Your contractor should have some understanding of energy efficiency. Try to only hire contractors with a demonstrable background in the installation of energy efficient heating and cooling devices. You can learn more about your contractor's experience just by speaking with him or her about previous work. This experience will help ensure that you're getting the type of energy savings you obviously want when you install a heat pump.

Your contractor should be willing to provide you with an estimate for the project. A time estimate will relate to the amount of time he or she expects the project to take. A money estimate will give you a price-point that you can use to budget your finances to pay for the project. If you get estimates from a number of different contractors, then you may be able to get a better price.

It is always a good idea to have a contract written out between you and the contractor. The contract doesn't need to be anything fancy and it doesn't need to be put together by a lawyer. It should clearly lay out any payment terms, time estimates, and financial estimates.