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Heat pump installation in North Vancouver

North Vancouver is two municipalities, the City and the District, and each issues its own electrical and gas permits and has its own bylaws. Add steep lots, heavy rain and a lot of older suited homes, and the right heat pump plan depends on which side of the boundary you are on. We handle the permits for both.

Free North Vancouver heat pump quote

$4,000BC rebate for electrically heated homes
  • Free in-home quote with a written, itemized price
  • Rebate-eligible equipment and the heat load calculation the programs require
  • Electrical and gas permits pulled for every install
(604) 332-3083

Neighbourhoods we serve in North Vancouver

  • Lower Lonsdale
  • Central Lonsdale
  • Upper Lonsdale
  • Moodyville
  • Lynn Valley
  • Edgemont
  • Capilano
  • Blueridge
  • Deep Cove
  • Seymour
  • Dollarton
  • Delbrook
Map of the 14 Metro Vancouver communities we serveSurreyVancouverRichmondCoquitlamBurnabyNew WestminsterNorth VancouverWest VancouverPort CoquitlamPort MoodyLangleyDeltaMaple RidgeWhite Rock

North Vancouver homes and the systems that suit them

1950s to 1970s houses with basement suites in Moodyville, Central Lonsdale, Lynn Valley and Edgemont typically have a gas furnace and ducts that a ducted heat pump can reuse. The suite gets its own ductless head so it can be heated and billed separately.

Sloped and view lots in Capilano, Delbrook and Blueridge mean the outdoor unit usually lands on a terraced pad or a rear deck. We check access, drainage and the nearest neighbour's windows before choosing a spot.

Strata and condo buildings in Lower Lonsdale are mostly ductless with a balcony unit. See our condo and townhouse guide.

Get a North Vancouver heat pump quote

Tell us your address so we can confirm whether City or District rules apply, then we'll send an itemized price.

Get my free quoteor call (604) 332-3083

Quiet placement on a narrow lot

North Vancouver lots are tight and neighbours are close, and the night limit is 45 dB(A) in both the City and the District. The City's own guide advises keeping the unit away from the property line, out of a side yard and behind a fence, hedge or shed, with a variable-speed model and a night-time sound mode. In the District, a heat pump that can be heard next door at night is a ticketable offence even if the reading is under the limit, so we also keep the unit away from bedroom windows. That is how we plan every North Shore install.

Planning the permit

Because the City and the District work differently, we pull the permits that match your address: an electrical permit for the heat pump, a gas permit if a furnace is capped, and a building permit when the outdoor unit is wall-mounted. We also prepare the heat loss calculation the North Shore guidance asks for before any equipment is chosen.

See how the BC and federal rebates work or what heat pumps cost in Metro Vancouver.

North Vancouver permits and siting rules

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  • The City of North Vancouver requires an electrical permit for all heat pump upgrades, a gas permit to alter or decommission a gas furnace or boiler, and a plumbing permit to replace a boiler or hot water tank. A building permit is required for most wall-mounted outdoor units.

    Source: City of North Vancouver - What you need to know when installing a heat pump

  • For a City building permit the application shows the outdoor unit on a site plan and elevation, adjacent to the building or within the fence line. Balcony or roof units also need a floor plan, an elevation showing guards that cannot be climbed, and an owner's letter acknowledging the Noise Control Bylaw and that the unit may have to be moved or removed after complaints. Pre-1990 buildings need a hazardous materials report.

    Source: City of North Vancouver - Heat Pump Application Guideline

  • The District of North Vancouver requires an electrical permit to install or alter electrical equipment and a heating permit to install or alter a heating system. Both the City and the District issue their own electrical and gas permits rather than Technical Safety BC.

    Source: District of North Vancouver - Electrical permit and Heating permit

  • The City's Noise Control Bylaw No. 8885 limits continuous sound at the neighbour's point of reception in residential (Quiet) areas to 55 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 45 dB(A) from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., adds 5 dB when the sound has a tonal hum or whine, and carries fines of up to $50,000 per offence. Heat pumps are not named, so the general limits apply.

    Source: City of North Vancouver - Noise Control Bylaw No. 8885

  • The District's Noise Regulation Bylaw 7188 names heat pumps directly. Mechanical equipment noise that is audible from another property at night (8 p.m. to 7 a.m., or until 9 a.m. before a Sunday or statutory holiday) is prohibited, and continuous sound in residential zones is limited to 55 dB(A) by day and 45 dB(A) at night. The ticket is $200, and court fines can reach $50,000.

    Source: District of North Vancouver - Noise Regulation Bylaw 7188

  • The City's installation guide advises placing the outdoor unit as far from the property line as possible, in the front or rear yard rather than the side yard, away from neighbours' windows and bedrooms, out of the roof drip line, behind a fence, hedge or shed, and on a solid ground base with rubber pads. Ground units are shown beside the building or inside the fence line on the permit site plan.

    Source: City of North Vancouver - Heat Pumps and Noise, An Installation Guide

  • North Shore municipalities recommend a cold-climate heat pump rated to at least -7°C, with a variable-capacity unit rated to -12°C if colder days are a concern, and a heat loss calculation before any equipment is chosen.

    Source: City of North Vancouver - What you need to know when installing a heat pump

Utilities: BC Hydro for electricity and FortisBC for natural gas. Rebates come from the provincial and federal programs - see the BC rebate guide.

Map of our North Vancouver service area

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Heat pump questions from North Vancouver homeowners

No. The City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver are separate municipalities with their own permit offices and bylaws, and both issue their own electrical and gas permits. Lonsdale and Moodyville are generally in the City; Lynn Valley, Edgemont, Deep Cove and Seymour are in the District. We confirm your address before we quote.

An electrical permit is always required, and a building permit is required for most wall-mounted outdoor units. A ground-mounted unit beside the house or inside the fence line is shown on a site plan with the building permit application where one applies. We tell you up front which applies to your home.

In the City, Noise Control Bylaw 8885 limits continuous sound at the neighbour's property to 55 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 45 dB(A) from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., with 5 dB added for a tonal hum or whine. In the District, Noise Regulation Bylaw 7188 sets the same 55 and 45 dB(A) limits and specifically bans audible heat pump and other mechanical noise at night, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Both are measured at the neighbour, not at your fence line.

The City advises the front or rear yard instead of the side yard, as far from the property line as practical, away from neighbouring windows and bedrooms, out of the roof drip line and behind a fence, hedge or shed. It should sit on a solid base with rubber pads, and wall-mounted units let noise travel more freely than ground units. The District has no heat-pump siting guide that we found, so we apply the same placement rules there and confirm with the District.

Yes, provided it is a cold-climate model. The North Shore guidance sets a minimum rating of -7°C and recommends -12°C for colder spots. Mounting the unit 8 to 12 inches off the ground on feet helps keep ice from building up, and good drainage is important on sloped lots.

Usually with written strata approval. For a balcony or roof unit in the City, the owner signs a letter acknowledging the noise bylaw, and the City requires guards that cannot be climbed. Most condos suit a ductless system.

North Vancouver homes use the provincial and federal programs. The City's guide recommends a CleanBC registered contractor and a call to a free CleanBC Energy Coach before work starts, because rebates depend on how the project is done.

Guides for North Vancouver homeowners

Also serving nearby areas

Each city has its own permit office and noise bylaw, so we plan every install around the rules where you live.

Book your free North Vancouver quote

We'll visit, calculate your heat load and send a written, itemized price with the rebates you qualify for.

(604) 332-3083
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