The most common question we get after price is time. Not "how long will the equipment last" — that one comes later — but "how long will my house be torn up?"
The honest answer is shorter than most people fear. A standard ducted heat pump changeout in Federal Way, Kent, Puyallup or Olympia is a one-day job. Six to ten hours, crew in, crew out, heat and cooling working before dinner. What people actually underestimate is the calendar around the install — the estimate, the equipment, the permit — which is where the real weeks live.
Here's the full picture, stage by stage, with the honest list of what stretches it.
The short answer: one day for most homes
If you have existing ductwork in decent shape, a panel with capacity, and a straightforward spot for the outdoor unit, your heat pump installation is a single-day job. That covers the large majority of Puget Sound homes — the 1970s to 1990s ramblers and split-levels that make up so much of King and Pierce County housing stock.
A rough shape of the day:
| Time | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Time8:00 – 8:30 am | What's happeningCrew arrives, walkthrough, floor and doorway protection laid down |
| Time8:30 – 10:30 am | What's happeningRefrigerant recovered, old outdoor unit and air handler or coil removed |
| Time10:30 – 1:00 pm | What's happeningNew indoor unit set, plenum transitions fabricated, lineset run |
| Time1:00 – 3:00 pm | What's happeningOutdoor unit set on pad, electrical and disconnect, condensate handled |
| Time3:00 – 5:00 pm | What's happeningVacuum and charge, thermostat wired, startup and testing |
| Time5:00 – 6:00 pm | What's happeningCleanup, homeowner walkthrough, warranty registration, paperwork |
That's a healthy 8-hour day with no surprises. Some finish in six. Some run past five o'clock. Crews plan for one job per day precisely so nobody is racing the clock on your refrigerant charge — a rushed startup is how you get a system that underperforms for fifteen years.
Ductless is often faster
A single-zone mini-split for a bonus room, garage or ADU commonly takes 4 to 6 hours. There's no ductwork to touch, no plenum to fabricate — a wall penetration, a lineset, an indoor head, an outdoor condenser, and a dedicated circuit. Multi-zone is a different story, covered below.
What actually turns one day into two
We'd rather tell you this at the estimate than at 4:45 pm on install day.
- New or heavily modified ductwork. If the ducts are undersized, corroded, or the old flex is falling apart, ductwork work adds time. Simple modifications add a few hours to a day. A full replacement is a 2 to 4 day project on its own, usually bundled with the equipment install into one coordinated visit.
- Electrical panel work. Most homes with a 100-amp panel or larger add a heat pump with no upgrade. But a full panel or an old fuse box means a licensed electrician's scope on top of ours, and that's a separate day of work to coordinate.
- Multi-zone ductless. Three or four indoor heads means three or four linesets routed through finished walls, each one drilled, sealed and pressure-tested. Two days is normal. One long day is possible but not something to promise.
- Tough access. Tight crawl spaces, low attics, third-floor closets, and equipment that has to be carried instead of rolled all add real hours.
- Relocating the outdoor unit. Moving it away from a bedroom window or a property line means new lineset routing, sometimes new pad and electrical runs.
- Salt-air and waterfront placement. Coastal homes in Des Moines, Steilacoom, Gig Harbor and Dash Point often need thought about siting and corrosion-resistant coil coatings. That's a design decision made at the estimate, not a delay on install day.
The calendar around the day
This is the part that actually determines when you're comfortable.
Step 1 — Estimate visit (60 to 90 minutes)
A technician measures the home, runs a real load calculation, inspects the ductwork and electrical, and looks at outdoor placement. You get a written proposal with Good, Better and Best equipment tiers. This is a sales appointment — you'll be asked to make a decision — but you leave with numbers in writing, not a mystery.
Want a number before anyone visits? The instant estimate tool asks seven questions about your home and shows Good, Better and Best starting prices in about 60 seconds. Final pricing is confirmed at the in-home visit.
Step 2 — Signing to install day (usually 1 to 3 weeks)
Equipment gets ordered, the permit gets pulled, the crew gets scheduled. Timing swings with the season. March through May and September through October book fastest. The first hard freeze of the winter and the first 90°F week of summer are the two moments when everyone in Puget Sound calls at once and lead times stretch.
Step 3 — Install day (the 6 to 10 hours above)
Step 4 — Permit inspection (after you're already running)
Washington requires a mechanical permit on nearly every heat pump installation, including like-for-like replacements. The inspection happens after the system is installed and operating, so it costs you zero comfort. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection on every job — no exceptions, and no asking the homeowner to do it.
Step 5 — Rebate paperwork (weeks, not your problem)
Qualifying installations can earn up to $4,400 toward a heat pump when it replaces an existing electric or fossil-fuel system; the exact amount depends on what you're replacing and what you install. Programs change — we confirm your current eligibility and handle the paperwork. Worth knowing: from April 2, 2026, PSE rebates require a PSE-certified installer. Varsity is PSE Certified. Rebate eligibility also follows the meter, not the county line, so we check which utility bills your address before promising anything. More detail in our PSE rebate breakdown.
How to make install day go faster
None of this is required, but all of it helps:
- Clear a path. From the front door to the furnace closet, crawl space hatch, or attic access.
- Clear 3 feet around the indoor equipment. Storage boxes stacked against an air handler cost real minutes.
- Clear the outdoor unit area. Trim back shrubs, move the garden hose reel, unlock the side gate.
- Contain pets. Doors are open and propped for most of the day.
- Know where your panel is. And clear access to it.
- Plan to be present at the start and the end. The final walkthrough is where you learn your new thermostat, and it's worth twenty minutes of your attention.
Emergency versus planned timelines
If your system died in January, the timeline compresses out of necessity — diagnostic visit, then replacement scheduled as fast as equipment allows. That's a worse way to buy. You get fewer quotes, less time to compare tiers, and no flexibility on scheduling.
If your system is 12 to 15 years old and still limping, the smarter play is scheduling the estimate in a shoulder season while you still have working heat. Same equipment, same price — the honest difference is that you get to think. Curious what it costs before you call? Start with our Washington heat pump cost guide.
The bottom line
One day of on-site work for most homes. Two days if ducts, panel, or multiple ductless zones are involved. One to three weeks from signature to install. A permit inspection afterward that doesn't inconvenience you. And a 10-year parts and labor warranty on the whole thing when we do it.
Ready to see a real number and a real date? Request a free in-home estimate or call (253) 785-4622, Monday through Friday, 8 to 6. We answer the phone — including after the check clears.