Have the mechanical room and electrical panel accessible, collect utility history when convenient, and identify known wells, septic areas, buried utilities, easements and property-access limitations. The estimator will measure and verify the technical details.
BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT
Gather the information that explains how the home behaves.
- Most recent 12 months of electric, natural-gas, propane or fuel-oil usage when available
- Rooms that run hot, cold, humid, noisy or difficult to balance
- Known additions, finished basements, insulation work, air sealing or window replacements
- Existing equipment model numbers, approximate age and recent repair history
- Thermostat schedules, backup-heat concerns and any outage-resilience goals
The lite quote uses customer-reported conditioned area. Additions, unfinished areas and spaces served by separate systems are reviewed at the property before final load calculations or equipment selection.
INSIDE THE HOME
Make the equipment and distribution system accessible.
Mechanical room
Provide safe access to the existing furnace, heat pump or geothermal unit, water heater, pumps, drains and the likely replacement-equipment area.
Ducts and returns
Identify filter locations, return grilles, inaccessible rooms and comfort complaints. Static pressure, leakage and room airflow require field testing.
Panel and service
Clear the area around the main panel and relevant subpanels. New circuits or service upgrades are evaluated and priced separately.
OUTSIDE THE HOME
Show us the preferred loop area and a workable alternative.
The instant quote can carry primary and secondary Google Earth planning pins into the site-walk summary. At the property, the estimator still checks equipment access, utilities, septic components, wells, easements, setbacks, drainage, hardscape and the route back to the mechanical room.
- Known utility and private-line locations
- Well, septic tank and leach-field areas
- Pond depth or seasonal-level information
- Property lines, easements and restricted areas
- Gate widths, slopes and preferred access routes
- Final bore, trench or circuit locations
- Underground utility clearance
- Equipment setup and drilling access
- Engineered loop length or capacity
- Restoration limits or property-line approval
THE SITE-WALK PURPOSE
We turn preliminary assumptions into verified design inputs.
- 01
Home and load inputs: conditioned area, assemblies, windows, infiltration clues, additions and design conditions.
- 02
Distribution: duct sizes, return paths, filters, available airflow, static pressure and room-balance concerns.
- 03
Equipment: exact manufacturer performance, capacity staging, auxiliary heat, controls, hot-water assist and service clearances.
- 04
Ground connection: loop method, usable area, access, geology or water-source questions, header route and final design needs.
- 05
Installation scope: ordinary included work, permit and tax treatment, separate trades, restoration and unusual property conditions.
PRICING BOUNDARY
Some conditions cannot be priced responsibly from the website.
The lite result covers an ordinary equipment installation and its stated allowances. The site walk identifies work that needs a separate scope and price.
- Electrical circuits or electrical-service upgrades
- Duct modifications
- Landscaping, seeding and hardscape restoration
- Asphalt, concrete, driveway or sidewalk restoration
- Rock, difficult drilling or restricted access
- Creating site access
- Vacuum truck rental
AFTER THE VISIT
The verified home moves into design and proposal.
The next phase can include Manual J and Manual S review, manufacturer performance and AHRI documentation, airflow or duct recommendations, the ground-loop design, confirmed installation scope and the supported pricebook package. An eligible project can then enter the WaterFurnace PremiumPath workflow for an authorized payment and agreement through Palmetto—not a website-generated estimate.
See how verified scope connects to the monthly-payment pathway →