Swapping an existing heat pump for a variable-speed one is a simple job to propose and an easy one to under-scope. The unit already heats and cools, and the ducts stay put — so the whole decision comes down to insisting each dealer quotes the same job, then reading their bids against one honest sheet rather than against each other's sales talk.

What the swap actually is

Because the current system is already a heat pump, this is a heat-pump-for-heat-pump replacement — the cleanest kind. There is no furnace-versus-electric fork to settle and no change to what the system is asked to do; the new unit steps straight into the role the old one played. The one thing that carries the whole job is this: variable-speed only works as a matched set.

The two details that still matter

• Refrigerant generation. The old unit is almost certainly R‑410A; a current XV20i uses the new R‑454B. Refrigerants cannot be mixed, so the line set must be flushed or replaced — every bid should say which.
• Sizing by calculation, not habit. A variable-speed unit that is oversized short-cycles and never reaches its efficient sweet spot. Insist on a Manual J load calculation rather than "your old unit was X tons, here's X tons."

The scope every bid must cover

Hand each dealer the same scope so the quotes come back in one shape. Every bid must include:

1. An AHRI-matched variable-speed set — XV20i outdoor unit + matched variable-speed air handler + ComfortLink II thermostat, with the AHRI reference number and rated SEER2 / HSPF2.
2. A Manual J load calculation — with the resulting design load and selected tonnage stated, not just the old tonnage carried over.
3. A line-set & refrigerant plan — reuse, flush, or replace, and whether the new system is R‑454B or R‑410A.
4. Backup heat carried over — the existing strip heat or dual-fuel arrangement kept and correctly sized and controlled.
5. Warranty handled — Trane's 10-year parts warranty registered by the installer within 60 days, with the labor / workmanship warranty stated separately.
6. Rebates & incentives identified — utility rebates, the federal 25C heat-pump tax credit, and any high-SEER2 offers.
7. Permits, electrical changes, old-equipment disposal, and commissioning — all included, not billed as surprises.

Scoring the bids

Score each criterion 1–5 per dealer, multiply by its weight, and total. The heaviest weights sit on the three things a cheap bid tends to skimp — a genuinely matched system, a real load calculation, and price. Highest weighted total, out of 105, is the strongest apples-to-apples bid.

Fill the sheet by hand, or print the one-pager above and score at the kitchen table. When two bids come out close, the tie-break is the red-flag list below — not the lower number.