that out loud than surprise you with it later.
What actually moves the price here
Ductwork condition
Des Moines and Burien housing skews 1950s through 1980s: ramblers, split-levels, and mid-century boxes up on the bluff. Many have original ductwork in crawl spaces that stay damp nine months a year. Sheet metal corrodes, insulation on flex duct sags and separates, and a leaky duct system will happily throw away 20% of what your brand-new heat pump produces. If the ducts test badly, we say so — sealing or replacing a section is money better spent than a bigger outdoor unit.
Duct-free houses
Plenty of the older cottages closer to the marina and along Ambaum were never ducted at all. They were heated with electric baseboards, a wall furnace, or a single floor register. Retrofitting ducts into a finished 1,300 square foot home is invasive and expensive, which is why ductless mini-splits usually win in those houses — $8,000 to $14,000, one to four indoor heads, sized zone by zone.
Equipment tier
Every estimate we write shows Good, Better, and Best. The jump is mostly single-stage versus two-stage versus variable-speed. Variable-speed equipment costs more up front and runs quieter, holds temperature tighter, and dehumidifies better through our sticky late-summer weeks. It is a comfort upgrade, not a magic savings machine. We install Day & Night as our primary ducted line, plus Carrier and American Standard, and Mitsubishi, Daikin, and Hitachi on the ductless side.
Electrical
A ducted heat pump typically needs a 30 to 40 amp 240-volt circuit; a mini-split needs 15 to 30 amps. Most homes here with a 100-amp panel or larger absorb that without a panel upgrade. The exception is the occasional 60-amp fuse box still hiding in an unrenovated Burien basement — that one needs an electrician before we set equipment.
Salt air and outdoor placement
This is the local one. Redondo, Three Tree Point, Seahurst, and the bluff-front streets on both sides of the line get real marine exposure. Salt accelerates corrosion on the outdoor coil and cabinet. On those homes we recommend corrosion-resistant coil coatings — BlueFin or Gold Fin — and semi-annual maintenance instead of annual. We also fight for placement: off the prevailing wind side of the house where possible, on a level pad above splash and standing water, and away from bedroom windows and the property line.
Rebates follow the meter, not the city line
Des Moines
Straightforward. One utility provides both the electricity and the natural gas. That means local utility rebate money is on the table for a qualifying heat pump that replaces an existing electric or fossil-fuel system, with the amount depending on what you are replacing and what you install. Converting from electric baseboards or a wall heater is the classic case. Income-qualified gas conversions are worth more. We confirm what your utility actually pays before we quote, and we file the paperwork.
Burien
Burien is one of five cities in our service area where electric service is split — some addresses are Seattle City Light, some belong to the other electric utility. Gas, where it exists, comes from a single provider. So the honest answer is: we check. If your power bill says City Light, City Light's own programs apply. If it says the other utility, that utility's programs apply instead, and we confirm those before we put a number on paper. A contractor who promises you rebate money in Burien without looking at your utility account is guessing with your money.
Two more things worth knowing in 2026. The federal 25C tax credit ended December 31, 2025 — no 2026 install qualifies, and anyone still advertising it is selling you a stale brochure. And utility rebate programs pay only through their own contractor networks, and those rules change — so we confirm the current requirements and your eligibility before we quote, not after. We file the paperwork once the job is booked. More detail lives in our breakdown of heat pump rebates in Washington.
24°F design temperature: why sizing matters more than horsepower
Washington's energy code lists a 24°F winter design temperature for both Des Moines and Burien — the same as Seattle and Federal Way, and among the mildest numbers in the state. Every load calculation we run is against that figure.
What that means practically: a correctly sized heat pump carries these houses through a normal winter without leaning on backup heat. This is genuinely excellent heat pump climate, and it is why we rarely recommend gas backup on this side of the hill.
What it does not mean is that bigger is better. Oversized systems short-cycle, swing temperature, remove less moisture, and wear out early. A real Manual J calculation — insulation, windows, ceiling height, orientation, air leakage — is included in every estimate we write at no extra cost. Most homes here land between 2 and 4 tons.
Repair, or replace?
If your existing heat pump is under about 10 years old and the repair costs less than half a replacement, fix it. We will tell you that even when a replacement is the bigger ticket. At 12 to 15 years, especially on old R-22 equipment where refrigerant alone is punishing, replacement at $10,000 to $16,000 with a 10-year parts and labor warranty is usually the better use of the money.
Get a real number
Want a ballpark before anyone visits? Our instant estimate tool asks seven questions about your home and shows Good, Better, and Best starting prices in about 60 seconds.
When you are ready for the firm number, request a free in-home estimate or call (253) 785-4622, Monday through Friday, 8 to 6. We are based on S 344th St in Federal Way — ten minutes from either city. We measure the house, test the ducts, check whose meter is on the wall, and hand you written options with no manufactured urgency.
Not the cheapest bid. The one done right by people who answer the phone after the check clears.