When you’re looking for an HVAC contractor to care for your home’s cooling and heating equipment, it’s important to pick a company your trust and rely on to do the right job. You should do some research to ensure that you’re hiring a contractor who is trustworthy and knowledgeable. Here are some quick tips to follow:
- Check their licensing – Contractors must meet certain licensing requirements, depending on your local and state rules. Ask for documentation from the contractor and find out if they’re part of any state and national contractor associations.
- Expect a home evaluation – One of the first things that a reputable contractor will want to do before doing a
major repair or installation is to perform a home evaluation. This way they’ll know exactly what the job requires, and also can make suggestions on improving energy efficiency in your home. - Ensure NATE-certification – You should limit your search to companies that use NATE-certified technicians. NATE (North American Technician Excellence) is a non-profit organization made up of industry professionals that puts technicians through a rigorous set of tests to ensure their professionalism and knowledge within a series of specialties.
- Get references – Any respectable contractor should readily provide references. Call several of them to make sure you have the right company doing your work.
- Ask about their staff size – The last thing you want is to work with an HVAC contractor with nothing more than a skeleton crew on hand. Check to see if the staff is adequate enough to not only perform any projects that you might need to have completed, but can also answer your calls in a reasonable amount of time.
- Inquire about operating costs – A good contractor will be able to supply you with the estimated annual operating cost of any HVAC equipment with different efficiencies that you may be considering for installation.
- Insist on written estimates – Before any work begins, insist on documentation that details the work to be completed, the timeframes involved, and the type of equipment being installed, if any. Also be sure that it explains what will happen in the case of any needed changes.
For satisfactory answers when searching for the right HVAC contractor, please contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We’ve been serving the HVAC needs of Yuma and the surrounding area since 1952.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC contractors and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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