“They found our panel was full before we picked a heat pump, and said so in the plan. There were no surprises in week two.”
Sneha T.Heat pump and panel, Temescal
Whole-home electrification, Oakland
Heating, cooling and wiring, planned as one electric house.
We assess your house, write a plan that lists every piece of work, then install it with our own HVAC and electrical crews.
- Written plan before any work starts
- Panel capacity checked first
- HVAC and electrical on one job
C-20
Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning classC-10
Electrical class20
People, HVAC and electrical
California contractor license classes. Number in the footer.
How it works
Assessment, plan, install.
Three steps, in this order. You can stop after any of them.
- 01
Step 1: Assessment
We walk the house with you: the panel and meter, the ducts, the rooms that run hot or cold. We measure for a load calculation and photograph what we find.
Panel and service capacity
Duct condition, room by room
What you want to keep on gas, if anything
- 02
Step 2: Plan
You get a written plan with a line for each piece of work: the heating and cooling, the electrical, the permits and the cleanup. The price comes with it, in writing.
Scope lines, not a lump sum
Equipment models named
Programs that may apply, and what each needs from you
- 03
Step 3: Install
One crew lead runs the job. The HVAC and electrical crews work in sequence, the city inspects, and we walk you through the system before we leave.
Permits pulled by us
Inspections scheduled with you
Controls set up and explained
A sample plan
What a plan lists, line by line.
A sample for a two-story house from the 1950s, in the Oakland flats. Yours is written from your visit.
- HVAC
Ducted heat pump
One outdoor unit and an air handler sized from the load calculation, connected to the existing ducts after a leakage test.
- HVAC
Duct repairs
Seal and insulate the runs we can reach. Replace any section the test says can't be sealed.
- Electrical
Panel upgrade
A panel with room for the new loads, or a subpanel if the load calculation says that is enough.
- Electrical
Dedicated circuits
One for the heat pump, and capacity left for a range, a dryer or a car charger later.
- Permit
Permits and inspection
Mechanical and electrical permits, and both inspections scheduled with you.
- Left out
Not in the plan
Closing the gas service at the meter, which your gas utility does, and any scope you choose to leave for later.
Services
The work we do.
Mini-splits
Ductless heads for rooms and additions with no ducts, or ducts too poor to keep.
Mini-splits
One firm
One scope, not two bids that don't meet.
Most electrification jobs need an HVAC contractor and an electrician. Here is how one firm doing both changes the work.
| Two contractors | Rucker Heating & Power | |
|---|---|---|
| Panel capacity | Two contractorsFound after the equipment is ordered | Rucker Heating & PowerChecked at the assessment, before the equipment is chosen |
| Permits | Two contractorsEach firm pulls its own, or you coordinate | Rucker Heating & PowerWe pull the mechanical and electrical permits |
| Schedule | Two contractorsYou line up two schedules | Rucker Heating & PowerOne crew lead sequences both crews |
| Questions later | Two contractorsTwo firms to call | Rucker Heating & PowerOne number to call |
The panel comes first
The electrical panel decides the size of everything else.
Older houses often have a panel with no space left for a heat pump, a car charger and an induction range.
We check the panel and the meter at the assessment and add up the loads with a calculation. The plan then says whether the house needs a new panel, a subpanel or neither.
A load calculation, not a guess
A new panel or a subpanel, whichever the numbers support
A utility service upgrade requested through the utility, if the calculation calls for one
Service area
East Bay, hills to flats
Oakland and the towns around it. If your address isn't listed, send it and we'll say whether we can get there.
Alameda County
- Oakland
- Piedmont
- Berkeley
- Emeryville
- Alameda
- Albany
- San Leandro
- Castro Valley
Contra Costa County
- El Cerrito
- Richmond
- Kensington
- Orinda
- Lafayette
- Moraga
We don't take jobs in San Francisco or on the Peninsula, or south of Hayward.
Customers
What the plan did for them
“The plan listed what was not included, which is the part I trusted. The crew lead called before every step.”
Fabiola R.Ducted heat pump, Fruitvale
“One crew did the ducts and the new circuits, and the inspector passed both on the same visit.”
Landon S.Mini-splits and circuits, Rockridge
Sample reviews. Replace them with your own customers' words.
Questions
Questions we hear before the assessment
More on the questions page.
Do I have to replace my gas furnace to get a heat pump?
No. Some houses keep the furnace for the coldest nights and add a heat pump for the rest. We lay out both options in the plan and say what each one needs from the panel. The choice is yours.
Will my panel handle a heat pump?
It depends on the house. We add up what the panel carries now and what you want to add, using a load calculation, before we choose any equipment. If the panel is full, the plan says whether a new panel or a subpanel is the smaller change.
Which programs can lower the cost?
Utility and state programs change often, and some depend on household income. We tell you which ones look open for your address when we write the plan. The program, not us, decides who qualifies, and we don't promise any amount.
How long does an install take?
A ducted system with a panel change is usually several working days, spread over the HVAC and electrical crews, plus the days the city needs for inspection. The plan gives the sequence for your house.
What if a carbon monoxide alarm goes off?
Leave the house with everyone in it and call 911 before you call us. Don't go back in to find the cause. If you smell gas, do the same and call your gas utility from outside.
Is there a best time of year to start?
Assessments run all year. Many people plan in fall and winter so the system is in before the first hot week. If your furnace fails in January, call during business hours and we'll book the earliest slot.
Contact
Book the walk-through.
Tell us about the house. We reply on the next business day to book a time for the walk-through.
Phone(510) 555-0100
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Saturday – SundayToday
- Closed