Two-Contractor Coordination
Also known as: Coordinated installelectrical + HVAC coordinationsplit-scope install
A two-contractor coordination is the typical structure of a heat pump install (or HPWH install) where two separately-licensed contractors work in parallel on different scopes of the same project. For a heat pump HVAC install:
- Contractor 1 (C-20 HVAC): installs the heat pump unit, refrigerant line set, indoor and outdoor units, refrigerant charge, condensate drain, system commissioning. Provides AHRI certificate. - Contractor 2 (C-10 Electrical, Sunrise): runs the dedicated 240V circuit from the panel to the outdoor unit, installs the disconnect, pulls electrical permit, coordinates inspection. Provides itemized invoice + inspection sign-off.
The customer signs separate contracts with each contractor. Both contractors pull their own permits and coordinate their own inspections with the AHJ. The two installs run in parallel or sequentially depending on access and timing.
Many homeowners assume one contractor does everything — that's a general-contractor (GC) arrangement. Most heat pump installs in our area use the two-contractor model instead because the specialized scopes warrant specialized contractors. The benefits: each contractor is licensed for their scope, each does their own work to spec, each inspects their own scope. The downside: requires coordination, and you sign two contracts instead of one.
We use the two-contractor model on every heat pump and HPWH project — those need a C-20 partner for the equipment side while we run the electrical infrastructure. For gas-to-induction range conversions specifically (where someone is replacing a gas range with an induction range), we'll coordinate with a plumber to remove or cap the gas line — that's the other case where a second contractor enters the picture. Pure electric-to-induction swaps and other dedicated-circuit work are single-contractor (just us). Solar and battery installs are NOT two-contractor coordinations for Sunrise — those are in-house single-contractor projects since C-10 covers solar PV.
Met this term in a quote or inspection report?
A free whole-home inspection turns jargon into a written assessment of your actual house — you keep the report either way.