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Hiring a heating and cooling contractor to complete any kind of work around your home can be an intimidating process. Home improvement or repair is almost always expensive, so you will likely be investing a large amount of money in the contract that you choose. In addition to the financial investment, you will also be trusting this person to come into your home. For those reasons and more, making a great choice when picking an HVAC contractor is extremely important. The first step in the process of hiring a quality HVAC contractor is to do a little bit of research into the kind of work that you need completed. Do you need a basic repair to your furnace? Are you hoping to have a central air conditioning system installed in your home? The scope of the work that you want to have done will determine the kind of contractor that you should hire. Learn what you can about the kind of work that you are going to have completed so you can ask intelligent questions when you start to interview potential contractors. Look for Licenses Any contractor that you are considering should have all of the relevant licenses and permits required in your state. Before calling contractors, check with your state to find out what licenses and insurance contractors are expected to have in place. If any of the contractors that you speak with don’t have those pieces in place, cross them off your list right away. Don’t listen to any excuses, either – if a contractor isn’t licensed, you shouldn’t be dealing with them. It really is that simple. Require a Detailed Estimate Once you have your list of potential contractors down to a select few, ask them to submit bids for the work that you would like to have completed. When the bids come in, you aren’t just looking for the lowest price. Of course you would like to get a good deal, but you also want to take note of which contractors took the time to create a detailed bid that covers the specifics of your job. Some of the bids you receive will likely lack any attention to detail, which should signal to you that the contractor isn’t serious enough about the job to spend time putting together a professional proposal. Follow Through on References It is a good start to ask potential HVAC contractors for references, but be sure to follow through and actually call a few of those individuals to hear their comments. Even if they speak positively of the contractor in general terms, you may be able to detect small issues that they had during their project. Ask questions of the references that you call which will help you determine if this specific contractor is going to be a match for your job. Paperwork Should Be In Place Once you pick a contractor, make sure to get a signed agreement in place before work begins. This agreement will be in place to protect both parties, and it should outline the cost of the project, what work will be done, etc. If your chosen contractor does not want to sign a work agreement, it may be a sign that you should continue looking around in order to find a contractor that is willing to stand behind their work. It doesn’t have to be scary to hire a contractor, but you do need to do your research and take your time in order to select the right person for the job. With the right HVAC contractor on your side, you can look forward to a successfully completed project that will come in on time and on budget. Ben Wayne writes about news and information from the heating and cooling industry for Holtzople Heating & Air Conditioning, a provider of HVAC in Frederick, MD, Gettysburg, PA, and surrounding areas.
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