Ductless wall-mounted
Ductless mini-split heat pump installation
Wall-mounted indoor units, no ductwork required. Ideal for homes without ducts, additions, garages, basements, and zone-specific climate control. Single-zone setups install in one day.
- Independent — not an installer
- No forms, no lead selling
- Federal and provincial rebates tracked
- Cold-climate (CCHP) performance data
Typical installed cost
$4,000–$8,500
Install timeline
1 day (single zone)
Best for
Homes without existing ductwork, electric-heated homes, additions, garages, basements, and any space where you want independent thermostat control
Not ideal for
Homes where existing ductwork is already in good condition and whole-home temperature uniformity is the priority (consider ducted instead)
Compare installed costs for every heat pump system.
Rebates: Single ductless heads qualify for provincial rebates in Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, usually at a lower amount than whole-home systems. British Columbia's rebate requires the heat pump to carry the whole heating load.
- Independent — not an installer
- No forms, no lead selling
- Federal and provincial rebates tracked
- Cold-climate (CCHP) performance data
How ductless works
A ductless mini-split has two parts: an outdoor compressor unit and one or more indoor "heads" mounted high on interior walls. A small refrigerant line (about 3 inches in diameter) connects the two through a small hole in your exterior wall — no ductwork, no major construction.
Each indoor head is independently thermostat-controlled. You can have the bedroom at 18°C while the living room runs at 22°C, with no energy wasted heating or cooling unused space. Multi-zone setups (one outdoor unit serving 2-8 indoor heads) are the most common Canadian configuration for whole-home coverage.
When ductless beats ducted
Ductless wins when:
- Your home has no ducts (electric baseboard, hot-water radiators, or radiant floor heating) — running new ducts costs $8,000-$15,000 on its own, so ductless skips that entirely - You're finishing a basement or building an addition — ductless can heat/cool the new space without extending existing ductwork - You want zone-specific control — multi-zone ductless gives you per-room temperature without complex damper systems - You have an unevenly heated home — if one room is always too cold or hot, adding a single ductless head can fix it without replacing your whole heating system
Ducted wins when you already have ductwork in good condition and want one thermostat controlling the whole home from a single indoor unit.
Cold-climate ductless performance
Same cold-climate certification matters for ductless as for ducted. Look for ENERGY STAR cold-climate certified models with HSPF 10+ ratings. Mitsubishi (H2i/Hyper-Heating), Fujitsu (XLTH), and Daikin (Aurora) make the best Canadian-winter performers in the ductless category.
Outdoor units are rated to operate at -25°C or -30°C depending on model. Indoor heads are silent in operation (most run 19-30 dBA on low fan speed — quieter than a whisper).
Find a qualified installer
This site is an independent guide. It does not sell or install heat pumps and does not provide quotes. The programs and directories below are where to find registered contractors and the rebate rules that apply in each province.
- National Heat Pump Rebate (Government of Canada)
The new federal rebate announced in October 2026: up to $10,000 below the median income and $2,000 for others, opening in early 2027. The official page has a sign-up for launch updates.
- Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program (NRCan)
No-cost heat pump and insulation retrofits for low- and median-income homeowners and tenants, applied for through the provincial partner. The federal Greener Homes Loan and Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program are closed.
- HRAI contractor directory
The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada lists member HVAC contractors by region.
- Home Renovation Savings — Ontario
Ontario's rebate for cold-climate and ground-source heat pumps, paid per ton, and its qualified-product rules.
- Home Renovation Rebate — British Columbia
The BC Hydro and CleanBC rebate for heat pumps that replace electric heat, and the program rules that go with it.
- Efficiency Manitoba
Manitoba rebates for ducted and ductless cold-climate heat pumps.
- Efficiency Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia rebate programs and the approved-installer requirements that go with them.
Common questions
How many indoor heads do I need for a typical home?
Rule of thumb for Canadian homes: one indoor head per 400-600 sq ft of conditioned space, plus one for any room with a closing door that needs independent climate control. A typical 2,000 sq ft 3-bedroom home usually needs 3-4 indoor heads (one per bedroom + one for the main living area).
Will the indoor heads look ugly?
They're thinner than a flat-screen TV (about 8" deep) and come in white or off-white. Most homeowners mount them above eye level so they're unobtrusive. For an entirely hidden option, ask about "concealed-duct" mini-splits — they install above a ceiling and look like a flush vent.
How long does multi-zone installation take?
2-3 days for a typical 3-4 head system. Single-zone is usually a 1-day install. Larger systems (6-8 heads) take 4-5 days but are uncommon in Canadian residential.
Do I lose efficiency vs ducted?
Often the opposite — modern ductless mini-splits have slightly higher efficiency ratings (SEER, HSPF) than equivalent ducted systems because there's no duct loss (ducted systems lose 10-30% of conditioned air to leaks and uninsulated runs). For homes without existing high-quality ducts, ductless wins on both upfront cost and operating cost.