Geothermal questions, answered for Dallas–Fort Worth

Most DFW homes land between $25,000 and $65,000 installed, depending on home size and how many wells you need. That is more up front than a conventional system, but heating and cooling costs drop 50–80% afterward. Most homeowners recover the difference in 5–10 years. See the full breakdown on our cost page.

Yes. A geothermal heat pump runs at a COP of 4–5 — that means 400–500% efficient, versus about 95% for a gas furnace. Our DFW customers typically save $150–$400 a month on heating and cooling.

For homeowners, no — the residential geothermal tax credit ended in 2025 and is gone. Commercial projects still qualify for federal incentives of roughly 30–50% through 2035. We will always give you the honest, current numbers before you sign anything.

Most DFW homeowners break even in 5–10 years through utility savings alone. Bigger homes with higher bills pay back faster. After payback, the savings are yours for the life of the system.

The opposite — rising rates make geothermal more valuable. Because the system delivers 4–5 units of heating or cooling for every 1 unit of electricity, each Texas rate increase widens the gap between your bill and your neighbor's.

Typically 3–5 working days: 1–2 days of drilling, a day to connect the loop piping, and 1–2 days to set and commission the heat pump. Commercial jobs vary with size.

Vertical bores in DFW usually run 200–400 feet deep and only about 5 inches across. A typical 3–5 ton home system needs 3–5 bores. Our own rigs and licensed drillers handle every foot — no subcontractors.

No. Bores are placed well away from your slab, each hole is only about 5 inches wide, and every bore is sealed top to bottom with grout. Drilling does not change the soil moisture around your foundation — the thing that actually moves North Texas slabs.

No — that is the biggest geothermal myth in DFW. A vertical bore field for a typical home fits in a 10×10 foot corner of the yard. Horizontal loops need more land, but vertical drilling works on ordinary suburban lots in Plano, Frisco, and McKinney.

There is some short-term disturbance where the rig sits and where shallow trenches connect the bores to the house. Most yards recover within a few weeks, and we restore the site before we leave.

No. A geothermal loop is a sealed, closed circuit of high-density plastic pipe — nothing is pumped out of or into the ground. Each bore is grouted with bentonite to protect groundwater, and our crews drill under Texas Drillers License #59525C.

Never. Excel owns its drilling rigs, employs its own installers and spray foam crews, and designs and installs its own ductwork. One team, one point of contact, zero finger-pointing. More on the about page.

Often, yes. If your ducts are sound and sized correctly, we connect the new heat pump to them. We check duct condition during design and only recommend changes when they are needed.

In nearly every measurable way. It is 400–500% efficient, has no noisy outdoor condenser, and the equipment lasts about 20–25 years versus 12–15 for conventional. The buried loop is designed to last 50+ years. Full breakdown on our comparison page.

Yes — that is when it shines most. A conventional AC has to dump your home's heat into 105°F air, while a geothermal system dumps it into 67–69°F earth. The hotter the summer, the bigger the advantage.

The indoor heat pump typically runs 20–25 years with basic maintenance. The buried loop has no moving parts and is designed to last 50+ years — one-time, permanent infrastructure for your home. It usually outlives two or three heat pumps.

About as loud as a refrigerator. There is no outdoor condenser at all — the noisiest part of a normal system simply does not exist. Many owners forget it is running.

Less than conventional HVAC. We recommend two tune-ups a year — spring and fall, filters included — with filter service again in summer and winter. The underground loop itself needs virtually nothing.

Yes — ask about current plan options when you book. Regular care keeps efficiency at its peak and extends equipment life. See maintenance and repair.

We run 24-hour emergency service with NATE-certified technicians. WaterFurnace and ClimateMaster back their equipment with manufacturer warranties, and we stand behind our installation work.

Normally, no. The loop is a sealed, pressurized circuit, and we verify pressure and antifreeze mix during your seasonal tune-ups. If pressure ever drifts, we correct it — it is not a homeowner chore.

No — it is actually an advantage. North Texas clay and the limestone beneath it conduct heat well, which is exactly what a ground loop needs. Our rigs drill through it every week.

They kept heating whenever the power was on, because the ground stayed 67–69°F while the air hit single digits. To be honest: geothermal still needs electricity, so rolling blackouts paused it like everything else — but it drew far less power than strip-heat backup and recovered fast. Owners came through Uri warmer and with smaller bills.

Almost always. There is nothing to see from the street — no outdoor condenser, no roof equipment, and the wells disappear under the grass. Texas law also limits how far HOAs can go in blocking energy-efficiency improvements, and we can help with any paperwork yours requires.

Because our weather swings from below 20°F to above 105°F, but the ground 20–30 feet down never leaves 67–69°F. A geothermal loop works like a cave — the same mild temperature no matter what the weather does. Big swings above ground mean big savings below it.

The whole Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex — Dallas, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Prosper, Celina, Rockwall, Allen, Richardson, Southlake, Highland Park, Lucas, and 80+ surrounding cities.