When it’s time to schedule service your HVAC system or an upgrade, you want to make sure that you partner with the right technician. An HVAC contractor should have up-to-date licensing and certifications, the proper insurance, experience, and a great reputation.
You can keep reading to learn more about the four factors that are important to consider before selecting an HVAC contractor. If you’ve been searching for an HVAC contractor in Hagerstown, MD, you’re in the right place. You can give our team a call to schedule service for your HVAC system whenever you are ready.
Great Local Reviews
Your first step in selecting a local contractor is to check out the reviews online. You can check their Google listings for customer reviews and even find websites that offer reviews for various types of local home contractors. We encourage you not to rely only on the reviews posted on a contractor’s website since they will always highlight the most positive ones.
When looking at reviews, it is important to keep in mind that nobody is perfect. Even the best contractors may have a negative review here or there. In this case, what you really want to pay attention to is how they respond. Did they apologize to the reviewer and offer to make the problem right, or at least address the issue?
If a contractor has many negative reviews, you should consider that a red flag. You can read the content of both positive and negative reviews to see if there’s a pattern in service. For example, maybe a contractor is very responsive, while another one leaves phone calls unanswered or takes too long to call back.
Some contractors may offer consistently excellent service, while others have a myriad of complaints. You have to use your best judgment when reading these reviews and selecting a contractor. We encourage you to use a variety of different sources to check reviews if at all possible instead of relying on a single source.
Years in Business
You should also take into consideration how long a contractor has been in business. There’s nothing wrong with a new contractor getting started or giving someone a chance when they are new to the business.
But when you partner with a contractor with years or even decades of experience, you know you’re partnering with someone who understands the industry. They’ve probably seen a lot and addressed a variety of problems, meaning that there will be fewer surprises when they work on your HVAC system.
Service Guarantee
You also want to check your contractor’s website to see if they offer any type of service guarantee. That should be separate from any warranties that cover the actual parts being installed at your home. A service guarantee is a guarantee on the work that the contractor is doing in your home.
For example, if you call someone out to fix a problem and continue to experience the problem after the contractor leaves, the service guarantee ensures that the contractor will come back to your house and fix the problem since wasn’t done right the first time.
Without a service guarantee, you may be left spending more money on another repair appointment when the first one was never completed correctly to begin with. Maybe the problem was worse than they expected, or there was a larger problem that they didn’t identify. That happens occasionally, and a service guarantee tells you that a contractor is looking out for your best interests.
Proper Certifications and Permits
Before having anyone work on your home, you want to make sure they have the right permits and certifications for completing the job. Certifications come from completing education and passing tests to prove that they are qualified to work in the industry.
Certification is not a one-and-done process. Instead, certifications have to be renewed year after year and continuing education courses have to be completed. This ensures that your contractor is up-to-date on the latest industry standards and HVAC advancements.
When it comes to permits, you want to make sure that any permits are filed to do work on your house when they are required. For example, installing a new HVAC system in your home may require attaining a permit from the county to do the work. This means that someone from the county will come and sign off on the project after it is completed to ensure that the job is done right. This is an extra step to protect you as a consumer.
To schedule your HVAC service, contact Premier HVAC Services today!