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HVAC service in Washington, DC: technician reviewing a homeowner's thermostat settings
Serving Washington, DC

HVAC Service in Washington, DC

Most DC houses share both side walls and started out on radiators, so an HVAC job here comes down to space, where the equipment fits, where a duct can run and where the water drains. We work on row houses, condos and detached homes in every quadrant.

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What to know about HVAC Service in Washington

The permit comes from DOB now

Since October 2022, when DCRA was split up, the Department of Buildings issues District permits. A changeout takes a mechanical permit, and gas and electrical work each carry their own. In Capitol Hill, Georgetown and other historic districts, a condenser or line set visible from the street also goes to the Historic Preservation Office.

Row houses were never ducted

Houses from the 1890s through the 1930s came with radiators and a boiler, not ducts. Cooling them means an attic or closet air handler with soffit runs, a high velocity system, or ductless heads. Each loads the panel and drains differently, so the method is chosen before equipment is ordered.

DC is a row house town

From Capitol Hill to Petworth, most houses share both side walls and were heated by radiators long before anyone cooled them.

So your HVAC job is mostly a space problem. Where the equipment goes, where the ducts run and where the water drains.

The local concept

The roof condenser

A roof condenser is the outdoor unit set on a row house's flat roof, because the front faces the street and the back is a small yard or a parking pad.

It keeps the unit out of sight, but it means a long line set, a hatch or ladder for every service visit, and a stand that keeps the roof sound. Plan the roof access before the equipment, not after.

Ground-level units in the rear yard are easier to service but take space you may want for parking or a patio. Roof units free the yard and cost more to reach. Pick with both in mind.

DC jobs by kind of house

Cooling a Capitol Hill row house

Row houses near Eastern Market and the US Capitol get cooling through an attic air handler with soffit runs, or ductless heads. Historic district rules shape where the outdoor unit can sit.

Renovated row houses uptown

Renovated row houses in Petworth and Columbia Heights often have a system on each floor. Calls there are short cycling, clogged drains and two thermostats fighting each other.

Condos around Navy Yard

Condos in the towers around Navy Yard have unit systems in closets tied to the building. The work is inside your unit, scheduled with building management.

Georgetown and its review board

Georgetown sits under the Old Georgetown Board, which reviews exterior changes. Equipment placement is settled before anything is ordered.

Boiler houses that want cooling

Plenty of DC houses still heat with a boiler and radiators. You can keep the boiler and add cooling with ductless heads or a small-duct system.

Detached houses in upper Northwest

Detached houses in Tenleytown and Cleveland Park often have a basement furnace and attic cooling as two separate systems. Each gets its own check, filter and drain.

Popular HVAC services in Washington

In DC the house shapes the job, and it matters a lot if yours is a row house, a condo or a detached house. All of it, in every quadrant, from air conditioning installation to furnace and heat pump work.

Areas served around Washington

We cover all four quadrants of the District, from Tenleytown in Northwest to Congress Heights in Southeast.

Capitol HillPetworthColumbia HeightsBrooklandGeorgetownCleveland ParkShawNavy YardAnacostiaTenleytownCongress HeightsHill East

From Bryans Road to the District

Downtown DC is about 17 miles from our Bryans Road shop, straight line.

We come north on MD 210 to the Capital Beltway, then up I-295 into the city along the Anacostia River.

Map of Washington, DC and the route from All Purpose HVAC in Bryans Road, MDWashington, DC is shaded, with the US Capitol, Eastern Market, Navy Yard, Georgetown and Petworth marked. A dashed line runs about 17 miles south to the All Purpose HVAC shop in Bryans Road, Maryland. The route follows MD 210 north to I-495, then I-295 north into the city along the Anacostia River.Potomac RiverAnacostia RiverPatuxent RiverOccoquan RiverMD 210I-495 Beltwayabout 17 milesUS CapitolEastern MarketNavy YardGeorgetownPetworthWashington, DCAll Purpose HVACBryans Road, MD5 milesN
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Washington HVAC questions

Can you add central air to a DC row house without tearing up the walls?

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Usually one of three ways. An attic or closet air handler with soffit runs, a high velocity system with small flexible ducts, or ductless heads. The attic, panel and condensate path decide which, so we look before we price.

Do I need a permit to replace my HVAC system in the District?

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Yes. The Department of Buildings issues the mechanical permit, and gas and electrical work carry their own. In a historic district, outdoor equipment visible from the street also goes past the Historic Preservation Office.

Where does the outdoor unit go on a DC row house?

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Usually the roof or the rear yard. In a historic district, a spot that cannot be seen from the street keeps the review simple. We plan roof access and the line set run first.

Can I keep my boiler and still add air conditioning?

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Yes. Ductless heads or a small-duct high velocity system add cooling without replacing the boiler and radiators.

Do you do gas furnace installation and replacement in Washington, DC?

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Yes. A gas furnace installation or gas furnace replacement in DC takes a mechanical permit from the Department of Buildings, and the gas work carries its own. We size the furnace from the house, plan the venting first and give you the written estimate free.

Do you do heat pump installation in DC row houses?

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Yes. Heat pump installation in Washington, DC is often ductless heads or an attic air handler, since many row houses were never ducted. Heat pump repair in Washington, DC on an existing system is scheduled for the next day.

Can you repair or replace ductwork in a DC house?

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Yes. We do ductwork repair and ductwork replacement in DC, including attic and soffit runs in row houses that were not built with ducts. We test the ducts first, then seal, repair or replace the runs that need it.

Do you do thermostat replacement in DC?

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Yes. We replace the thermostat and set it up for the system it controls, heat pumps and houses with no C wire included.

How far is DC from your shop?

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Around 17 miles. MD 210 and I-295 bring us into the city along the Anacostia.

How do you get a new unit onto a row house roof?

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Up through the house and the roof hatch when it fits, or up the outside on a ladder lift. Bigger jobs may need a crane, which gets priced and permitted ahead.

Do you work in condo buildings in DC?

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Yes, on the equipment inside your unit. Elevator and loading dock time is booked with your building before the work day.

Request HVAC Service in Washington

Send the form or call (240) 695-4415, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily.

We take insurance jobs. Financing may also be available for qualifying projects. Ask when you call.

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