When ductless is the right call
Ductless systems make the most sense when running ducts would be expensive or impossible:
- Homes on baseboard heaters. Many Burnaby, Coquitlam and Surrey houses from the 1960s to the 1980s and most older Vancouver basement suites were built without ducts.
- Additions and converted spaces where extending ducts from the furnace isn't practical.
- Condos and apartments, where a single head on a balcony or a wall can replace the baseboards in the main living space - subject to strata approval.
- Rooms the furnace never reaches, like a hot upstairs bedroom in summer.
Single-zone, multi-zone and multi-split
A single-zone system pairs one outdoor unit with one indoor head. It's the simplest and cheapest way to heat and cool one open area.
A multi-split connects one outdoor unit to two to five indoor heads, each with its own thermostat. It's the usual whole-home option for a baseboard house and keeps the outside of the house to one unit - which matters in Vancouver, where only one exterior unit per yard is allowed outright.
Indoor heads come as wall-mounted (most common, lowest cost), ceiling cassettes (cleaner look, needs ceiling space) and floor consoles (good under windows or in rooms with sloped ceilings).
Find out how many heads your home needs
We'll measure each room's heat loss and lay out a system that keeps the outside of your house to one unit where possible.
What affects the price
| Item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single-zone ductless mini-split | $5,500–$9,500 | One indoor head, short line-set run |
| 2-zone ductless multi-split | $9,500–$15,000 | |
| 3–4 zone ductless multi-split | $13,000–$21,000 | |
| Central ducted heat pump (existing ducts) | $14,000–$20,000 | Most single systems in Metro Vancouver land near $15,000 |
| Dual fuel (heat pump + gas furnace) | $15,000–$22,000 |
The biggest variables are the number of heads, how far the refrigerant lines run between indoor and outdoor units, whether lines can be hidden inside walls or need a covered line-set channel outside, and whether your electrical panel has room for a new circuit.
Rebates for ductless systems
If your home is heated with electric baseboards, a whole-home ductless system can qualify for $4,000, and a partial system for $1,500, through the CleanBC Better Homes standard rebate paid by BC Hydro or FortisBC. For homes over 1,200 square feet, the whole-home rebate needs a multi-split or central system. See the full details in our BC heat pump rebate guide.