Ducted Heat Pumps - Every Room. One System.
Whole-home heating and cooling from a single hidden unit in your ceiling, delivered through discreet vents in every room. Nothing on your walls.
The whole house is just… comfortable
A ducted heat pump conditions your entire home from one indoor unit concealed in the roof space, distributing warm (or cool) air through insulated ducts to low-profile ceiling diffusers.
No wall units, no cold bedrooms at the end of the hall, no arguments over who gets the heater. Just an even 21°C from the front door to the back bedroom.
Roof space can't take ducting? A multi-room system usually can - we'll tell you straight at the design visit.
What a ducted heat pump costs in NZ (2026)
Supplied, installed and commissioned, including GST. Final pricing depends on roof-space access, duct runs, insulation and the control system you choose – which is why every ducted quote starts with a free on-site design visit and comes back as a fixed price with a full itemised scope.
| Home | Typical investment |
|---|---|
| 3-bed single level (~120–150m²) | $9,500 – $14,000 |
| 4-bed / larger single level (~150–200m²) | $13,000 – $18,000 |
| Large, two-storey or complex homes | $18,000 – $25,000+ |
| Zone control (heat only the areas in use) | + $2,000 – $4,000 |
Is zoning worth it? Usually, yes. Zoning lets you run living areas by day and bedrooms by night instead of conditioning the whole house around the clock – typically trimming running costs by 20–30%, so the upgrade often pays for itself within a few years.
Why homeowners upgrade to ducted
Even comfort, invisible hardware, and real resale value.
Even, whole-home comfort
No hot lounge and freezing hallway - every room within a degree of your set point.
Invisible
A linear diffuser in the ceiling is all you see. Architects and interior designers specify ducted for exactly this reason.
One outdoor unit
Instead of three or four boxes around your exterior.
Quietest option available
The fan unit lives in the ceiling, not your living room.
Healthier air
Continuous filtered circulation reduces stuffiness, and steady temperatures mean less condensation on winter mornings.
Adds real value
Central heating/cooling is a headline feature in NZ real-estate listings.
Designed for your home,not from a brochure
Ducted is a design job before it's an installation job. Our free consultation covers:
Load calculation, room by room
Insulation, glazing, orientation and ceiling height determine the capacity each room needs - and the total unit size. Getting this right (and zoning correctly) is why our systems don't leave south-side bedrooms 3–4°C colder than the sunny side.
Roof-space assessment
We confirm there's room for the fan-coil unit and duct runs. Most NZ homes have plenty; low-pitch or skillion roofs sometimes need creative routing or a different solution - we'll tell you straight.
Diffuser and return-air placement
Positioned for airflow and aesthetics, agreed with you before anything's cut.
Controls
From a simple wall controller to full zoning with per-room temperature control from your phone.
Building or renovating? This is the perfect moment to duct - installation during construction is cleaner and cheaper, and we work directly with your builder in both Auckland and the Manawatū to have the system roughed-in at the right stage. Ask us about pairing ducted with heat-recovery ventilation for a complete healthy-home package.
Auckland: cooling counts double
Cooling capacity matters as much as heating - a ducted system that keeps a Flat Bush or Hobsonville two-storey cool through February is worth its weight in gold, and whole-home dehumidification quietly ends the damp-house battle.
Palmerston North: designed for frost
We spec for heating output on -1°C frost mornings and design duct layouts that hold temperature in long, exposed weatherboard homes. With zoning, a Hokowhitu villa can run the living zone all evening for less than a couple of plug-in heaters.
Installation: what to expect. Most retrofits take 1–3 days. Day one: fan-coil unit into the ceiling, outdoor unit positioned and connected. Day two: duct runs, diffuser cut-ins, return air. Final: electrical, controls, commissioning and airflow balancing - we measure and adjust every outlet so each room actually gets its share. We dust-sheet, we vacuum, we walk you through the controller, and we register your warranty (up to 5–6 years parts and labour through our brand accreditations, plus our 12-month workmanship guarantee).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a ducted heat pump cost in NZ?
Most standard homes land between $9,500 and $18,000 fully installed; large or complex homes can reach $25,000+. Zone control adds $2,000–$4,000 but cuts running costs by roughly 20–30%.
Is a ducted heat pump expensive to run?
No - it's one of the most efficient ways to condition a whole home, especially zoned. Expect roughly $3–$4 of heat for every $1 of electricity - typically far less than several plug-in heaters covering the same rooms.
Will a ducted system fit my ceiling?
Most NZ homes with a standard pitched roof, yes. We confirm clearances at the free design visit; where roof space genuinely can't fit ducting, a multi-room system usually can.
Ducted vs multiple high wall units - which is better?
Ducted wins on aesthetics, evenness and whole-home coverage; multiple high walls win on lower upfront cost and per-room independence without zoning hardware. From about three rooms up, ducted usually becomes the better long-term value - we'll price both if you're on the fence.
Can I control each room separately?
With zoning, yes - motorised dampers plus a smart controller give per-zone (or per-room) set points, schedules and app control.
How long does installation take?
Typically 1–3 days for a retrofit; staged around your builder's timeline for new builds.
Get a whole-home Ducted Heat Pumps design
Bring us your home plans or book a site visit – you’ll get a room-by-room design and a fixed, itemised quote, without obligation. We design, supply and install ducted heat pumps in Auckland, and supply and install ducted heat pumps in Palmerston North & Manawatū.