Is it time for your routine HVAC maintenance?
Is your AC unit constantly dripping, buzzing, or just plain not working? Is your heater warming up your rooms unevenly, and have you noticed that your energy bills are much higher than normal?
Whether you’re looking for standard HVAC services or need help with a specific problem, you want to hire a top HVAC company.
But what should you look for, and what kinds of questions should you ask to evaluate their service?
Read on to find out.
1. Make Sure They Can Provide the Services You Need
The first thing you’ll need to confirm when checking out potential HVAC services are the kinds of maintenance, repair work, and installations they provide.
For example, if you’re looking for someone to test your home’s indoor air quality, ask if that’s a service the HVAC company actually offers.
In some cases, you need emergency HVAC services. You’ll need to find a company that has the ability to get to you as soon as possible.
Ensure that they can work with your specific HVAC model, as well. You don’t want to wait for weeks on end for spare parts you need to come in. You also don’t want to run the risk of a tech damaging your unit even further.
Also, ask if they’ve worked on houses that are similar to your own in the past. This is especially important if you have a historic house or a house with other unique properties.
2. Ask About Insurance and Service Warranties
What’s one of the most important things to ask about when you’re speaking with an HVAC service contractor for the first time?
The kind of insurance policies that they carry.
They should absolutely carry liability insurance, which means that you won’t be held financially responsible for damages they cause to your home due to careless work. Also, don’t work with an HVAC company that doesn’t have workers’ compensation insurance.
The last thing you want is to end up paying for the costly medical bills of an employee that was acting recklessly on the job and got injured on your property.
A top HVAC company will also happily stand behind the quality of their work by providing customers with a warranty policy.
Ask what their warranty covers and how long it’s in effect for.
You shouldn’t have to pay a company to make repairs to your unit because of the poor job they did.
3. Understand What’s Included in an Estimate
When you’re getting ready to hire an HVAC service contractor, you need to be certain you understand which costs are included in an estimate, and which ones will be paid in addition to it.
For example, does the estimate include the cost of any spare parts that may need to be ordered? What about payment for any additional repairs your system needs? About how many hours of labor does the estimate include, and what you can expect the cost to be if the project takes longer to complete.
In addition to understanding what’s included in your estimate, now is also the time to ask about financing options.
Good HVAC service companies will be able to provide you with a wide range of flexible ways to pay for your repairs and maintenance. For example, this air quality service will help you to open up a line of credit, work with you only the amount of your monthly payment, and more.
4. Ask About Licensing and Training
“Learning as you go” is not the type of training that an HVAC contracting company should provide its employees.
Make sure that you understand the kinds of certification their team members have, as well as how long they’ve been in practice. Additionally, ask about how they conduct background checks on their employees.
You want to be certain that the right kind of people are in your home, and to feel secure while they’re in your space.
Depending on the specific state you live in, HVAC professionals may also require proper state licensing in order to operate their business. Even if they don’t, it’s still a smart plan to work only with companies that are licensed.
You can also ask if they belong to any HVAC professional organizations or guilds.
5. Contact Referrals and Read Reviews
In order to confirm that you’re truly working with the top HVAC company in your area, there’s still one more thing you need to do.
It’s imperative that you take the time to read online reviews about the company and the quality of service it provides.
Additionally, ask to speak directly to references. Remember that you never really know who is writing those fabulous online reviews and website testimonials.
Connecting with references allows you to ask if the project was completed on time and within the proper budget.
They’ll also be able to let you know how long the work lasted, if they felt the service did a good job, and if the professionals were respectful while in the home.
You’re Ready to Hire a Top HVAC Company
If you follow the steps in this post, we’re confident that you’ll have no trouble booking a top HVAC company to provide you with the services you need.
Be sure to check out our blog post on knowing when to DIY HVAC repair and when to call in a pro.
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