Replacing your gas furnace with a heat pump means new electrical: a dedicated circuit sized for the heat pump's draw, plus the aux heat strip if equipped. We do the electrical side and coordinate with your HVAC contractor.
Heat pumps are the centerpiece of residential electrification — one system that replaces the gas furnace for heating and the air conditioner for cooling, running at roughly three to four times the efficiency of what it replaces. Going from gas heat to a heat pump is the single biggest electrification move most homes make.
The electrical side: a heat pump needs a dedicated 240V circuit. The amperage depends on the tonnage and whether the system includes an electric aux heat strip for cold-snap backup. Common sizes run 30A for smaller systems up to 50A or 60A for a whole-home system with aux heat.
We do the electrical side: panel-capacity check, circuit run from the panel to the heat pump location, breaker and disconnect install, AHJ permit, inspection. Your HVAC contractor handles the heat pump itself, the refrigerant line set, and the indoor air handler — that's C-20 scope, and the two-contractor split is how this work is done right. We coordinate so the electrical is ready the day the HVAC install happens.
One flag worth raising before you're deep in quotes: a heat pump is a significant continuous load, and on many older Santa Cruz County panels the load calc says the panel goes first. We run the load calculation at the free inspection so you know before either contract is signed.
A tech runs the load calculation on your panel, looks at the proposed equipment location and circuit route, and sends a written quote. If the panel needs an upgrade first, you find out here — not mid-project.
We sync with your HVAC contractor's install date so the circuit, breaker, and disconnect are in place before the equipment arrives. If a panel upgrade is part of the project, it goes first.
Circuit run from the panel, disconnect mounted at the equipment location, terminations torqued and labeled. Power is only down briefly while we land the new breaker.
AHJ inspection coordinated — often combined with the HVAC final. We leave the documentation package: permit, inspection sign-off, and the panel-schedule update your records (and any rebate paperwork) want.
Quotes are free and specific. The electrical scope for a heat pump is mostly set by three things: whether your panel has the headroom, the amperage the equipment needs, and how far the run is. The factors below are what actually move the number — the free inspection turns them into a written quote before you commit to anything on the HVAC side.
“Thank you to the Sunrise Electrical Contracting team for updating the new main electrical system on my mom's home after the storm damaged the power lines and home equipment this winter… They replaced Main Service Upgrade Overhead, and added a Sub-Panel Install/Replacement Outdoors… the team of Branden, Jimmy, Ian, and Tylor worked long hours during the storm for a few days to get us up and running again before the next storm arrived.”
“Sunrise Electrical rewired our house, replacing the old knob-and-tube wiring with seamless, safe, and up-to-code wiring at a very reasonable price. They were incredibly efficient, worked cleanly, and addressed all our questions and concerns with care. We can't recommend them highly enough!”
“Branden & his experienced crew installed a Level 2 electric charger together with an extra 240v outlet in our Live Oak garage. They were informed, congenial, & professional and their work was timely and permitted as required by the County. (The cost of the County permit was 53% of the entire project cost — no 5 stars for the County.) I highly recommend Sunrise Electrical!”
Pulled from what we actually hear on quotes and on-site. If yours isn't here, ask us — we'll answer in plain English.
We'd rather you get the right outcome than the Sunrise outcome. Some of this points away from us on purpose.
Find a licensed CSLB C-10 electrical contractor to pair with your HVAC contractor. Verify both licenses at cslb.ca.gov — the electrical scope should be its own permitted work.
Browse our field guidesThe federal 25C credit covered qualifying heat pumps and the panel upgrade supporting them, until it ended in 2025. The guide covers what happened and what replaced it.
What happened to the federal tax creditA free whole-home inspection maps your panel headroom against everything you're planning — heat pump, EV, induction — so you sequence it once, correctly.
Schedule a free inspectionFrom Davenport to Pajaro Dunes, San Lorenzo Valley to Pleasure Point. Same crew, same warranty, same pricing.
Free inspection, real load calc, and electrical that's ready the day your HVAC contractor shows up. 20-year guarantee on the work.