What happens when the crew arrives?
What good work looks like at each milestone, what to check before you hand over final payment, and how to actually claim the rebates when the dust settles.
The week before
By install week the decisions are made — what's left is logistics. Confirm the permit was pulled and by whom. Confirm start time, crew size, and how many days. Clear access: attic hatch, basement, the wall where the outdoor unit lands, a parking spot for the truck. Ask where materials will be staged and what gets protected with drop cloths.
One thing worth doing before any envelope or equipment work: photos. Five minutes of pictures of the attic, the mechanical room, and the outside wall gives you a before record if anything is disputed later — and makes the rebate paperwork easier, since some programs ask for before-and-after documentation.
Insulation: usually one to two days
Air sealing first
The crew seals attic bypasses, top plates, and penetrations before any insulation goes in. If you were quoted air sealing and the blower truck starts first, stop and ask. Sealing after insulating doesn't work.
Prep, then insulation
Ventilation baffles at the eaves, dams and blocking around heat sources and the hatch, can lights covered or boxed. Then the material goes in — blown loose in open attics, dense-packed through drilled holes for closed walls. Drilled siding or plaster should be patched to the standard the quote promised.
Depth markers and the final walkthrough
In an open attic you should be able to see depth markers showing the settled depth that delivers the target R-value. Before the crew leaves: walk it, see the markers, confirm the hatch is insulated and weatherstripped, and get the final scope in writing.
Heat pumps: usually one to three days
Placement and mounting
Outdoor unit set on a pad or wall brackets — in snow country it should sit above the drift line. Indoor heads mounted where the quote said. If a location needs to change on install day, the change should be explained and written down, not improvised.
Lines, wiring, and condensate
Refrigerant lines run and pressure-tested, the new electrical circuit and disconnect installed, condensate routed somewhere it can actually drain. Line set covers on exterior runs are a small line item that signals care.
Commissioning — the step you shouldn't skip
The installer verifies refrigerant charge and airflow, runs the system in both modes, and walks you through the controls. Ask for the commissioning readings for your records. A system that's never commissioned can run for years below its rated efficiency, and you'd never know.
The final-payment checklist
None of this is adversarial. Good crews expect the walkthrough — it's how they show the work off.
- The work matches the quote: areas, R-values, model numbers, head locations
- Installed model and serial numbers photographed or written down
- Commissioning done, readings shared, controls demonstrated
- Permit inspection scheduled or passed, if one was required
- Site cleaned up: old material disposed of, holes patched, drop cloths gone
- Paperwork in hand: itemized final invoice, warranty terms, equipment documentation
Hold final payment until the walkthrough is done and the paperwork is in your hands. An itemized invoice with model and serial numbers isn't bureaucracy — it's the document your rebate applications will be built from.
After the dust settles: getting paid back
The install is the finish line for the crew, not for the paperwork. Most programs won't chase you — deadlines are real.
Confirm who files what
Some programs are contractor-filed, some homeowner-filed, some both. This was on your quote — now hold it to account. If the contractor files, get written confirmation when they do.
Assemble the record
The itemized paid invoice, equipment model and serial numbers, efficiency documentation for the installed models, and any before-and-after photos or blower door numbers the program asks for. Everything comes from the final-payment checklist above.
File before the deadline
Most programs have a window measured in weeks or months after installation. File as soon as the invoice is settled — funds in some programs run out before the calendar year does.
Track it until the check clears
Rebate processing takes weeks. Note what you filed, where, and when; follow up if the window passes. Programs change mid-year, and we track those changes — the alerts below follow deadlines and paperwork windows, not just new programs.
Installation questions
How long does insulation installation take?
Most residential insulation jobs run one to two days: air sealing and prep the first morning, material install after. Whole-house work with wall dense-packing and basement can stretch to three.
How long does a heat pump installation take?
A single-zone mini-split is typically one day. Multi-zone systems run two to three depending on head count and line set runs. Ducted systems and jobs with panel work take longer — the quote should say.
What is commissioning and do I need it?
Commissioning is the startup verification: refrigerant charge, airflow, both operating modes, controls. Yes, you need it — charge and airflow errors are the most common reasons installed systems underperform their ratings.
When do I get my rebate money?
After you (or the contractor) file, most programs pay out in a few weeks to a couple of months. The bigger risk isn't slow payment, it's missed windows — file as soon as the final invoice is paid.
More project guides
What order to do it in
Envelope first, equipment second — why the sequence matters, and how to phase a retrofit to your budget and your rebates' deadlines.
How to read a quote
What belongs on a heat pump or insulation quote, typical installed prices, and the red flags that mean keep shopping.
Read the cost guides
Real installed prices, sizing basics, and which rebates apply — plus how to sequence the project, read the quotes, and get through install day.
Starting further back in the project?
If the crew isn't booked yet, start where the money is: every federal, state, and utility program you qualify for, verified weekly. Then plan the order, pick the contractor, and check the quote.