Quote or estimate? Check the wording first
Consumer Protection draws a clear line between them. An estimate is the tradesperson's best guess and isn't fixed. A quote is an offer to do the job for a stated price, and once you accept it, it can't go up unless you agree to extra work or the scope changes.
If a business charges to prepare a quote, it has to tell you beforehand. And where no price was agreed at all, the Consumer Guarantees Act says you don't have to pay more than a reasonable one.
What a complete heat pump quote names
- The brand and full model number of every indoor and outdoor unit.
- Each unit's heating capacity at 7 and 2 degrees, from the Zoned Energy Rating Label or spec sheet.
- The star rating for the Cold zone, which is the zone all of New Zealand sits in.
- Where each indoor unit goes, and which way it blows.
- Where the outdoor unit goes and how it's mounted: wall bracket, ground pad or roof.
- The pipe run between the units, and where the condensate drain ends up.
- Who does the electrical connection, and that you'll get a Certificate of Compliance and an Electrical Safety Certificate.
- Any switchboard work, since work on the main switchboard, main cable or main earth may also need a licensed electrical inspector.
- Corrosion protection, if you're near the sea or in a geothermal area.
- The warranty, who issues it, and the servicing it needs to stay valid.
- Sealing the wall penetration and tidying up afterwards.
- When the work will be done.
The lines that make a job bigger or smaller
Two quotes for the same model can describe very different jobs. Access is a common one. BDT's warranty for Mitsubishi Electric excludes the extra costs of difficult or unsafe access, cranes, lift platforms and hiabs included, and LG's excludes access costs for units in restricted or unsafe spots over 2.4 m. If the outdoor unit has to go up high, the quote should say how it gets there and how it'll be reached for servicing.
Pipe runs are another. BRANZ says the manufacturer's recommended run lengths shouldn't be exceeded, and Mitsubishi Electric NZ says excessive lengths and bends reduce output. A quote that puts the outdoor unit on the far side of the house should explain why.
Ducted and multi-room systems need more detail again: where the indoor unit sits in the ceiling space, how many outlets there are, how the ducts are insulated, and how far each indoor unit is from the outdoor one.
Vague lines, and what complete looks like
| Vague | Complete | |
|---|---|---|
| The unit | "Heat pump to suit lounge" | Brand, model, and heating capacity at 7 and 2 degrees |
| Outdoor unit | "Standard install" | Position, bracket or pad, clearances, and distance from the boundary |
| Electrical | "Includes electrical" | Who connects it, the CoC and ESC, and any switchboard work |
| Warranty | "Manufacturer's warranty" | Who issues it, how long it runs, and the servicing it requires |
| The total | "Approx." | Quote or estimate stated, and what would change it |
How to compare two quotes fairly
Line up the sizes
EECA says to compare units of the same kW size, then use the label's star ratings to see which is more efficient in the Cold zone.
Look hard at the 2 degree figure
Where nights reach 2 degrees or less, EECA says the heating capacity at 2 degrees should be the same as or greater than the figure at 7. Some units aren't designed to cope with frost and give less.
Match the scope line by line
Anything on one quote and not the other, such as a switchboard upgrade, corrosion protection or removing an old heater, is a question to ask before you compare totals.
Read the warranty conditions
Rinnai NZ, for example, needs a Rinnai accredited installer and yearly maintenance by a Rinnai authorised service centre. A warranty with conditions you won't keep is worth very little.
Check what's left out
Our quote checker lists what a complete quote covers, so you can tick off what's there. The running cost tool takes each model's label figures and your own power rate.
Gaps to query before you accept
- A size or a brand, but no model number.
- Nothing about who connects it, or no mention of a Certificate of Compliance.
- A Warmer Kiwi Homes grant on the quote that you haven't checked with EECA yourself.
- A deadline to sign today. If the seller came uninvited, the agreement must be in writing with your cancellation rights on the front page, and you can cancel within 5 working days of receiving your copy.
- No corrosion protection on a coastal or geothermal job, when several brands' warranties exclude corrosion damage or make extra protection the owner's job.
- An outdoor unit squeezed under a deck or against a neighbour's bedroom wall.
What you should have when the job's finished
Keep the accepted quote and the invoice with the electrical paperwork. The Certificate of Compliance is due no later than 20 days after the work, and WorkSafe's Electrical Safety Certificate form says to keep the customer copy for at least 7 years. The ESC records the certifier's name and registration or practising licence number, which you can look up on the EWRB register.
Register the warranty if the brand asks you to. Samsung NZ says registration isn't needed to claim but can help it process a claim faster, and BDT asks Mitsubishi Electric owners to register online. If the installer finds extra work on the day, ask for the change in writing before they carry on, because an accepted quote only moves if you agree to the extra work.
What you can check on paper, and what the installer must spell out
You can
- Match the model numbers on the quote to the label or spec sheet.
- Compare the Cold zone stars and the 2 degree heating figure.
- Look up the electrical worker on the EWRB register.
- Read the brand's warranty conditions.
- Ask whether it's a quote or an estimate, in writing.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Measuring and sizing the job.
- Stating the outdoor unit's position, mounting and clearances.
- The electrical scope and who certifies it.
- Any corrosion protection the site needs.
- What's excluded, such as access equipment or switchboard work.
What we'd do
What we'd do with two quotes on the table
We'd ignore the totals until both quotes describe the same job. Then we'd ask each installer to fill in whatever's missing, in writing, and lean towards the one whose answers show they've actually looked at the house. A tidy-looking quote from someone who never checked where the outdoor unit can go is the one we'd put aside.