Heat pumps, outages, bathrooms

How to read the quote before you sign

Someone sent you a number for a heat pump, a generator, a bathroom, or an addition. Here is how to read it before you sign.

Backup power

Backup for a heat-pump house: lock out the strips, then size the machine

A gas furnace on backup is a blower. A heat pump is a compressor plus optional kilowatts of electric strips. Tesla's Powerwall 3 is 13.5 kWh and 11.5 kW continuous. A 10 kW heat kit already fills that. HomeGuide's typical standby is $6,000 to $11,000 installed. Leave the strips off the essentials panel.

Read the guide

Energy upgrades

Heat pumps, drafts, breaker boxes, and charging the car at home.

Landlord heat pump vs tenant bills: who pays for the box, who pays the kWh
Heat pump for a manufactured home: the crossover is the job
Window replacement vs storm windows: keep the sash if the frame still holds
Geothermal vs air-source: the loop is the extra invoice

Backup power

What still works when the neighborhood goes dark.

Backup for a heat-pump house: lock out the strips, then size the machine
Carbon monoxide: the alarm has to work when the power does not
Dual-fuel portable generators: size the propane number, not the gasoline one
Transfer switch cost installed: interlock, ten circuits, or 200 amps

Aging in place

Bathrooms, stairs, and lighting so the house still works.

Threshold ramps and door saddles: measure the lip, then pick the wedge
Bathroom fan, lighting, and moisture: vent outdoors, then see the floor
Renting a stair lift vs buying: months times the rate, then the rail
Aging in place on a $25,000 budget: one bathroom, or the stairs

House upgrades

Sunrooms, basements, and additions. What to ask before you sign.

Second-story addition: the first floor has to carry it
Fence and the permit: the line is the bid, not the stain
Driveway asphalt vs concrete: the base is the bid, not the color
Mudroom addition cost: convert the garage strip, or build a box