Heating days and cooling days in the same Texas city
A heat pump does both seasons' work, so compare a city's heating and cooling days together. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals give Dallas Fort Worth 2220.2 heating and 2824.0 cooling degree days, Houston Intercontinental 1266.1 and 3287.7, Amarillo 3871.5 and 1608.8, and Lubbock 3243.0 and 1950.3.
Class A and Class B TDLR licenses both apply, with Class B limited to cooling systems of 25 tons and under and heating systems of 1.5 million BTUs per hour and under.
What a heat pump costs in Texas
Our estimate for this job is $3,350 to $9,000 per installed heat pump, a model and not a quote: national published cost ranges adjusted by the wage ratio to the US (0.91), then widened to take in the 2 company prices we counted.
An installed heat pump is estimated at $3,350 to $9,000 per installed heat pump, including a median Texas permit fee of $75 from 11 city schedules. Only two Texas companies publish a price we could count for this job, too few to set a range of their own, so our estimate is widened to take their prices in. It is an estimate, not a quote.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $3,350 to $9,000 per installed heat pump | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Texas HVAC technician wage ratio (0.91) plus a typical permit fee ($75), then widened to take in the lowest and highest of the two Texas company prices for this job ($3,500 to $9,000). Three Texas HVAC companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: small sample (2), national estimate joined with the company range. |
| Technician wage, Texas mean | $28.43 an hour | Mean hourly pay for Texas HVAC technicians, BLS May 2025; a heat pump quote prices the equipment and labor together. |
| Heat pump permit, middle of Texas city fees | $75 | The middle of the equipment-replacement permit totals on 11 Texas city fee schedules; fee structures differ, so it is indicative. |
| Heat pump item on the mechanical permit form, San Antonio | $7.19 per item, with a $57.50 base fee | Form fee; the form carries no effective date. |
| Heat pump rebate, CPS Energy | $90 to $310 per ton | The page prints no program year or expiry. |
| Central heat pump rebate, Brownsville Public Utilities Board | $350 to $400 by SEER2 | Two units per address per fiscal year, as of Oct 16, 2026. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. Only two Texas companies publish a price we could count for this job, too few for a range of their own, so the range is our national estimate widened to take in their lowest and highest prices. Our national estimate takes one published national range for this job (a cost guide from a third-party site that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies it by Texas's HVAC technician mean wage ratio to the US (0.91, BLS OEWS May 2025, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers) and adds a typical permit fee ($75). The wage and permit rows below are what HVAC technicians are paid and what a city charges, and neither is a price. We have not collected quotes. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
Heat pump rebates in Texas as of Oct 23, 2026
CPS Energy's HVAC rebates page lists heat pumps at $90 to $310 per ton, with no program year printed. As of Oct 16, 2026, Brownsville Public Utilities Board paid $350 at 14.3 SEER2 and $400 at 15.2 SEER2 or higher for a central heat pump, for up to two units, with an AHRI-matched coil and condensing unit required. El Paso Electric offers rebates on AHRI-qualified matched systems that meet SEER2 and EER2 minimums, for customers in its Texas service area. Garland Power & Light credits central heat pumps at 15.3 SEER2 or better with a total system change-out.
The state's side is closed for now. SECO's page updated Aug 21, 2026 says rebates are not currently available, and lists HEAR at up to $14,000 per household for income-qualified homes once it launches.
What cities charge to permit a heat pump
San Antonio's fee form lists a heat pump at $7.19 an item alongside a $57.50 base mechanical permit fee, though the form carries no date. Whether your city prices a heat pump as its own line is a question for its permit office.
When the system fails in a hot or cold spell
- You smell gas near a furnace or air handler: leave, then call 911 from outside.
- A carbon monoxide alarm is sounding: go outside and call 911.
- The heat pump works, and you are comparing rebates and quotes.
Before you compare quotes
- Ask your electric utility which heat pump rebate is open this year and what SEER2 it requires.
- Ask each company for its TDLR license class and number.
- Ask whether the quote lists the permit and who applies for it.
Does a heat pump need a permit?
Houston lists new and replacement air conditioning installations as permit-and-inspection work, and Garland requires a permit when a condensing unit or heating unit is replaced. Neither page names heat pumps, so ask your permit office whether yours counts.
Before any work starts, get the license number and check it with your state's licensing board; our state pages link the lookup.
Questions people ask
Are there heat pump rebates in Texas right now?
From some city utilities, yes; from the state, not yet. SECO's Aug 21, 2026 update says its programs are in planning and design. CPS Energy, Brownsville Public Utilities Board, El Paso Electric and Garland Power & Light each describe incentives that name heat pumps or matched systems.
How much is the state's HEAR rebate?
Up to $14,000 per household by technology, for income-qualified households, once the program launches. SECO says the funding comes from a $690 million DOE allocation and that the launch date waits on DOE approval.
Does a heat pump need a different TDLR license than an AC?
TDLR names one ACR contractor license, in Class A and Class B. TDLR's endorsements are Environmental Air Conditioning, Commercial Refrigeration and Process Cooling or Heating. Each license carries only one endorsement.
Do utility rebates require a TDLR license number?
Brownsville's does. The board's page says the installation must be completed by an air conditioning contractor and the TACL license number must be on the application. Check each utility's own conditions.
- BLS Public Data API v1, OEWS Read Oct 23, 2026.
- HVACMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- San Antonio DSD: Mechanical Permit Application (PDF) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- CPS Energy: HVAC Rebates Read Oct 23, 2026.
- BPUB: Go Green Rebates Read Oct 23, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal station file Read Oct 23, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal station file Read Oct 23, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal station file Read Oct 23, 2026.
- NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal station file Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDLR: Apply for a Contractor License Read Oct 23, 2026.
- SECO: Inflation Reduction Act Rebates and Tax Credits (Texas Home Energy Rebates) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- El Paso Electric: Refrigerated Cooling rebate (Texas) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Garland Power & Light: EnergySaver Program Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Houston Permitting Center: Mechanical Inspections Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Garland: Air Conditioning Repairs Read Oct 23, 2026.