How to Find a Geothermal Heat Pump Installer

You have decided geothermal is the right call for your house. Now you need a name — a company that will actually show up and install the system — and the search for one is harder than it should be. There is no national database of geothermal installers. There is no "Better Business Bureau of ground loops." What there is instead is a handful of working search tools, each with a different scope: trade association directories, manufacturer dealer locators, rebate-program contractor lists, and state license lookups. This page is the map of those tools, in the order you should use them.

The two things that shape the search: where you live, and which half of the job you are hiring for. A geothermal installation splits into two trades — the heat pump side and the ground loop side — and the directories split the same way. Some states fold both halves into one license; others split them. And if a rebate is on the table, the program's own contractor list may be the fastest way to a qualified name.

Everything below was checked live on September 16, 2026. If a tool has moved, the state or program page is the place to re-find it.

The Two Trade Halves

A geothermal heat pump system has two installation jobs, and they are often done by two different firms.

The first half is the HVAC side: the heat pump unit itself, the indoor distribution (ducts, hydronic loops, or fan coils), the controls, and the commissioning. The people who do this are HVAC dealers and contractors. The second half is the ground loop side: boring or trenching the boreholes, setting the U-bends, grouting, pressure-testing, and connecting the loop. The people who do this are loop drillers — in most states, water-well drilling contractors, because the state licensing regimes fold geothermal-loop drilling into well-driller licensing. The mechanics of that drilling half are covered in geothermal drilling and wells.

The practical consequence: when you search, you may be looking for one company that does both, or two companies that each do one. The search tools below let you tell the difference, because they label the trade half. IGSHPA's business directory, for example, has separate sectors for "Dealer/Contractor" and "Ground Loop Installer." NGWA's directory has a credential that exists only for the drilling side. Keep the split in mind as you search — it is the reason some searches come back with a driller and an HVAC firm as two separate rows.

One exception worth naming up front: Dandelion Energy is not a dealer locator. It is itself a vertically integrated installer and driller, so with Dandelion there is no "find a dealer" step — you go direct. Its FAQ states that it "offers both complete geothermal installations as well as standalone drilling services" and "partners with homebuilders across the United States." If Dandelion is on your short list, the review is the place to read it; this page is for the search tools that return other names.

The Certified and Trade Directories

The trade associations run the most complete directories we found, and they run them in two flavors: a list of companies, and a list of certified individuals. Both are free to search as far as the pages show.

IGSHPA: two live directories

The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) maintains two separate directories, and they answer different questions.

The business member directory (igshpa.org/member-directory) is a member directory of companies. Its stated search filters: "Search by company name, by sector (Dealer/Contractor, Ground Loop Installer, Architect/Engineer, Product Distributor, Manufacturer, Bank / Financing / Developer, Utility, or General), or by location." Note the two sectors that matter to you: Dealer/Contractor and Ground Loop Installer are separate filters, so you can pull the HVAC half and the drilling half independently. IGSHPA's own framing, from its business-directory page: "if you are looking for heat pumps or a ground loop installer, check out our Business Member directory." One honest caveat: this is a membership directory, not a certification list — the credentials shown are membership sectors, and IGSHPA notes that "Directories are constantly being updated as members join."

The Certified Individual Directory (igshpa.org/certified-individual-directory) is the other half of the answer. It lists individuals, not companies, and it is where you find people holding the Accredited Installer certification, filtered to the US-Canada area. IGSHPA's own framing: "if you would like to find a certified individual (e.g., Accredited Installer), check out our Certified Individual directory." (The page's metadata shows a last modification of April 29, 2026.)

There is a third view, a directory map, if you want to see the whole structure at once.

One thing to know before you read the results: the certification landscape is mid-change. The Accredited Installer designation is the "legacy" 3-day course, and IGSHPA is breaking it into job-specific modules in partnership with CSA Group, based on the CSA/ANSI/IGSHPA C448:25 Series standard. The new certificate names are the GSHP Residential Installation Technician (GRIT) Certificate and the Residential/Light Commercial GHX Installer — GHXI Certificate (GHX = ground heat exchanger). So you will see both the older Accredited Installer label and the newer module-based certificates in the wild. What each credential actually means — and which one to ask for on a residential job — is broken down in the geothermal installer certification guide. For context on what certification costs the installer, IGSHPA's training catalog lists the GRIT course at $400.00 (member price), the GHX installer course at $895.00, and certification exams at $450.00. That is the cost of becoming certified, not a homeowner cost — but it is a useful fact when a bid itemizes "certification."

NGWA: the drilling half, by credential

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) runs the Directory of NGWA Certified Professionals, and its credential filters are where the drilling side gets specific. The filters embedded in the directory include CWD (Certified Well Driller), CVCLD (Certified Vertical Closed Loop Driller), CPI (Certified Pump Installer), MGWC (Master Groundwater Contractor), CSP (Certified Sales Professional), and CGWP (Certified Groundwater Professional). CVCLD is the credential that exists specifically for vertical closed-loop geothermal drilling, so a homeowner can search for that credential directly rather than guessing which well driller has done a ground loop. NGWA certification is voluntary, and it certifies individuals, not companies — the company name you want will usually come from the person's listing.

WellOwner.org: the geolocating lookup

NGWA also runs WellOwner.org, a consumer-facing contractor lookup with a "Find Water Well Service Near Me" directory. It uses your browser's geolocation, lets you sort by distance or name, and marks NGWA Certified Members in the results. It is the closest thing to a "near me" search for the drilling half. Two caveats, both from the page itself: "NGWA neither endorses nor guarantees the work of any company listed," and "verify with your state to ensure their compliance with any state-specific requirements." That second line is the whole state-licensing section in one sentence.

Manufacturer Dealer Locators

Three major geothermal equipment manufacturers each run a dealer or installer locator, and each one is a legitimate search channel — with a disclaimer attached to each. The disclaimers matter: these locators return dealers who sell or install that brand's equipment. They are not endorsements.

WaterFurnace

The WaterFurnace dealer locator asks you to "Enter your city and state or postal code to find an experienced WaterFurnace geothermal contractor in your area." Two verbatim notes from the page. The service-area caveat: "contact the dealer directly to verify they service your specific area." The disclaimer: the locator "does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement of any dealer." WaterFurnace also runs a GeoPro dealer program (its GeoPro Dealers page is live), though the tier details are rendered in JavaScript and not extractable from the static page.

ClimateMaster

The ClimateMaster find-a-dealer page is titled "Find a Geothermal Dealer Near You" and states: "Find a Certified ClimateMaster Geothermal Dealer… ClimateMaster supports a national network of independent geothermal heating and air conditioning dealers and installers." If you have an old bookmark to ClimateMaster's /dealer-locator/ path, it now returns a 404 — the live URL is the /homeowner/find-a-dealer path above.

Bosch

Bosch Home Comfort's US installer search is titled "US Bosch Installer Search," and the page's own description is "Find your local Bosch HVAC installer in our installer search tool. Find an installer for repair, maintenance…" The old bosch-thermotechnology.us domain now redirects into bosch-homecomfort.com, so older links land on the US site — the home page, not the locator. The search tool itself is a JavaScript widget with radius, technology, and service filters in the page code, and Bosch still lists Geothermal/Water Sourced Heat Pumps as a current product line in its site navigation. One honest limit: from the static page, a geothermal-specific filter in the locator could not be verified, so do not assume one exists — run the search and read the results.

Dandelion Energy: not a locator

Worth repeating from the trade-halves section, because it comes up in every search: Dandelion Energy does not run a dealer locator. It is the installer. Its FAQ states it "offers both complete geothermal installations as well as standalone drilling services," and a get-started flow exists at dandelionenergy.com/get-started. If Dandelion is in your market, the search step is skipped; the decision step is not, and the review covers that.

Rebate-Program Lists as a Search Channel

This is the channel most homeowners overlook, and in some states it is the most useful one. If a state or utility rebate is on the table, the program publishes a list of the contractors who can do the work — and in at least one state, the list is mandatory.

First, the federal frame, because it changes what "incentive" means in 2026. The 30% federal tax credit (IRA Section 25D) is gone. The Mass Save ground-source page states it plainly: "NOTE: IRA Section 25D tax incentives, which allow homeowners to credit up to 30% of the cost of installing solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, and batteries against their taxes, expired at the end of 2025. As a result, any expenditures associated with these improvements made after December 31, 2025 will not be eligible for the credit." The programs that remain are the state and utility rebates — and their contractor lists are a search tool. (None of this is tax advice; for your specific situation, talk to a tax professional.)

Efficiency Maine: the list is the requirement

In Maine, the rebate program itself is the filter. The Efficiency Maine geothermal rebate page lists the installer as a "Residential Registered Vendor for Geothermal Systems" among the rebate requirements, and the rebate steps state "Hire/contract with a Residential Registered Vendor." Both phrases are verbatim from the page. The vendor locator — titled "Find a Residential Registered Maine Energy Vendor" — is where you find one. In Maine, if you are going to take the rebate, this is the first place you search, not the last. The geothermal page also links to ENERGY STAR's geothermal heat pump page as a resource.

NYS Clean Heat

New York's program runs through NYSERDA and the utilities. NYSERDA's Find a Contractor hub links to the NYS Clean Heat Find a Contractor tool. The program's geothermal page states that geothermal heat pumps eligible for NYS Clean Heat incentives meet or exceed the ENERGY STAR specification, and it advertises "loans starting at 3.49% from NYSERDA" (figure as displayed on the page). The locator tool itself is a JavaScript app, so the search fields are best explored in a browser.

Mass Save

Massachusetts' utilities run the Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network. The page: "Find a Participating Contractor Near You… Looking for a complete list of participating installers? Download the spreadsheet." The stated membership bar: network contractors "have provided proof of EPA certification and insurance in the state of Massachusetts and have completed heat pump installation training," with the explicit disclaimer that participation "does not guarantee the quality of a contractor's work." A named higher tier exists: "Heat Pump Leaders Network (HPLN) contractors offer additional services… and commit to following industry best practices." One scope note: the network is heat-pump-general — air-source included — not geothermal-only. The Mass Save ground-source rebate page links to the installer network, which is the connection that makes the list a geothermal search channel.

Verifying the License at the State Level

Here is the fact that shapes the rest of this section: there is no national license for geothermal installers or loop drillers. States license the work differently. Indiana folds geothermal heat-pump wells into its water-well driller license. Wisconsin has a separate Heat Exchange Driller License. Minnesota allows a full well-contractor license or a Limited Bored Geothermal Heat Exchanger Contractor license. Illinois requires water-well contractor licensing plus closed-loop-well certification. So "how do I verify my installer's license" has no single national answer — the homeowner checks their own state, and the check belongs before any vetting.

The state tools fall into two kinds: published lists of licensed contractors, and searchable license databases. A few verified examples.

Indiana: a published county-map list

The Indiana DNR's licensed water well drilling and pump installation contractors page is a homeowner-facing list. Stated on the page: "This Web site provides lists of water well drilling and pump installer contractors employing drillers licensed to install wells and installers licensed to install water well pumping equipment in Indiana. Clicking on the map or on the links below, homeowners…" — it is browsable by county map. Indiana's water-well drilling license covers geothermal heat pump wells, so the list is the geothermal list. The page also publishes lists of drillers licensed in adjacent states (Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio) and PDFs for drillers outside Indiana.

Texas: one portal, both halves

The Texas TDLR License Data Search is a live searchable license database, and its license-type list includes both "Water Well Driller/Pump Installer" and "Environmental Air Conditioning Class A / Class B" contractor licenses. TDLR regulates both the HVAC contractors and the well drillers, so in Texas one state portal covers both halves of a geothermal job. Search the company name under each license type.

Wisconsin: the find-by-job-history trick

Wisconsin's licensing rules page confirms the Heat Exchange Driller license forms exist, but no public driller-license lookup is linked there. What Wisconsin does publish is the Well Construction Information System — a searchable database of well records whose public search form includes a Constructor Name field plus county, address, and well-type filters. This is not a license verifier. It is a find-by-work-history tool: search the wells drilled near your address and see which company constructed them. If a driller tells you they have done local ground loops, this is the one verified way to see the actual local job history.

Illinois: live, but bot-blocked

Illinois requires water-well contractor licensing plus closed-loop-well certification. The "Water Well Contractor Search" link is verified live on IDPH's private-water page, pointing to a contractor-verification tool. That destination returned a 403 to automated requests on September 16, 2026 — it is live but bot-blocked, and likely works in a normal browser. Describe it the way it is: the link is verified on IDPH's own page; the tool's contents were not verifiable from an automated check.

Minnesota: the scoped negative

Minnesota's MDH licensing pages are live, but no public online well-contractor license lookup is linked from the pages checked on September 16, 2026 — only a licensing-system demo video and a Unique Well Number Search for well records. That is the honest state of the reachable pages; it is not proof that no lookup exists anywhere in the state.

The pattern to carry into your own state: find the agency that licenses water wells (often DNR or a health department), look for a published list or a license search, and remember that the HVAC half may live under a different agency or a different license type in the same portal. WellOwner.org's own instruction — "verify with your state" — is the correct summary of the whole section.

What to Filter On Before You Start Vetting

Before you spend time comparing bids and chasing references, the search itself has five filters worth applying. All five are supported by the tools above; none of them require a single phone call.

1. Service area / distance. WaterFurnace's locator takes a city, state, or postal code — and then tells you to "contact the dealer directly to verify they service your specific area." WellOwner.org sorts by distance and geolocates. IGSHPA's business directory filters by location. A name that is 90 miles away is not a candidate, whatever its credentials.
2. Trade half — loop driller vs. HVAC dealer. IGSHPA's sector filter lists "Dealer/Contractor" and "Ground Loop Installer" as separate sectors; NGWA's CVCLD filter finds the drilling credential specifically. Decide whether you want one firm for both halves or two firms for one each, and filter accordingly.
3. Credential flags the directory itself displays. NGWA certified-member markers on WellOwner.org. Mass Save network participation, and the HPLN tier. "Certified ClimateMaster Geothermal Dealer." Maine's "Residential Registered Vendor for Geothermal Systems." These flags are the directory doing part of the vetting for you.
4. State license as a gate. Because no national license exists, the state check comes before any vetting. Indiana publishes the licensed-contractor list; Texas offers a live license search; WellOwner.org explicitly says to verify with your state.
5. Rebate-program participation. If a rebate matters, the program's approved or registered list is a search channel by itself — and in Maine it is mandatory for the rebate.

One scoped negative, stated precisely: no directory or program page checked on September 16, 2026 — the IGSHPA directory pages, the NGWA directory and WellOwner.org, the WaterFurnace, ClimateMaster, and Bosch locator pages, the Mass Save installer page, or the Efficiency Maine pages — publishes an installs-per-year figure for installers. The nearest verified scale claim is Dandelion's company-level "thousands of heat pumps." And Wisconsin's well-records search is the one verified way to see a specific driller's actual local job history.

FAQ

Can one company do the whole geothermal install?

Yes — some firms do both the heat pump and the ground loop. The directories let you see which half each firm does: IGSHPA's business directory has separate "Dealer/Contractor" and "Ground Loop Installer" sectors, and NGWA's CVCLD credential marks the drilling side specifically. If you end up with two firms, the driller's local work history is checkable in states like Wisconsin through the well-records search.

What if the directories come up empty in my area?

The manufacturer locators and the rebate-program lists are the next channels — WaterFurnace, ClimateMaster, and Bosch each return local dealers, and in states like Maine the rebate list is the qualified list. The state license check still applies either way, because no national license exists.

How do I verify a license when there is no national database?

You check your own state's tool. Indiana publishes a county-map list of licensed water well drilling and pump installation contractors; Texas TDLR runs a live license search that covers both the well-driller and HVAC license types; Wisconsin publishes searchable well records you can query by constructor name. WellOwner.org's own instruction is to "verify with your state to ensure their compliance with any state-specific requirements."

Are the manufacturer locators free, and what do the disclaimers mean?

They are free to search as far as the pages show. Each carries its own disclaimer: WaterFurnace's locator "does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement of any dealer," and it tells you to "contact the dealer directly to verify they service your specific area." Read the disclaimer on the page you are using — it tells you exactly what the list does and does not guarantee.

Is Dandelion Energy a dealer locator?

No. Dandelion is the installer itself — a vertically integrated company that, per its FAQ, "offers both complete geothermal installations as well as standalone drilling services." With Dandelion there is no find-a-dealer step; you go direct. The Dandelion Energy review covers what that means in practice.

Does finding an installer cost anything?

The search tools on this page — the IGSHPA directories, the NGWA directory, WellOwner.org, the manufacturer locators, the rebate lists, and the state lookups — are free to search as far as the pages show. What the checked sources do not reach is a typical quote or site-visit fee: Dandelion's specialist-visit page exists but its content is JavaScript-rendered with no fee in the static HTML, and no other checked source quotes a site-visit or quote cost. Budget context for the installation itself is in the geothermal installation cost guide.

The search ends where the real work begins. Once you have two or three names that pass the filters above, the next step is comparing bids, checking references, and reading the contract — and that is a different page. The choosing a geothermal installer guide covers the vetting, and this page deliberately stops at the names.