# Package Heat Pump Unit Replacement in Sacramento

> Package heat pump unit replacement in Sacramento: rooftop or ground units, curb adapters, Title 24 duct testing, SMUD rebates and typical costs. Get an estimate.

URL: https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/package-heat-pump-replacement/

A rooftop or ground-mounted package unit replaced with a package heat pump, with the curb, duct connections and Title 24 testing handled in one scope.

[Tule Sacramento Heat Pump](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/) replaces package units with package heat pumps on homes across Sacramento County, south Placer County, east Yolo County and El Dorado Hills, with the installation handled by licensed and insured contractors. A package unit holds the whole system in one cabinet, on the roof or on a pad beside the house, with no furnace or air handler inside.

If your heating and cooling come from a single metal box with ducts running straight into the roof or wall, this page is for you. The replacement looks simple from the street, but the curb, the duct connections and the lift decide how simple it really is.

## How a package unit differs from a split system

A split system has two halves joined by refrigerant lines: an outdoor unit, and a furnace or air handler indoors. A package unit puts the compressor, both coils and the blower in one factory-sealed cabinet. The ducts connect to it directly.

### Gas packs, electric packs and package heat pumps

A gas pack cools with a compressor and heats with gas burners in the same cabinet, fed by a gas line run to the unit. An electric pack heats with resistance strips. A package heat pump uses the same reversing refrigerant cycle as a split heat pump, with electric strips as backup and defrost heat. Replacing either older type with a package heat pump keeps the footprint and ends the gas burner or strip heat as the main source.

### Where the ducts meet the cabinet

On a roof, the unit sits on a curb with supply and return openings dropping through the roof deck into the attic or ceiling. On the ground, the connections run through a wall into a crawlspace or up into the attic. In either case the transitions between the cabinet and the ducts face the weather, so their sealing and insulation are part of the job.

## What happens on the first visit

- **The unit.** Gas or electric heat, nameplate capacity, age and refrigerant.
- **The mounting.** Roof or ground, curb or pad dimensions, the roof surface and flashing around the curb.
- **The lift.** Roof height, the unit’s weight, and how near a crane or rigging point can get.
- **The load.** A Manual J calculation at local design conditions instead of a copy of the old tonnage.
- **The ducts.** Connection condition, return size and static pressure.
- **The electrical side.** Circuit, disconnect and panel capacity for a heat pump with backup strips.

The written scope names the equipment, the lift method, any curb adapter and the permit.

## Rooftop or ground: what changes the job

### Rooftop units

The old unit comes off and the new one goes up, by crane where weight or reach requires it. When the new cabinet’s base doesn’t match the old curb, a curb adapter bridges the two openings and is sealed to both. The roofing around the curb gets checked while it is exposed.

Roseville’s residential HVAC replacement checklist asks for complete, stamped and signed building plans when a new mechanical unit goes in an attic or on top of an existing roof. A rooftop replacement in Roseville is scoped with that requirement in mind and confirmed with the city per project.

### Ground-mounted units

A pad-mounted package unit is simpler to lift but needs level, stable ground and clear airflow around the cabinet. Valley floor stations record essentially no snowfall in NOAA’s normals, so no snow stand is needed; the concern is defrost water, which a heat pump sheds on frosty fog-season mornings and which should drain away from the foundation. The [placement and noise guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-placement-noise/) covers clearances.

Rooftop or pad, the scope starts with the lift and the curb

A visit measures the curb, checks the roof around it and plans the lift, so the quote covers what replacing your unit actually involves.

## Staying package or switching to a split system

### The case for staying package

Staying package keeps the ducts where they are and needs no indoor space or line set. A split system needs room for an air handler in an attic, garage or closet, new duct connections to it and a refrigerant line route between the halves.

### How the switch affects permits

California’s SB 222, signed September 28, 2026, will streamline heat pump permits for a “swapout,” which it defines as a same-location replacement needing no more than 25 linear feet of new ductwork and not switching between package and split. A change of system type therefore falls outside that definition, and the phase-in runs through 2027 and 2028. For other replacement paths, see [heat pump replacement](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-replacement/), which covers split systems.

## Title 24 testing on a package change-out

California’s compliance manual lists replacing a packaged system as one of the alterations that require the connected ducts to be sealed by the installer and verified by an ECC-Rater. The target is 10% or less total leakage, or 7% or less to the outside; ducts that can’t reach it have every accessible leak sealed and confirmed with a visual and smoke test.

### Why rooftop ducts often need sealing

Rooftop transitions and ducts in a hot attic expand and contract through every summer, and joints there can open over time. A sealed, insulated connection keeps cooled air in the house. If testing shows the ducts are beyond sealing, [heat pump ductwork](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/heat-pump-ductwork/) covers repair and replacement. The [permit and Title 24 guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-permit-title-24/) covers each permit office.

## SMUD rebates on package heat pumps

SMUD lists package systems in its heat pump rebate. Replacing a gas pack qualifies for up to $3,000 with a variable-stage system, or $2,000 with a two-stage package system of at least 15.2 SEER2. Replacing an electric pack falls under the $1,000 electric-to-electric tier. Single-stage units are not eligible.

The rebate requires qualifying equipment installed by a participating contractor in the SMUD Contractor Network, a connected Wi-Fi thermostat, permits and a passing Title 24 verification. Rebate-qualified installations are available on request. The [SMUD rebate guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/smud-heat-pump-rebates/) lists the terms.

## What a package heat pump replacement costs

Package heat pump replacements in the Sacramento area typically run about $15,500 to $24,000 before rebates, with typical jobs near $18,000 to $19,500. SMUD’s own published medians sit in that range: about $19,500 for gas-to-electric package projects and about $19,000 for electric-to-electric. It is a budgeting range, not a quote.

### What moves the price

A crane, a curb adapter, roof repair at the curb, electrical work for backup strips and duct sealing that grows into duct replacement each push a job higher. The [heat pump replacement cost guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-replacement-cost-sacramento/) and the [installation cost guide](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-installation-cost-sacramento/) explain the components, and the [cost estimator](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/tools/heat-pump-cost-estimator/) gives a range for your house.

### Keeping gas in a package unit

Dual fuel package units, with a heat pump and gas burners in one cabinet, exist for owners who want gas backup; [dual fuel heat pumps](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/dual-fuel-heat-pump/) explains how the changeover works. For a full move off gas, [gas furnace to heat pump conversion](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/gas-furnace-to-heat-pump-conversion/) covers the wider project.

## What's included

- A load calculation, rather than the old unit's tonnage
- A check of the curb, roof surface and flashing around the unit
- A lift plan for the old and new units, decided by weight and access
- Old refrigerant recovered and the old unit removed and hauled away
- A curb adapter or new pad where the footprints don't match
- Supply and return connections resealed and insulated
- On a gas pack, the gas line shut off and capped at the unit
- Electrical circuit and disconnect checked against the new nameplate
- Condensate drain routed away from the roof surface or foundation
- A connected digital thermostat set up for heat pump staging
- The permit, inspection and ECC-Rater visit

## Replacing a package unit: three ways to go

|  | Package heat pump | Switch to a split heat pump | New gas pack |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Indoor equipment | None | Air handler in an attic, garage or closet | None |
| Ducts | Same connections, resealed | New connections to the air handler | Same connections, resealed |
| Refrigerant lines | None, sealed at the factory | A new line set between the units | None |
| Winter heat | Heat pump, electric strips as backup | Heat pump, electric strips as backup | Gas burners |
| SMUD heat pump rebate | On qualifying two-stage or variable-stage units | On qualifying systems | No |
| Check first | Curb size, lift access, panel | Space for the air handler and line route | Gas line and venting |

## Related resources

- Cost Guide [What does it cost to replace a heat pump in Sacramento?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-replacement-cost-sacramento/)SMUD's own median for replacing an older heat pump or electric heat with a new heat pump, why individual jobs land far from it, the parts of a replacement price with a public figure, and the one rebate still open.
- Cost Guide [How much does heat pump installation cost in Sacramento?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-installation-cost-sacramento/)Typical Sacramento-area ranges for ducted heat pump jobs, the public figures inside a price, permit fees by jurisdiction, the parts only a site visit can price, and which incentives are still open.
- Learn [What does a heat pump permit in Sacramento involve, and what does Title 24 check?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-permit-title-24/)The permit office for each part of the region, what the City of Sacramento's standard change-out permit allows, every Title 24 test a change-out carries, and how SB 222 reshapes permits from 2027.
- Learn [How does the SMUD heat pump rebate work?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/smud-heat-pump-rebates/)What SMUD pays on a ducted heat pump, which homes and systems qualify, the permit and Title 24 steps the claim depends on, the Go Electric panel and circuit add-ons, and who files the paperwork.
- Learn [Where should a heat pump's outdoor unit go, and how do you keep it quiet?](https://tulesacramentoheatpump.com/guide/heat-pump-placement-noise/)How location affects airflow, drainage, service access and sound, what the City of Sacramento and Roseville permits allow when a unit moves, and the installation details that decide how loud a heat pump is.

## 

1. Your house and your bills What you have now, what isn't working, your utility and what you want the new system to do.
2. Load, ducts and panel A room-by-room load calculation, a look at the ducts and returns, the electrical panel and where the outdoor unit can go.
3. Permit, set, braze, test Permit pulled, old equipment recovered and removed, new units set, lines brazed, pressure-tested and evacuated before charging.
4. Verified and explained Airflow, charge and backup heat checked, the ECC-Rater visit for Title 24, and the thermostat set up and walked through.

## What this work looks like

Package heat pump unit on a low concrete pad against the back wall of a single-story Sacramento stucco house, its supply and return ducts entering the wall side by side

Package heat pump unit on a concrete pad tight against the side wall of a wood-siding Sacramento ranch house, with separate supply and return duct connections

Replace the box on the roof with a heat pump

Send a photo of the unit's nameplate, say whether it sits on the roof or the ground, and tell us whether it heats with gas. The scope starts there.

## Package unit replacement questions

### Is a package heat pump less efficient than a split system?

Not by design. Both are rated with SEER2 for cooling and HSPF2 for heating, so the ratings compare directly. What often costs a package system efficiency is the duct connection: supply and return joints on a roof sit in summer sun, and a leaky seam there loses conditioned air outdoors. Title 24 testing finds those leaks before the permit closes.

### Will a crane be needed to replace my rooftop unit?

It depends on the unit's weight, the roof height and how close a lift can get to the house. Some rooftop swaps need a crane; others can be rigged by hand from a nearby roof edge. The lift method is decided at the first visit, written into the scope and priced before the job is booked.

### Can a rooftop package unit be moved down to the ground?

It can, but it is a larger project. The supply and return ducts have to be rerouted to a ground-level cabinet, which usually means new duct runs through an attic or crawlspace, new roof patching where the curb was, and a permit that covers relocated equipment rather than a same-location swap.

### Does a new package unit mean roof work around the curb?

Often a little. If the new unit's base doesn't match the old curb, a sheet-metal curb adapter bridges the difference. The roofing and flashing around the curb are checked while the unit is off, since that is the one time the joint is fully exposed. Major roof repair is quoted separately if the visit finds it.

### Does swapping a gas pack for a package heat pump count as gas-to-electric for SMUD?

It can. SMUD's gas-to-electric tier covers qualifying two-stage package systems of at least 15.2 SEER2 and variable-stage heat pumps that replace gas heating, installed by a participating contractor in the SMUD Contractor Network. Eligibility is confirmed per project, and rebate-qualified installations are available on request.

## Related services

Heat pump replacement

An aging heat pump swapped for a matched, correctly sized system, with the ducts tested and the charge verified under Title 24.

Furnace to heat pump conversion

One ducted heat pump in place of the gas furnace and the central AC, sized from a load calculation and tested to Title 24.

Heat pump ductwork

Duct testing, sealing, resizing or full replacement so a heat pump gets the airflow it needs and passes the Title 24 test.