Somerville is also one of Mass Save's Community First partner cities, which adds an enhanced offer for households replacing oil, propane or electric resistance heat. This page covers both, the contractor and insulation rules, and what our permit file shows. For the permits a heat pump needs, see the Somerville electrical permit and Somerville gas line permit guides.
The 2026 rebates
From Mass Save's air source heat pump page and its Somerville Community First page, read 23 October 2026:
| Path | Installed in 2026 | Installed from 1 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-home | $2,650 per ton, up to $8,500 | $2,350 per ton, up to $7,500 |
| Partial-home | $1,125 per ton, up to $8,500 | $1,000 per ton, up to $7,500 |
| Basic | $250 per ton, up to $2,500 | not listed |
| Income-based enhanced | Up to $16,000, or up to no cost through Turnkey Services | not listed |
| Partial-home bonuses | $500 weatherization, $500 sizing | not listed |
A ton is the AHRI cooling capacity divided by 12,000 BTU, so a three-ton whole-home system in 2026 earns $7,950. Basic rebates added to whole-home or partial-home are capped at $8,500 per account.
What Somerville's Community First page adds
- Enhanced rebates up to $16,000 for air source and air-to-water heat pumps and up to $25,000 for ground source, after a no-cost Home Energy Assessment, where the existing heat is oil, propane or electric resistance.
- Turnkey Services: an air source heat pump "for up to no cost" replacing oil, propane or electric resistance heat, with electrical panel upgrades possibly up to 100% covered.
- Insulation at 100% off for rental units, or for two- to four-unit buildings when every unit is insulated at once.
- A separate, limited-time $2,000 City microgrant for owners of rental units in two- to four-unit buildings that make qualified upgrades (details at somervillema.gov/ses).
- To start: (617) 329-4825.
Gas heat does not qualify for the enhanced offer; it still gets the standard whole-home or partial-home rebate.
The rules that decide who you hire
| Rule | What Mass Save requires |
|---|---|
| Installer | A contractor in the Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network |
| Equipment | On the ENERGY STAR Cold Climate list |
| Whole-home weatherization | Built 2000 or later, or an assessment showing under $1,000 of weatherization, or 2013-or-later recommendations completed |
| Whole-home occupancy | Occupied full time in the heating season; signed Whole-Home Verification Form |
| Partial-home decommissioning | Where a zone is fully replaced, the installer removes or disconnects the oil, propane or gas source and notes it on the invoice |
| Sizing bonus | 0.9 to 1.2 times the Manual J heating load, covering all conditioned space, with the load calculation submitted |
| Paperwork | 2026 installs: received by 28 February 2027; serial numbers and a nameplate photo required from 1 October 2026 |
The installer network rule is the one that costs people money. A good HVAC firm outside the network can install the same unit, but the rebate will not pay. Ask for the firm's network status in writing, and for a Manual J load calculation if you want the $500 sizing bonus.
The weatherization rule decides the order of work. For a pre-2000 Somerville house, book the no-cost Home Energy Assessment first; if it finds $1,000 or more of weatherization, do the insulation before the whole-home install or you fall back to the partial-home rate.
What Somerville permits show
| Measure | HVAC | Insulation |
|---|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 691 | 805 |
| Firms | 230 | 89 |
| Usual filed value | $27,680 | $6,588 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $21,543 to $36,668 | $5,000 to $8,567 |
| Five busiest firms' share | 20.0% | 52.2% |
| Busiest firm, last 12 months | Forge Team, Inc (23) | Homeworks Energy (77) |
Insulation is concentrated: 89 firms filed 805 permits, and the five busiest hold 52.2%. HVAC is spread wider across 230 firms. At the usual HVAC filed value of $27,680, an $8,500 whole-home rebate is about a third of the job; the 2027 cut to $7,500 is worth $1,000 on a system of three tons or more.
Compare Somerville HVAC firms by permits →
Typical filed values by firm: Somerville HVAC cost and insulation cost. Insulation firms: compare Somerville insulation contractors. License checks: Somerville contractor license lookup. What the equipment is: what is a heat pump.
What this does not tell you
Our file shows permits, not rebates: it cannot say which jobs got Mass Save money or which firms are in the Installer Network, so check the network separately. Rebate amounts change each year; the figures above are those on Mass Save's pages on 23 October 2026.
How we know this
Rebate amounts and rules are from Mass Save's Air Source Heat Pumps page and its Somerville Community First Partnership page, read 23 October 2026. Permit counts and filed values are City of Somerville residential HVAC and insulation permits, October 2023 to September 2026; firm value ranges use firms with three or more permits.
Numbers come from City of Somerville permit applications (issued permits only), data through October 15, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How much is the Mass Save heat pump rebate in 2026?
For an air source heat pump installed in 2026: $2,650 per ton up to $8,500 for a whole-home system, $1,125 per ton up to $8,500 for partial-home, and $250 per ton up to $2,500 for basic. Income-eligible households can get up to $16,000, or up to no cost through Turnkey Services.
- Is the Mass Save heat pump rebate going down in 2027?
Yes. Mass Save's page says whole-home systems installed on or after 1 January 2027 get $2,350 per ton up to $7,500, and partial-home $1,000 per ton up to $7,500. Equipment installed in 2026 must have its rebate paperwork in by 28 February 2027.
- Does Somerville have its own heat pump rebate?
Somerville is a Mass Save Community First partner, which brings enhanced rebates of up to $16,000 for air source heat pumps for eligible households replacing oil, propane or electric resistance heat. The City also lists a limited-time $2,000 microgrant for owners of rental units in two- to four-unit buildings.
- Can any HVAC contractor install a Mass Save heat pump?
No. The system must be installed by a contractor in the Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network, and the equipment must be on the ENERGY STAR Cold Climate list. Check the installer is in the network before signing.
- Do I need to insulate before getting the whole-home heat pump rebate?
The home must be sufficiently weatherized: built in 2000 or later, a Home Energy Assessment showing under $1,000 of recommended weatherization, or weatherization recommendations from 2013 or later completed.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Home improvement costs in Somerville, MA (2026): what 10 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Austin Energy AC and heat pump rebate: $600 to $950, the 10-year rules, and the participating contractor
- Heat pump incentives in Bend, Oregon: which utility you have decides it, Energy Trust's 2026 amounts, and the gas-heat catch
- Minneapolis Truth in Sale of Housing: required repairs, permits and the 90-day buyer deadline
For one city
- Somerville building permit search: CitizenServe and the open permit file
- Somerville, MA contractor license lookup: HIC, construction supervisor, trade licenses and the permits
- Somerville demolition review and local historic districts: the 75-year rule, the Historic Permit, and what it means for windows, roofs and additions
- Air Source Heat Pumps — Mass Save (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Somerville Community First Partnership — Mass Save (accessed 2026-10-23)