Find Contractors Who Care
Simple steps to find a contractor who will put your needs first.
Like with car mechanics and arborists, you don’t want to take chances with your heat pump installer. Let’s find you a contractor who won’t overcharge and who will pick up the phone if there are issues later on.
We’d love to give you a list of three contractors and say, “Any one of these will do!” But you know how financial products have that fine print: “Past performance does not guarantee future returns?” That’s the position we’re in, too.
We wrote this document to make it as easy as possible to find a trustworthy contractor despite this bind. There are two paths we recommend. Each is based on how you’ve found contractors in the past—not everyone does this in the same way!
🗣️Word of Mouth
Do you ask around for recommendations from friends, neighbours, or family, then call up the first company that gets a glowing recommendation? Check out our 1-Call Contractor Plan.
📝Online Research
Do you research contractors online and then get at least 3 quotes? Our Contractor Research Checklist is for you.
📞1-Call
Ok, this is going to sound like I'm adding more work to your project, but this one call actually isn’t to a contractor!
Before calling up contractors (especially if you’re putting in your first heat pump!!), we always recommend getting in touch with either Sarah Grant from Goldfinch Energy or Michelle Hjort from Energy Neighbour—they’re both Retrofit Advisors who have helped on hundreds and hundreds of heat pump installations in Toronto.
⚠️We do not get kickbacks or commissions for recommending Sarah or Michelle!
How they help you get your heat pump installed
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They’ve worked with many, many contractors in Toronto. They’ll connect you with the ones that don’t just see you as a piggy bank.
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They’ll give you cost estimates before you even get contractors on the phone. This gives you a huge leg up over homeowners who go in blind.
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They’ll make sure your home is heat pump ready by checking things that even some highly recommended heat pump installers miss, like duct sizing.
🚗In other words, Goldfinch Energy and Energy Neighbour are like the friend you beg to go car shopping with you—they’ll tell it to you straight!
What's the cost?
Will working with Goldfinch or Energy Neighbour cost you anything? It depends!
Goldfinch Energy
Goldfinch offers products like Heat Pump Sizing, Energy Assessments, and Electrification Roadmaps, which cost ~$500.
That’s not nothing, but you’re paying for due diligence and peace of mind in an area that’s full of new terminology.
Energy Neighbour
Energy Neighbour offers no-cost energy retrofit consulting. Ask all your heat pump and other retrofit questions—for free!
They recover a referral fee from some of their contractors, but the contractor pays it—not you, and there is no obligation.
Make that 1 call to save yourself headaches down the line. You can book free intro calls with either Goldfinch or Energy Neighbour online. In project after project, these two are the difference between stress and success. Plus, they love what they do. Don’t be shy!
📝Research Checklist
Reading “glowing” online reviews for contractors can still leave you feeling uneasy. Even if your BS-detector is finely tuned, sponsored reviews can still sneak past.
The steps below combine word of mouth and vetted contractor directories to help you make a shortlist of heat pump installers you actually feel good about.
Step 1: Success Stories
Browse the Success Stories page of our website.
Each story has how much they paid for their heat pump and the contractor they used. You can find installations that match your motivation, too. For example, Debbie was all about carbon reduction, Adam & Monica wanted a carbon monoxide-free home, and Mary just needed to replace some old equipment!
Step 2: Neighbourhood Groups
Harbord Village Residents' Association, a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, has a heat pump page. On it, they collected the heat pump installers who people in their neighbourhood used. The Pocket Change Project, a neighbourhood group in Toronto's East End, has something similar here. Adding a few contractors from each to your call list is a good practice.
Final Step: Vetted Directories
At this point, you probably have a solid list, but it’s worth searching these two directories of pre-vetted contractors as well: Toronto Hydro's Cleantech Services Directory and the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada's (HRAI) Contractor Locator. Both are updated regularly, and contractors must pass more stringent checks than websites like HomeStars.
🤩Heat Pumps Are Awesome
Now it’s time to pick up the phone! But knowing what to ask can feel intimidating, especially if you're new to heat pumps. Our free Contractor Cue Card has 7 questions to make sure you don't miss out on money-back incentives and free extended warranties.
Get the Contractor Cue Card
Here's a sneak peek of the Cue Card!
91% of heat pump owners would recommend one to their neighbour. Every time they whir to life, they keep fossil fuels in the ground—installing a heat pump improves your home comfort and helps the environment. We're pumped for you to get yours!