Heat pump installation in Wellington

Wellington's heating problem is less about deep cold and more about wind, damp and old, draughty houses. Average July overnight lows sit around 7°C in the city, which is milder than Christchurch or Dunedin, yet many Wellington homes feel cold because weatherboard villas and 1950s state houses on exposed ridges lose heat quickly when a southerly comes through.

A heat pump suits that pattern well. It warms a room fast after work, runs efficiently at Wellington's moderate outdoor temperatures and can dry the air on muggy days. The installation is where local conditions bite: steep sections, limited flat ground for the outdoor unit, apartments with body corporate rules and long pipe runs up to hillside houses all show up in the price.

This page covers what to expect across Wellington City, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Kāpiti, from sizing and pricing through to council and apartment considerations. We're contracting installers region by region, and a contracted installer does the electrical and refrigerant work. Until one is in place here, bookings are on a waitlist; join it to hear when Wellington opens.

What does Wellington's climate mean for your heat pump?

Under the Building Code's H1 energy efficiency rules, Wellington City, Lower Hutt, Porirua and Kāpiti Coast are in climate zone 3, while Upper Hutt is in the colder zone 4. That split matches what locals notice: the harbour keeps the city and Petone relatively mild, while the upper valley around Trentham and Silverstream gets more frequent frosts on still, clear nights.

Wind is the bigger factor for heat pumps. A strong northerly or southerly strips heat from walls and windows, so a room needs more heating capacity to hold temperature on a windy night than the thermometer alone suggests. It also affects the outdoor unit. Units exposed to strong, direct wind can have airflow disrupted and suffer more wear, so a sheltered wall or a wind baffle is better than an exposed deck edge. On south coast and harbourside properties, also allow for salt spray, because some brands offer coastal corrosion protection.

Because Wellington's winter air temperatures rarely fall far below freezing in the city, most standard high-wall units deliver close to their rated output here. In Upper Hutt or on elevated rural sites, check the heating capacity at low outdoor temperatures, not just the headline figure. On our sizing calculator, a moderately insulated 30 m² lounge with a 2.4 m stud needs about 3.9 kW, and 25 m² about 3.3 kW.

What sort of houses are we fitting them to?

Wellington has a large stock of pre-1940 villas and bungalows in suburbs such as Mt Victoria, Thorndon, Newtown, Aro Valley and Brooklyn, many built into hillsides with uninsulated walls and single glazing. These homes often need a larger unit for the living area, or a multi-split to reach a draughty hallway and bedrooms. Before sizing a heat pump for an old villa, check whether ceiling and underfloor insulation are in place, because that changes the capacity you need.

The central city and Te Aro have many apartments and townhouses, where the constraint is usually where the outdoor unit can go and what the body corporate allows. Newer subdivisions in the northern suburbs, such as Churton Park and Grenada, and parts of Kāpiti are better insulated, and a correctly sized high-wall or ducted system is simpler to fit.

What affects the price in Wellington?

Installed prices in Wellington follow national ranges, but access costs vary more than in flatter cities. Houses reached by steps or a steep path, units that need a wall bracket high off the ground, and pipe runs from a front living room to a back wall can all add labour. Longer refrigerant pipe runs are commonly charged by the metre, so a back-to-back install is the cheapest layout where it works.

Apartment jobs can need extra time for body corporate approval, access to shared areas or roof space, and sometimes a scissor lift or scaffold. Our fixed price spells out what the standard install includes, and extras like these are listed separately so you can see exactly what you're paying for.

Which parts of Wellington do we cover?

What do the Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council and Kāpiti Coast District Council rules say?

A like-for-like heat pump install in a standalone house generally doesn't need a building consent, but the electrical connection must be done by a licensed electrical worker and certified. Each council in the region sets noise rules through its district plan, and an outdoor unit close to a neighbour's bedroom window can breach them at night. Check placement against your council's rules before choosing a spot near a boundary.

Heritage areas and character precincts in Wellington City may have rules about visible changes to street-facing walls. Mounting the outdoor unit on a side or rear wall usually avoids problems, but check with Wellington City Council if your home is heritage listed. In apartments and unit title developments, body corporate rules often control where outdoor units, pipe covers and cable runs can go, so get written approval before booking the install.

Local tips

• Pick a sheltered wall for the outdoor unit, or ask about a wind baffle if the only option faces the prevailing wind.
• On south coast and harbourside homes, ask about models with a corrosion-resistant coating for salt air.
• For hillside homes, mention steps or a long carry when you book, so the price covers getting the outdoor unit and gear to the site.
• In an uninsulated villa, sort ceiling and underfloor insulation first. It can reduce the heat pump size you need.
• Apartment owners should get body corporate sign-off in writing before booking an install date.
• Upper Hutt households should look at low-temperature heating output, since frosty mornings are more common there than in the city.