Although we moved to our home over a year ago, we are just getting around to finding a reputable HVAC contractor.
In our past, we found that just because someone called himself an HVAC specialist, he was no more than a handyman with a furnace-looking sticker on his truck.
A certified contractor should have his license number clearly marked on his literature and website. We learned not to trust anyone without a license. For one thing, we won’t use someone who readily gives an estimate over the phone. How can he possibly know what our ductwork, number of registers per room, or type of insulation that we have? A written bid from several contractors is an absolute must. We insist on getting this in writing because it holds up in court as a legal contract, if need be. And if you don’t do your homework about the most recent HVAC technology, you may end up with a contractor that’s just trying to unload older models that he’s trying to get rid of. And the contractor has to be certified with our state so that we know they are qualified. Naturally, anyone can claim that they have years of experience in the HVAC field, but how would you know unless you read online reviews about the guy? And going with the lowest bidder isn’t always the best option, as we’ve learned the hard way. As the old saying goes: you get what you pay for. So we have our list of rules ready as we start our search for someone to be our new heating, ventilating and cooling contractor. And we always follow our gut!
