Hiring a New HVAC Contractor? 10 Tips to Find the Right One

Hiring a new HVAC contractor should be easy. After all, they’re everywhere: advertising via Internet classifieds, sticking flyers on your front door, maybe even soliciting business over the phone. That’s precisely why hiring a new HVAC contractor might seem easy, but it isn’t. Finding a competent, established HVAC professional takes research.

Here are 10 tips for hiring a new HVAC contractor who lives up to the name.

1. Check for proper licensing. Here in Delaware, the Division of Professional Regulation provides a website to verify the status of any HVAC contractor’s license.
2. Ask neighbors and friends for referrals to specific contractors. Local trade organizations my also keep a roster of approved contractors.
3. Make sure the contractor has an established office or shop. A legitimate professional will have a permanent local business address.
4. Request at least three local references from the contractor. Call and ask about their level of satisfaction with the work.
5. Inquire about rebates and other special offers. Any established contractor should be able to discuss incentives like rebates and tax credits for consumers upgrading HVAC equipment.
6. Ask if the contractor sells Energy Star-qualified products that meet enhanced EPA energy efficiency standards. He or she should be able to provide figures of potential savings from Energy Star systems.
7. Anticipate a home energy evaluation. The contractor should assess the status quo of your house, including the quality of insulation, amount of air infiltration and condition of ductwork.
8. Obtain written estimates with all services itemized. Estimates should include cost, energy efficiency specs and warranty terms.
9. Insist on a signed contract. Get everything in writing: costs, model numbers of equipment and a hard deadline for completion.
10. Spread the news. Tell neighbors and friends about your good experience with the contractor and the improved performance of Energy Star heating and cooling equipment.

If you’re considering hiring a new HVAC contractor, give the licensed pros at Sobieski Services a call. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).

Image Credit: Leo Reynolds