HVAC Installation in Burlington, VT
A new system here will heat from September through May and cool from July through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Chittenden County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
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Chittenden County asks a lot of a heating and cooling system
Winter nights here average 12°F from December through February, and a furnace or heat pump has to hold that line for nine months, September through May. Summer only asks for two months of cooling, with afternoons around 77°F, but that still leaves eleven months out of twelve where the system is running. There's barely a break between one season and the next.
With 53 winter storms and 124 damaging wind events recorded in the last ten years, the power behind a new system matters too. Statewide, 21% of households lost power for at least a day in 2024, and a furnace or heat pump does nothing without electricity to run its controls and blower, gas or not.
- 9 months
- September through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 12°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 77°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Vermont has no state license for HVAC contractors.
There is no state list to check and no state exam behind the person doing this work. Vermont leaves HVAC contractors alone at the state level, so nothing here tests them, licenses them or keeps a record of who they are.
For an installation like this, the protection comes from the permit process instead. In most cities and counties, putting in a new furnace, air conditioner or heat pump needs a permit from the local building office, and the finished work gets inspected before it is signed off. That inspection is what stands between this homeowner and work nobody ever checked.
Source: Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Start looking seriously once the furnace or air conditioner needs a repair that costs a large share of what a new system would, or can't keep the house comfortable through the year. Homes here run the heat from September through May, so a furnace that struggles in that stretch is working most of the year, not just a few cold weeks. Frequent breakdowns are also a sign, since a system that fails once tends to fail again. A contractor can look at the age and condition of what you have and tell you whether repair still makes sense or whether you're past that point.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old or failing, replacing them together is often worth considering, but it depends on the condition of each one, not just its age. A furnace and air conditioner installed at different times can still work fine together as long as they're matched to the ductwork and to each other. The main reason to pair the replacement is convenience, since one project means one round of permits and one inspection instead of two. If your air conditioner only runs two months a year here while the furnace runs nine, it may simply wear out on a different schedule, and a contractor can tell you where each one stands.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old equipment, sets the new furnace or air conditioner in place, and connects it to the ductwork, gas or electrical lines, and condensate drain. The system gets tested to check airflow and that everything is running the way it should before the job is called finished. Most cities and counties require a permit for this kind of replacement, along with an inspection once the work is done, so expect that step as part of the process. Vermont doesn't license HVAC contractors at the state level, so it's worth asking who's doing the work and confirming the permit gets pulled.