West Sussex · Heat pump installation
Heat pump installation in Small Dole, West Sussex
Air source heat pumps across Small Dole and nearby, from the first look to the final check with the price fixed before work begins.
- Radiators that may be too small for a heat pump
- An oil, LPG or gas boiler near the end of its life
- Checking whether planning permission is needed
What you can do yourself, and what needs us
Refrigerant is off limits for anyone without the right qualifications. The law requires anyone working on equipment containing F gas to hold the right qualifications, and the company to be certified, and escaping refrigerant can cause cold burns. If you suspect a leak, switch the system off and call us.
Owners can handle the everyday basics: keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves, plants and clutter, check the settings and the remote, and follow the cleaning the manual describes. Opening up the units, the electrics and the refrigerant circuit are a job for us.
Air source heat pumps in Small Dole, done properly
Installing an air source heat pump in a home is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, then 5%. This is HMRC’s energy-saving materials relief, which applies to homes rather than businesses, and for air-to-air systems we confirm the VAT on your quote. This is general information, not tax advice. Typical jobs include planning and permitted development questions and checking eligibility for a heat pump grant, on air-to-water heat pumps, homes heated by oil, LPG or gas and hot water cylinders.
Older and listed homes in villages like Small Dole need extra care, and permitted development does not cover listed buildings, so we check consent first.
The records are your system’s health record: a dated account of the work and the readings we took. If anything goes wrong later, it helps the next engineer and the manufacturer, so keep it safe.
- Where
- Small Dole (BN5)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Credentials
- NICEIC approved, F-Gas certified, MCS
- Price
- Fixed-price quote after a site survey
- Prices
- £8,000–£16,000 before the grant, 0% VAT on homes
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
Small Dole questions
Will a heat pump in Small Dole need planning permission?
It depends on the property. Around 4 listed entries sit within 0.5 miles of central Small Dole. A heat pump on a house can be permitted development if it meets the conditions, including the MCS noise check, but not within the grounds of a listed building, and in a conservation area the outdoor unit cannot face a road. Where needed, we check with the planning department at Horsham council, normally the authority for Small Dole.
Do you cover smaller places like Small Dole?
Yes, and the size of the place makes no difference to how we work. We are based in East Grinstead and plan each visit so the job can be finished in one trip where possible.
Which type of heat pump is right for my home?
Air-to-water feeds your central heating and hot water, while air-to-air warms and cools rooms directly. Air-to-air doesn’t heat hot water and the survey helps decide.
Do you work on systems someone else installed?
Yes. We work on systems fitted by other installers as well as our own from all the leading brands. Send us the make and model, and any records you have.
Can I do any of the installation myself?
No, not the refrigerant side. Under the F-gas rules, it must be done by qualified engineers from a certified company, and a new circuit is notifiable under Part P unless a registered electrician, such as a NICEIC approved contractor, does it.
How long will it take to install a heat pump?
It takes several days for an air-to-water system with a new cylinder, less for an air-to-air system. How much of the heating changes decides most of the time and the timing is set out with your quote.
Do you provide F-Gas records?
Yes. It’s your proof of what was done: the date, the work, and any refrigerant added or recovered.
Why act early in Small Dole
The extra £1,500 for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas is available until March 2027. For homes that qualify, that’s a reason to look into it now. A dirty or faulty system works harder and costs more to run.
Typical ranges are on our prices page, but your price depends on the job in front of us. Call for a fixed-price quote, and we’ll explain what it covers.
What you get with us
- MCS certified for heat pumps
- Manufacturer’s warranty terms explained on your quote
- Every job looked at before it’s priced
- We work on all the leading brands
Take a look at how installs are priced and our accreditations and certificates.
Nearby places to Small Dole
What else we do in Small Dole
What the work involves, system by system
VAT on heat pumps
Installing an air source heat pump in a home is zero-rated until 31 March 2027, then 5%, under HMRC Notice 708/6. It does not apply to businesses.
Air-to-air heat pumps
Air-to-air heat pumps warm rooms through indoor units and can cool them in summer. Hot water needs a separate source, so that has to come from elsewhere.
Heat pumps in Small Dole: local notes
The 2021 Census found about 70% of households in detached or semi-detached houses. Finding room for the outdoor unit and a cylinder is seldom a problem in homes like these.
A heat loss calculation decides the size of heat pump your home needs. Historic houses such as Portslade Manor, about 4.8 miles south-east, are a reminder that listed homes need consent before a heat pump goes in.
Small Dole is about 5 miles north of Shoreham-by-Sea, in West Sussex. Small Dole gets the same approach as every job we take on: a look at the job first, a fixed-price quote and written records at the end. Small Dole is one of 371 places in West Sussex we cover for homes and businesses. You can also see our page for Burgess Hill, about 7 miles away.
Not far from Small Dole, a recent job of ours was on Nuthurst Road, Henfield (BN5), about 2 miles north: installing a Mitsubishi Electric wall-mounted unit in the main living space: a large open-plan kitchen-dining-living area with exposed beams and a vaulted ceiling.
From Downsview, Tottington Drive and Orchard Close to the smaller roads in between, the whole area is covered. Every address in BN5 is within our area, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Places around Small Dole that are also on our list: Woodmancote (2 miles north-east), Henfield (2 miles north), Blackstone (2 miles north-east), Albourne (3 miles north-east) and High Cross (3 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Crawley (15 miles north), Horsham (11 miles north), Worthing (8 miles south-west) and Haywards Heath (10 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Small Dole
Typical jobs here are in properties near Tottington Wood. For rail, the closest station is Shoreham-By-Sea station, about 4.8 miles south of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Southlands Hospital (4.4 miles south) and Steyning Museum (2.6 miles south-west). The countryside around Small Dole includes Woods Mill and Truleigh Hill.
What happens on the day
Think of the visit in three stages: diagnose, treat and sign off. First comes a careful look at the system or the space, then we do the work, and finally everything is tested, recorded and explained. Most of the time goes on the middle part, which takes from a couple of days to around a week, depending on the system and how much of the heating changes. A few photos help us make the most of a visit to Small Dole.
- We start with your plans and the property.
- A survey covers heat loss, radiators, hot water and where the outdoor unit could sit.
- We recommend air-to-water or air-to-air and check the grant position.
- We install the heat pump and connect it up.
- We commission it, complete the MCS certificate and show you how to use it.
Getting ready for the visit
- Mention any roof access, ladders or high-level work
- Clear a path to the units and the space around them
- Let us know if the building has a permit or sign-in process
How to get a quote
Want a quote for air source heat pumps? Please call 07833 053749 or drop us a line and tell us about the job. We will explain what we’d recommend and why, then send a fixed-price quote before anything is booked.
Related advice
From one of our customers
“Very professional from the initial survey through to installation. The engineer explained everything clearly and the quote was exactly what we paid. Would not hesitate to recommend AirCon Doctor.”
David W., Haywards Heath