What to Look for When Choosing an AC Contractor
There are many things that you need to look for in order to choose an air conditioning contractor to install a new unit in your home. It can be a home that is already built or a new building, but you need to be cautious that you choose the right person or company to do the job and to do it right.
You can do some research to see what contractors are out there and to look for the reviews of these people or businesses. You want to find the right air conditioning company to do the job for you. You want the company to do high-quality work so that you will not need to have it done again for many years. If you choose someone that is subpar, you will have to have someone better come in and do the job right. Save time and money and do it right the first time, choose the right contractor at the beginning.
The list below gives you an idea of some of the things that you need to look for when you choose someone to install your new air conditioning unit. It is not a comprehensive list but will give you a good start on what to look for. These suggestions will help you to find the right contractor for you and your needs. If you follow these suggestions, you can rest easier knowing that the job will be done right the first time and you will not have to call another contractor out.
What to Look For
- Experience
You want to make sure the company that you choose has had many years of experience. You want to make sure that they know what they are doing, and this comes from experience. Call the company to see how long they have been in business and the average number of years each contractor has been installing air conditioners.
Not all the contractors will have the same years of experience, and sometimes the contractors are new. Just make sure an experienced contractor accompanies the newer ones so that they can oversee the work and make sure that it is done right.
- Licenses and Certifications
You will want to make sure that the contractor that you choose has the proper licenses and certificates that are needed legally in your city and state. Different areas of the country require different licenses and certificates, so make sure that they are good for your area. You can look here to see know how to be HVAC certified https://www.neit.edu/blog/how-to-get-hvac-certified .
You need to be careful and make sure that all the permits that are necessary are also pulled before the work is done. If all of this is not done the right way, you may have to do it all over again to meet the requirements of your city and state.
- Insurance
You also need to check to see that the air conditioning contractor has the proper insurance for his company and for the people that work there. You do not want something happening and then you must be responsible for fixing it. If the contractor has insurance and makes a mistake or something happens, they can be responsible for fixing it. If they do not have the insurance that is needed, choose another company. You do not want to be responsible for their mistakes.
- What Services Do They Offer?
You want to make sure that the company that you choose can not only install your new unit but will be able to maintain it and make necessary repairs, as needed. You do not want to have to find another company to do these things, especially if it is the simple maintenance. It is easier if you can find one company that does it all.
You might find a company that will even come three or four times a year to change out your filters and do routine maintenance. This would be the best-case scenario for you and your home.
- Emergency Services
You want to make sure that the company that you choose has service twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. Emergencies do not always happen between nine to five and you want to make sure that they can be taken care of immediately. Sometimes it is not good to have to wait for those necessary repairs.
- Reputation
You want to also make sure that the company that you choose has a good reputation. This means that they have made their past customers happy and have done the job right. Usually, there is a reason a company has a bad reputation, and usually because the work is not up to par, or they have people that work with them that are not reliable. You want the job done right so that you do not have to call in someone else to do it right.
You can also call your state’s attorney general’s office, the Better Business Bureau, or the Consumer Protection Division to make sure that there are no complaints about the company that you choose. There are numbers that you can look for on the internet for both. You will need to give them as much information as you can about the company. Click here to learn more.
- Home Evaluation
The company you choose should do a home evaluation before they even recommend a new unit for your home. They will need to know the size of your home and other things so that they know the proper size of the units that they can recommend. If they do not offer a home evaluation, choose a different company because it is likely that you will not get the proper unit for your home.
These are just a few of the things that you want to look at before you choose a company to install your new air conditioning unit. You will save time and money if you follow those things because you will not have to have someone else come in and clean up the mess someone without qualifications can make. By checking the items off the list, you can rest assured that you will get the quality of work you and your home deserve.