Is Your HVAC Contractor Ripping You Off When He Tells You Your Breaks?
Just like when a mechanic tells you that you need to replace something on your car when an HVAC contractor tells you that you need a new system you have no clue whether he is telling you the truth or not. There are a ton of good HVAC contractors in the world but there are also an equal number of shady ones who are happy to make you spend way more than you needed to so they can make an extra buck. As a consumer you should always get more than one contractors opinion on all repairs and for sure when you are told you need to replace your system. Most people are too cheap to pay for a second service call but for less than a hundred dollars you could be saving yourself thousands! Not to mention the piece of mind about your investment in a new system!
In my thirty years of experience running a successful HVAC business I come to the conclusion that you always get what you pay for when it comes to HVAC contractors. There are so many ways that contractors can cut corners such as hiring HVAC technicians right out of trade school. These guys have no experience and work for almost nothing because they graduate with huge school loans and they have to cut their teeth somewhere before they can start making better wages. The scary part is they are teaching themselves and learning on your system.
Skilled, experienced technicians are almost twice as expensive as recent technical school graduates. Be sure to ask the HVAC contractor that you choose how many years of experience all of his technicians have. At a minimum you should ask the technician sent to your home before he starts working on your HVAC system. If he tells you that he has less than or around a years experience I might pass and call another HVAC company.
Most contractor pay about the same on all the equipment that they buy. Yes the larger volume guys pay about five to ten percent less on HVAC parts and equipment than the smaller guys, but at the end of the day it is not enough to really impact the sale price of a replacement air conditioning or heating system. Most of the HVAC contractors who offer really cheap prices on HVAC sales and service do it with their labor costs by hiring inexperienced technicians.
Another way to save on the cost of installing a new system is to do it without pulling a permit. There are a lot of contractors out there that will not pull a permit yet they charge you a permit fee. Most homeowners who find out believe the contractor when they say oh it must have fallen through the cracks. Not pulling a permit may not sound like too huge of a deal but it can come back to haunt you when it comes time to sell your house. A savvy buyer might recognize the system being newer but have concerned that it was not inspected after it was installed.
Always make sure that your HVAC contractor pulls a permit and that the permit is closed when the work is complete. If the permit is not final inspected and remains open this can also delay you when you try to sell your home. It is not often that you get more than you pay for when it comes to getting a new HVAC system installed. If you choose the right contractor who is a strait forward guy you can trust it is almost always worth the extra money for the piece of mind that comes with a quality HVAC installation!