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How much is a heat pump? The answer depends on whether you mean the outdoor or indoor heat pump unit by itself or the complete installed system. For APOLLO hydronic systems, the current air-to-water and geothermal equipment prices are shown below. Installation, indoor equipment, tanks, controls, distribution, and site work are separate.
This guide separates equipment prices from estimated installed costs so you can build a realistic budget. If heat pump types are new to you, start with what a heat pump is and how it works, then return here to compare air-to-water and geothermal project costs.
2026 APOLLO heat pump equipment prices
The model grids below use current Shopify product prices and active MBTEK promotional pricing. They are equipment-only prices, not complete installed-system prices. Each model links to its product page so you can confirm current pricing and promotion terms before ordering.
APOLLO air-to-water heat pumps
APOLLO geothermal heat pumps
These grids intentionally do not estimate coverage by square footage. Final selection should follow a heat-load calculation, climate, insulation, required water temperature, distribution design, and ground-loop capacity. Use the heat pump sizing guide before choosing a model.
How much does heat pump installation cost?
Installation should be budgeted as a range because two homes using the same heat pump can need very different piping, electrical, indoor equipment, distribution, and site work. The figures below are non-binding U.S. planning estimates, not quotes from MBTEK or a local contractor.
| Project type | Planning range | What the range assumes |
|---|---|---|
| Core air-to-water system | $15,000–$35,000 | Heat pump, required mechanical-room equipment, professional installation, and a compatible or straightforward indoor distribution path. |
| Air-to-water with substantial new distribution | $25,000–$50,000+ | New radiant zones, multiple fan coils, new or modified ductwork, extensive electrical work, tanks, controls, or difficult retrofit conditions. |
| Geothermal with ground loop | $30,000–$70,000+ | Indoor geothermal heat pump, hydronic equipment, and professionally designed drilling, trenching, open-loop, or pond-loop work. |
Canadian pricing, contractor labor, permitting, freight, exchange rates, and local site conditions can produce different totals. Always request a written local quote that separates equipment, labor, materials, permits, electrical work, commissioning, and optional equipment.
What changes the final heat pump price?
The heat pump unit is only one line in a complete project budget. These factors usually create the largest differences between a straightforward installation and a complex retrofit:
- System size and water temperature: a larger heat load or high-temperature radiators can change the heat pump series, electrical demand, pumps, and backup-heat strategy.
- Existing distribution: reusing compatible radiant floors, fan coils, or ductwork is different from adding new zones throughout a finished home.
- Mechanical-room equipment: hydro station, DHW tank, buffer tank, expansion control, pumps, valves, glycol, sensors, and controls all affect the package.
- Electrical and site work: panel capacity, disconnects, cable runs, equipment pads or stands, snow clearance, drainage, and service access vary by property.
- Heating, cooling, and hot water scope: a heating-only project costs less than a multi-zone system also serving cooling, domestic hot water, or a pool.
- Geothermal source work: loop type, geology, land area, drilling depth, trenching, water access, permits, and excavation can dominate the installed cost.
- Local requirements: labor rates, permits, inspections, taxes, and code requirements vary by state, province, and municipality.
For air-to-water projects, the APOLLO installation planning guide explains the outdoor placement, piping, glycol, tanks, controls, startup, and service considerations that should be reviewed before equipment is ordered.
What equipment is used with a hydronic heat pump?
An air-to-water or water-to-water heat pump heats or chills water. The rest of the system stores, circulates, controls, and delivers that water where the home needs it. A complete project may include:
- Heat pump: an air-to-water heat pump uses outdoor air, while a geothermal heat pump uses a ground or water loop.
- Paired hydro station: organizes circulation, flow, pressure management, controls, and service components between the heat pump and the building.
- Domestic hot water and buffer storage: DHW tanks store household hot water, while buffer tanks add water volume to stabilize the heating and cooling loop.
- Indoor distribution: radiant floors use a manifold station; fan coils provide room-by-room heating and cooling; and air handlers serve compatible central duct systems.
- Controls: thermostats, sensors, valves, and zone controls coordinate comfort and system operation.
- Cold-climate accessories: air-to-water systems may need propylene glycol, insulated outdoor piping, drainage, and an outdoor stand for airflow and snow clearance.
- Geothermal source loop: horizontal trenches, vertical boreholes, open-loop water, or an engineered pond or lake loop connects the indoor heat pump to the ground.
Installation planning
How hydro stations can reduce installation complexity
A field-built hydronic mechanical room can require separate pumps, valves, pressurization components, backup heat, a DHW heat exchanger, controls, gauges, and service connections. Sourcing, mounting, piping, wiring, and coordinating those parts adds labor and makes budgeting less predictable.
The APOLLO Hydro Smart Station combines backup heat, dual circulator pumps, glycol pressurization, a DHW heat exchanger, controls, and service components in one organized station. That can reduce loose parts, field labor, and coordination compared with building the same functions from separate components.
It should not be treated as a guaranteed percentage discount. The actual savings depend on the required components, contractor approach, electrical work, piping, distribution, and site conditions.
- Smaller air-to-water models: APOLLO 2 Ton, APOLLO 3.5 Ton, and APOLLO MAX 3 Ton normally pair with the Hydro One Station.
- Larger air-to-water models: APOLLO 5 Ton, APOLLO 6 Ton, APOLLO MAX 4 Ton, and APOLLO MAX 5 Ton normally pair with Hydro Smart Station.
- Geothermal models: current MBTEK guidance pairs all APOLLO geothermal and Geothermal MAX models with Hydro Smart Station.
- Final selection: MBTEK should confirm the station, flow requirements, tanks, backup heat, and controls with the full system before purchase.
Rebates, incentives, and the 2026 price disclaimer
Do not subtract an incentive from your heat pump budget until the equipment, installation date, residence, and program rules have been verified. U.S. federal residential energy credits for heat pumps and geothermal property ended for expenditures or property placed in service after December 31, 2025, according to the current IRS Form 5695 instructions.
State, utility, municipal, and Canadian programs may still be available in 2026, but eligibility and funding can change. Check the current program directly and ask whether equipment, labor, electrical upgrades, ground loops, or income qualifications are included.
Installed-cost figures in this article are planning references. Equipment prices come from current Shopify product data and active promotional settings; the installed-cost ranges are broad estimates. Neither is a sales quote, contractor bid, tax recommendation, or guarantee of final project cost.
Heat pump budget checklist
Before comparing quotes, make sure each proposal answers the same questions:
- Is the heat pump model based on a heating and cooling load calculation?
- Does the price include the correct Hydro One or Hydro Smart Station?
- Are DHW and buffer tanks included where required?
- Is indoor distribution existing, modified, or completely new?
- Are electrical upgrades, permits, inspections, piping, glycol, and commissioning included?
- For geothermal, what loop type, drilling, trenching, restoration, and source-side design are included?
- Does the proposal separate required equipment from optional upgrades?
- Who is responsible for system design, startup, and warranty documentation?
Frequently asked questions
Does the heat pump price include installation?
No. The APOLLO prices in the equipment grids are current equipment-only prices. Hydro stations, tanks, distribution equipment, electrical and plumbing work, permits, site work, and professional installation are separate unless a written quote says otherwise.
Why can two heat pump installations have very different prices?
One project may reuse compatible radiant floors or ductwork, while another needs new zones, fan coils, tanks, controls, panel upgrades, or extensive piping. Climate, home load, contractor rates, permits, access, and retrofit conditions also change the total.
Does the Hydro Smart Station lower installation cost?
It can reduce loose components, field labor, and coordination by combining several hydronic functions in one station. Actual savings depend on which components the project requires and how the local installer would otherwise build the mechanical room, so no fixed percentage is guaranteed.
Why does geothermal cost more to install?
The geothermal heat pump installs indoors, but it needs a professionally designed ground or water loop. Drilling, trenching, excavation, geology, water access, permits, and site restoration can cost much more than the heat pump unit itself.
Are heat pump rebates available in 2026?
Programs vary by location. The U.S. residential federal credits covered by Form 5695 ended after 2025, but state, utility, municipal, and Canadian incentives may still be available. Verify the current program and equipment eligibility before including a rebate in the budget.
Conclusion: price the complete heat pump system
The live model grids above show current APOLLO air-to-water and geothermal equipment pricing. The complete installed cost is higher because the system also needs the correct hydro station, piping, controls, indoor distribution, electrical work, and, for geothermal, a ground or water loop.
Use $15,000 to $35,000 as an early planning range for a core air-to-water project, $25,000 to $50,000 or more when substantial new distribution is needed, and $30,000 to $70,000 or more for geothermal with source-loop work. Then replace that planning range with a load-based MBTEK equipment plan and written local installation quotes.
