Tucson Electric Power’s Efficient Home page, read on October 15, 2026, lists up to $720 for a high-efficiency heat pump with a quality installation. The source is tep.com/efficient-home-program. The same figures are copied on our TEP rebates page. TEP says the rebate is instant, taken off the project when you use a participating contractor, and that you retire an older working unit or a non-working air conditioner. If TEP changes the page, the page wins. Verify the current amount before anyone subtracts it.
In short
HomeAdvisor’s heat pump guide, updated June 19, 2026, lists a national installed range of $4,236–$7,942, average about $6,087, and a separate range by ton. That is not a Sabino Creek price. TEP lists up to $720 for a qualifying high-efficiency heat pump, plus the other Efficient Home amounts below. A permit is required in the City of Tucson and in unincorporated Pima County. Checked October 16, 2026.
Efficiency Arizona is a different rebate. On October 19, 2026, efficiencyarizona.com listed a heat pump for space heating or cooling at up to $8,000, for income-qualified households, and the program assigns its own contractor. Households above 150 percent of area median income are not eligible. The rules and the change notice are on Efficiency Arizona heat pump rebate. Do not add that $8,000 to TEP’s $720.
That $720 is not a heat-pump price, and it is not a Sabino Creek discount. We are not stating that Sabino Creek is on TEP’s participating-contractor list. The contractor finder is tep.com/tep-approved-contractors. Check “Ask about TEP rebate eligibility” on the form if you want that question on the callback. Eligibility is still TEP’s and the participating contractor’s.
What actually moves the job is the equipment you have now, the ducts, the electrical circuit, and whether a gas furnace stays as backup. A straight heat pump that also has to cool is a different scope from a heat pump added beside a furnace you are keeping. Those two choices are dual fuel versus a heat pump and gas-to-heat-pump conversion. HomeAdvisor’s national central-air replacement range on new AC cost is for a central air conditioner. It is not republished here as a heat-pump price.
National cost by heat pump size
This table is from HomeAdvisor’s heat pump cost guide, updated June 19, 2026. HomeAdvisor describes the 3-ton band as including labor. It is a national range, not a Tucson quote and not our quote. The air-conditioner unit prices on the new AC cost page are a different guide and are not reused here.
| Capacity | HomeAdvisor average cost range |
|---|---|
| 2 ton | $3,500–$5,500 |
| 2.5 ton | $3,700–$5,800 |
| 3 ton | $3,900–$6,200 |
| 3.5 ton | $3,900–$6,400 |
| 4 ton | $4,000–$7,300 |
| 5 ton | $4,500–$8,800 |
HomeAdvisor also lists the wider project range at $4,236–$7,942, about $6,087 on average, and says the number can run past $12,000 depending on the system and the location. Ductwork, on that same page, is $3,000–$7,500 when the house does not already have it. None of those figures is a Sabino Creek price.
Cited rebates, and what is still a quote
The dollar figures in the rebate table are TEP’s, from tep.com, read October 16, 2026. Equipment, ducts, and electrical work are still quoted after the house is seen. HomeAdvisor’s size table above is a national range, not a line item on our estimate.
TEP rebates, as tep.com lists them
Tucson Electric Power’s Efficient Home Program, read October 16, 2026, lists these instant rebates. They are TEP’s amounts, not a Sabino Creek discount. TEP requires a participating contractor, and the rebate comes off the project when the job qualifies. We are not stating that Sabino Creek is on TEP’s participating-contractor list. The finder is tep.com/tep-approved-contractors. A Trico Electric Cooperative account is a different utility. These rebates do not apply to it. If TEP changes the page, the page wins.
| What tep.com lists | Amount |
|---|---|
| High-efficiency heat pump, quality installation | Up to $720 |
| High-efficiency air conditioner, quality installation | Up to $600 |
| Duct sealing (varies by leakage reduced) | Up to $300 |
| Mini-split heat pump or air conditioner | Up to $100 per ton |
| AC tune-up | Up to $160 |
TEP lists the tune-up rebate as refrigerant-charge repair $80, indoor coil cleaning $40, and outdoor coil cleaning $40. That is cooling equipment. Do not assume a fall furnace check qualifies. Source: tep.com/efficient-home-program. The same figures are copied on TEP rebates.
| The rest of the job | Amount |
|---|---|
| Heat pump, lines, pad, and thermostat | Quoted after the equipment is seen |
| Duct repairs | Quoted after the equipment is seen. A new outdoor unit does not seal attic ducts. |
| Electrical work | Quoted after the equipment is seen. A heat pump and electric strips can need a circuit the old furnace did not use. |
Permits
A central replacement is a permitted job in this valley. The City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department requires a permit for a new or replacement furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner, and it requires load and sizing calculations for both new and replacement equipment. A like-for-like evaporative cooler swap generally does not, unless the house is in a historic preservation zone. In unincorporated Pima County, replacing a central air conditioner or furnace requires a permit, and so do a mini-split and duct changes. Pima County sizes that equipment to ACCA Manual J and Manual S. Towns that run their own building departments, including Oro Valley and Marana, are not the City of Tucson counter and not the Pima County counter. The address decides the office. We do not publish a permit fee.
Sources, read October 16, 2026: Tucson residential permits, Tucson permit exemptions, Pima County air-conditioning replacements, and Pima County’s permit list.
Name, mobile phone, and ZIP are required. Street address can wait. We follow up the same business day by phone or email. That is a callback, not a promise of a repair the same day.