HVAC in Los Gatos, California
If my AC dies in Los Gatos, must it become a heat pump?
Either a heat pump, or an AC with additional efficiency measures. The rule is triggered only by an AC install or replacement: never a furnace, never a repair. The rule, the permits and the rebate.
On file for Los Gatos
The two-way AC rule, and what it leaves alone
On file, last checked 2026-10-22
Read next
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AC rule
What does the Los Gatos rule require?
The town adopted AC to heat pump replacement requirements for existing single-family homes, applied when an air conditioning unit is proposed to be replaced.
Its FAQ says the code is only triggered by a planned AC installation or replacement, and it requires either a heat pump installation or an AC with additional efficiency measures.
Source: Town of Los Gatos, Current Adopted Codes. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-17.
Source: Town of Los Gatos, Reach Codes FAQs 2025 V1. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-22.
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Exceptions
Does it apply to a broken furnace, or an AC repair?
No to both. The policy relates to AC installation, not furnace installations, so a heat pump is not required when a furnace breaks.
And a broken air conditioner can still be fixed: nothing in the Two-Way AC ordinance prevents the repair of existing equipment.
Source: Town of Los Gatos, Reach Codes FAQs 2025 V1. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-22.
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Rooftop
Do rooftop units need extra approval in Los Gatos?
Yes: a new roof top AC unit requires Planning Division and HOA approval. Replacing equipment in the same location can be applied for online.
Source: Town of Los Gatos, Building Permit Applications. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-17.
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Inspection
When do I book an inspection in Los Gatos?
Any hour of the day, but by 12 p.m. (noon) for a next business day inspection. The inspector calls the afternoon before to confirm.
Work hours are weekdays 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., with no work on Sundays or holidays.
Source: Town of Los Gatos, Inspection Request Information. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-22.
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Rebate
Will Silicon Valley Clean Energy pay toward the heat pump?
If it replaces the gas appliance. SVCE requires the original gas appliance to be removed for its heat pump HVAC rebate, so a heat pump paired with the old furnace doesn't qualify.
Apply before installation; an emergency replacement is handled by contacting SVCE.
Source: Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Home Rebates Participant Agreement. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-22.
Source: Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Home Rebates. Rules and programs change: last checked 2026-10-17.
Where we work
The Peninsula line
Our shop is in San Mateo. Every stop below is a city we work in, from San Francisco's neighborhoods down to Gilroy, over to the coast and across to the East Bay. The stops in white have their own page.
- Our shop, San Mateo
- A city with its own page
- We work there too
Along the Bay and El Camino
The hills
- Emerald Hills
- Woodside
- Portola Valley
- Stanford
- Los Altos Hills
- Los Altos
- Cupertino
- Monte Vista
- Saratoga
- Monte Sereno
- Los Gatos (this page)
- Campbell
The coast
Tell us what it's doing. We'll take it from there.
Call and describe the problem: the noise, the smell, the room that never warms up. Or book a visit online.
