HVAC Installation in Norfolk, VA
A new system here will heat from November through April and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Norfolk will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
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Norfolk asks a lot from a system in both directions
Your system works eleven months out of the year here. Heat from November through April, then cooling from May through September, with barely a break between. Winter nights average 35°F and summer afternoons reach 86°F, so whatever gets installed has to hold both ends of that range, not just the season that's failing right now.
Most homes in the area heat with electricity, which means the furnace or heat pump depends on the power staying on. Virginia has seen real outage risk from storms, so it's worth asking what your new system does when the power drops, and for how long it can hold without it.
- 6 months
- November through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 35°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Virginia licenses HVAC contractors through the Board for Contractors. The license belongs to the contractor, not to this one job, so it is worth knowing the company you hire holds its own license rather than working under someone else's. Work under $1,000 is the one exception the state makes. A full heating and cooling installation runs well past that, so this job needs a licensed contractor.
The license means the contractor was tested and is on record with the state. It does not mean this specific job gets checked on its own. In most cities and counties, installing a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump needs a permit from the local building office, and an inspection once the work is done.
Sources: Virginia General Assembly · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs start coming often, when the unit is old enough that parts are getting hard to find, or when it can't keep the house warm through winter or cool through an 86°F summer afternoon anymore. A furnace or air conditioner nearing the end of its life tends to run longer to hit the same temperature, and the energy bills show it before anything breaks outright. If a contractor is telling you a repair will cost close to what a new system runs, that's usually the point to stop patching it.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old, replacing them together is usually the better move, since a furnace and air conditioner installed years apart often don't match well and can wear each other down faster. Homes here need heat from November through April and cooling from May through September, so both systems are working hard most of the year, and a mismatched pair loses efficiency in both seasons. If only one has actually failed, a contractor can tell you whether the other is worth pairing with it now or replacing later.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old furnace and air conditioner, sets the new equipment, and connects it to the existing ductwork, gas line or electrical circuit and refrigerant lines. They'll check that the ducts and electrical setup can handle the new equipment before finishing the connections. Once it's running, they test it, and the job needs a permit from the local building office along with an inspection when the work is done.