Before a heat-pump quote visit, gather what you already know about your heating and cooling equipment, the rooms that need attention, and any changes you plan to make to the house. A few photographs, service records, and specific observations give the contractor a useful starting point. You do not need to choose a system size, inspect wiring, or decide whether your electrical panel needs an upgrade.

This checklist is for homeowners preparing for an on-site assessment in Saratoga Springs and Utah County. You can complete it from household records and areas you normally use. Leave inaccessible equipment alone and write “unknown” wherever you need the contractor’s help.

If an AC breakdown prompted your interest in a heat pump, explain that when booking. You can request AC repair and diagnosis from Larsen Heating & Air before deciding whether replacement belongs in the conversation. Preparing for a quote does not commit you to replacing working equipment.

Start with the job you want the system to do

Write one sentence describing why you requested the visit. Perhaps you want to plan ahead for an aging AC, improve comfort in a finished basement, or explore heating and cooling options during a renovation. Keep the description specific to your home.

Then identify the spaces involved. Is the project for the entire house, one floor, or an addition? Are there rooms you rarely use that will soon become bedrooms or a home office? Tell the contractor about those changes before equipment is selected.

If you are still weighing system types, Larsen’s heat-pump installation guide for Utah County explains the broader options. For the visit itself, focus on the information the contractor needs to assess your home.

Choose your top priorities and put them in order. More even bedroom temperatures, less equipment noise, simpler controls, keeping a newer furnace, and a manageable project budget may lead to different conversations. If two people in the household have different priorities, record both. That is useful information to discuss before the proposal is written.

Gather existing equipment and fuel information

Start with paperwork: installation invoices, maintenance reports, manuals, and any recent repair recommendations. ENERGY STAR’s guidance for preparing to hire an HVAC contractor specifically recommends knowing your current equipment model and maintenance history and noting uncomfortable rooms.

For each system, record what you know:

  • Heating: Furnace, heat pump, boiler, electric baseboard, or another system; fuel used, if known.
  • Cooling: Central AC, heat pump, window units, or no installed cooling.
  • Equipment identity: Manufacturer and model from existing records or an easily visible exterior label.
  • Installation history: Documented installation year, or your best recollection clearly identified as an estimate.
  • Recent work: Repairs, recurring problems, and parts replaced, with invoices if available.
  • Equipment locations: Where the indoor equipment, outdoor unit, and thermostats are located.

A picture of an accessible exterior label can be easier than copying a long model number. Do not remove equipment panels, reach into a cabinet, or climb into an attic to get it. The contractor can identify equipment you cannot safely access.

If you have more than one system, label your notes by the area it serves, such as “upstairs” and “main floor.” Keep the matching invoices together where possible. Do not assume two outdoor units are identical because they look similar.

Also explain what you hope to retain. If you recently replaced a furnace or bought a thermostat you like, say so. Ask the contractor to assess whether it can be part of the proposed arrangement; having a model number is a starting point, not proof of compatibility.

Collect electrical information without opening covers

You can prepare this section with photographs of the closed panel exterior and information from existing inspection or electrical-work records. Note the panel’s location and any rating or manufacturer information already safely visible. If a detail requires opening a cover, removing screws, touching wiring, or reaching past an obstruction, leave it for the electrician.

Include other electrical projects you are considering, such as an EV charger, electric cooking, or a water-heater change. ENERGY STAR’s electric-ready planning guidance recommends discussing panel capacity and planned appliances with a licensed electrician.

Do not treat a panel rating or an apparent empty breaker position as approval for a heat pump. Those observations cannot replace a qualified assessment of the proposed equipment, existing loads, and electrical work. Having central AC also does not establish whether the proposed system will need electrical changes.

Your preparation list can stay short:

  • Where is the electrical panel, and how will the contractor reach it?
  • Do you have documentation of a panel or service upgrade?
  • Are there additional panels you already know about?
  • Have you experienced breaker trips or other electrical concerns that you should report?
  • What other major electrical additions are planned?

Report concerns from memory or existing records. Do not operate breakers or try to reproduce a problem for the appointment. Ask who will evaluate electrical capacity and how any required electrical work will be coordinated.

Describe the ducts and rooms as you experience them

For a home with ducts, make a simple list of rooms that do not stay comfortable. Include what happens and when: an upstairs bedroom feels warm in late afternoon, a basement office feels cold during work hours, or one room changes noticeably when its door is closed.

You do not have to explain the cause. A useful note separates observation from diagnosis. “The back bedroom feels warmer than the hallway after lunch” gives the contractor something to investigate without assuming a larger heat pump will solve it.

From normal living areas, note the locations of supply registers and return grilles if you recognize them. Mention rooms with no obvious register, grilles blocked by furniture, and additions that seem to be served differently from the original house. Leave attic, crawlspace, and concealed duct inspections to the contractor.

Existing ducts need evaluation before reuse. ENERGY STAR’s HVAC quality-installation guidance recommends checking ducts for leaks and verifying airflow against the equipment manufacturer’s requirements. A room-by-room comfort list helps explain your priorities, but it does not establish whether ducts are correctly sized or need repairs.

If the home has no ducts, say that early. Describe which rooms need heating and cooling and where you would be comfortable having indoor equipment. You can discuss possible locations during the visit without selecting equipment or deciding how it should be installed.

Bring thermostat details and everyday comfort goals

Photograph the thermostat’s front and record its model from a manual or an app’s equipment-information screen, if available. Note whether you use a schedule, remote room sensors, separate thermostats for different floors, or an app. There is no need to remove the thermostat from the wall or inspect its wires.

Describe how you actually use it. Include your preferred sleeping temperature, daytime settings, work-from-home schedule, and any controls you find confusing. If someone in the household needs a straightforward physical control rather than an app, make that a requirement from the beginning.

Ask whether your existing thermostat will work with the proposed system and what controls would be needed if another heat source remains. The Department of Energy’s Building Science Education material on heat-pump and dual-fuel controls treats thermostat setup and coordination between heating components as part of system design.

Do not change installer settings to prepare for the visit. Your current preferences and equipment information are enough to start the discussion. Save setup decisions and operating instructions for the contractor’s assessment of the actual system.

Share home changes that could affect sizing

Gather any floor plans, addition drawings, or energy-assessment reports you already have. Write down approximate floor area if known, but distinguish finished, regularly occupied rooms from spaces you are planning to finish later.

Mention completed and planned changes to windows, insulation, air sealing, or room use. Include a basement finish or addition even if construction has not started. The contractor needs to know whether the proposal should address today’s home, a future layout, or a project completed in stages.

ENERGY STAR recommends that contractors use a Manual J heating and cooling load calculation to determine the home’s needs. A load calculation estimates how much heating and cooling the building requires. It is different from simply reading the size of the old equipment.

Ask what measurements and home details the contractor will use. Avoid choosing a size from square footage alone or assuming the existing unit’s capacity is the right replacement capacity.

The NEEP sizing and selection guide hosted by DOE also identifies insulation, air leakage, and duct problems as issues to address when planning a system. Use the visit to discuss the order of proposed improvements. If insulation work is already scheduled, the contractor should know about it before finalizing equipment selection.

Bring utility history and practical project constraints

If you want to discuss operating costs, have a year of available electric and heating-fuel bills ready. Keep the usage amounts and billing periods visible, along with costs. Note unusual circumstances, such as a long vacancy, a newly occupied basement, or equipment that was broken for part of a season.

Ask the contractor what additional information would be needed for a useful operating-cost estimate. Your records provide context; they do not establish what a different system will cost to run. You do not need to calculate savings before the visit.

Write down your project budget and preferred timing. Explain whether the current system is working and whether you are planning ahead or need a prompt response to a failure. Mention any dates when the home will be unavailable for work.

Prepare access information, too. Tell the contractor about locked gates, narrow routes to equipment, pets, storage near the mechanical area, and any access arrangements that need advance notice. Identify outdoor areas you use for seating, play, or walkways so you can discuss equipment placement together.

If an owner, property manager, or homeowners association needs to be involved, gather the contact information or written requirements you already have. Ask the contractor which approvals and permits apply to the proposed work rather than assuming the rules for a neighbor’s installation are the same.

Copy this worksheet for the appointment

Use this as a paper checklist or copy it into a note on your phone. The blanks are for your household’s information. “Unknown” is a useful answer when a detail needs professional confirmation.

Your goals

  • Main reason for the visit: ____________________
  • Whole house, selected rooms, or addition: ____________________
  • Most important comfort improvement: ____________________
  • Other priorities or equipment you hope to keep: ____________________
  • Budget and preferred timing: ____________________

Current equipment

  • Heating equipment and fuel, if known: ____________________
  • Cooling equipment: ____________________
  • Models and documented installation dates available: ____________________
  • Recent repairs or recurring concerns: ____________________
  • Indoor equipment, outdoor equipment, and thermostat locations: ____________________

Electrical information already available

  • Panel location and access notes: ____________________
  • Closed-panel photo or existing electrical records available: ____________________
  • Planned EV charger or other electrical additions: ____________________
  • Electrical concerns to report to the professional: ____________________

Comfort, ducts, and controls

  • Rooms that feel too warm or cold, and when: ____________________
  • Known register, return, or access concerns: ____________________
  • Thermostat model, sensors, and schedules: ____________________
  • Controls or temperature preferences to discuss: ____________________

Home and project records

  • Floor plans, energy reports, or utility history available: ____________________
  • Recent or planned insulation, window, or layout changes: ____________________
  • Access, pets, outdoor-space, or approval considerations: ____________________

Final preparation

  • ☐ Gather available invoices, manuals, and photographs in one place.
  • ☐ Identify the rooms you want the contractor to see.
  • ☐ Share household priorities with everyone attending the visit.
  • ☐ Tell the contractor about access restrictions before arrival.
  • ☐ Leave equipment covers, panel covers, wiring, and installer settings alone.

Use the visit to resolve what you cannot know in advance

Walk through the comfort concerns first, then share your records. Ask the contractor to explain what still needs measurement or confirmation before the recommendation is final. Useful questions include:

1. What heating and cooling load calculation will you use for this home?

2. What duct and airflow checks are needed before existing ducts can be reused?

3. Who will determine whether electrical changes are necessary?

4. Can the equipment and thermostat I hope to keep work with the proposed system?

5. How will the design address heating needs during cold weather, including any supplemental heat?

6. What information or follow-up visit is still needed before you can finalize the scope?

Keep a short note of unanswered questions and who will follow up. You should leave the visit understanding the next step, even if equipment selection takes more investigation.

Larsen provides HVAC services in Saratoga Springs and heat-pump installation services in Utah County. When you are ready, contact Larsen Heating & Air to request an assessment. Tell the team what you want to improve, whether your current system is working, and which records you have gathered.