If you are currently looking to hire a company preemptively (i.e. before the equipment breaks in the middle of the season, and you have to make a sudden purchasing decision…) congratulations! You are of the rare few. I can’t tell you how often I sell a job in the middle of the summer or winter just because I’m the first guy there and/or can get it done fast. So if you’re currently in research phase, here are some considerations you need to look at.
- Is the company well reviewed? If you ever bought something on Amazon you would know that reviews speak volumes. I find the best sources for this these days are Google and Facebook. Be wary of Home advisor and Angies list….These companies are pay to play. The reviews they post maybe recycled from an inactive client, and then posted under another company’s name. I experienced this situation first hand as a one of their PAST clients.
- What type of warranty will the company offer with their work? Material is always under warranty from the manufacture, and usually very similar in duration and details. But the fine print of this situation is what the warranty will be on the workmanship offered by the installing company. This can vary, so be sure to read in between the lines and ask questions.
- What is the experience level of the technicians installing the equipment? It’s great to have a good warranty, but you don’t want to have to use it. The experience you have with your system will heavily depend on the success of the installation. Good equipment CANNOT compensate for incorrect installation procedures. I would rather have the worst equipment installed by the best installer, than an inexperienced installer putting in good equipment. Unfortunately, the latter is often the case these days.
- Does the company offer financing? If you find yourself going with a company because they are the lowest price, you will most likely get exactly what you paid for. Legitimate companies offer financing because good installers never end up being the lowest price, and most people don’t have a ton of cash laying around these days. Financing allows the home owner to get the system that meets their needs, rather than a system that fits their immediate budget.