San Diego HVAC Permits, Rebates and License Checks (2026)

San Diego asks little of a furnace and only modest work of an air conditioner. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for Lindbergh Field show about 990 heating degree days a year and no freezing nights. TECH Clean California's single-family heat pump incentives are fully reserved statewide. The City requires a mechanical permit to replace a furnace or install an AC.

How cold and hot does San Diego get, and what does that mean for your system?

Degree days measure how much heating or cooling a place calls for, counted from a 65°F base. At Lindbergh Field, on the bay, NOAA's normals add up to about 990 heating degree days and 893 cooling degree days a year. The station averages about three days a year at 90°F or above.

The monthly normals for the same station put the average December low near 50°F. August and September afternoons average about 77°F. That is a narrow band. A system here spends much of the year idle or barely working.

Inland neighborhoods swing wider. NOAA's normals for Montgomery Field in Kearny Mesa show about 1,320 heating degree days, 1,019 cooling degree days and 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter. Its monthly normals give a December low of about 45°F and an August high of about 82°F.

What that means when you replace equipment:

• Freezing nights are rare. Neither station averages even one night a year at 32°F or colder. If a quote is built around hard-freeze heating, ask the contractor to show how that fits these numbers.
• Ask for a load calculation. Before you accept a size, ask for a room-by-room load calculation (ACCA Manual J).
• Your address matters. The coastal and inland stations above differ, and so do homes. A quote that never asks about your windows, insulation or location is a guess. Our guide to comparing HVAC quotes lists what a written bid should show.

What HVAC rebates are open in San Diego right now?

Fewer than many quotes imply. Here is the status of each program as its own page states it.

• SDG&E instant rebates. Per SDG&E's rebate page as archived July 13, 2026, point-of-sale rebates through the Golden State Rebates site were $75 for an ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat, $40 for an Amazon smart thermostat and $15 for an ENERGY STAR Advance room air conditioner. That copy listed no rebate for a central AC, a furnace or a ducted heat pump, and said products and amounts are subject to change. Check the live page for current offers.
• TECH Clean California. The statewide heat pump program's incentives page says single-family heat pump HVAC incentives have been fully reserved statewide since January 17, 2025.
• Federal Home Energy Rebates. The Department of Energy leaves these rebates to each state. The California Energy Commission's rebate page says "HEEHRA Phase II rebate availability will be announced at a later date." Read that page for the current status before you count on a federal rebate.
• Federal tax credit. The IRS page for the energy efficient home improvement credit says the credit is allowed for qualifying property "placed in service on or after Jan. 1, 2023, and before December 31, 2025." A system installed in 2026 falls outside that window.

If a bid subtracts a rebate from the price, ask which program pays it. Get the program's approval or reservation in writing before work starts.

Do you need a permit to replace a furnace or AC in San Diego?

Yes. The City's Development Services mechanical permit page says no part of a heating, ventilating, air conditioning or refrigeration system may be installed without a mechanical permit. Work that replaces, alters or repairs one needs a permit too.

For most houses the path is short. The page lists replacement of furnaces and installation of forced-air units or air conditioners as simple no-plan work. Homeowners, property owners and licensed contractors can all apply. The steps it gives:

1. Open the City's online permitting portal.
2. Pick the no-plan record type. For a single dwelling, duplex or townhome it is "No-Plan - Residential - Combination Mech/Elec/Plum."
3. Submit the application and pay the invoice. The permit issues after payment.
4. Schedule the inspection once the permit is issued.

Two limits apply:

• The no-plan route is only for properties that are not historically or potentially designated. Others need a plan permit.
• The page names furnace replacement and AC installation. It does not mention heat pumps, so ask Development Services which permit a heat pump needs before you apply.

California adds a test step. The Energy Commission's HERS page says HERS testing may be mandatory when you change an HVAC system, depending on the work, and that "properly permitted work will trigger any necessary HERS testing." You have the right to hire a rater who is independent of your contractor, and you can ask for the completed HERS forms.

How do you check an HVAC contractor's license in San Diego?

Use the Contractors State License Board's Check a License tool. The same tool checks Home Improvement Salesperson registrations, so you can look up the person who came to your door as well as the company.

On the record, look for the C-20 classification. CSLB's list of classifications names it Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor. Make sure the license is active and that the business name matches the one printed on your contract.

Company websites leave out much of what you need. The table below sets our audit of San Diego-area HVAC company websites that advertise on Google beside the figures for every city we measured. It shows how many local sites hide their Google rating, how many offer no contact form, and how long the main content takes to load on a phone.

Use those gaps as a checklist:

• Find the company on Google Maps and read its newest reviews, low ones included. Many sites in the table do not show their rating, so look it up yourself.
• If a site has no form, phone the office. Ask for the CSLB license number on that call and check it before anyone visits.
• Ask who pulls the City permit and whether the price covers HERS testing.
• Get the load calculation and the equipment model numbers in writing, so two bids can be compared line by line.

What should you do if you smell gas in San Diego?

If you smell gas, leave the building right away. From outside, call 911 or your gas utility's emergency line. SDG&E's gas safety page lists its emergency number, so save it in your phone before you need it.

Carbon monoxide is a separate furnace hazard. Our guide to furnace carbon monoxide covers the warning signs and what to do.

Questions people ask