If you’re a homeowner, it’s inevitable that you’ll, at one point or another, have to deal with HVAC-related issues. Perhaps your furnace will break down during the freezing Lincoln, NE winter, or the time will come to replace your aging AC unit. Regardless of the specific HVAC service you need, selecting a quality HVAC company is essential. If you aren’t careful about which HVAC professionals you work with, you could end up wasting quite a bit of time, money, and energy. In some cases, choosing the wrong HVAC contractors could even be dangerous for you and your family. So, how do you make sure that the HVAC company you choose to work with will be the right one? Here, we’ll cover a few simple tips for finding a quality local HVAC company to handle all your home comfort services.
1. Ask Your Friends, Family, and Neighbors
Typically, when a local HVAC company does high-quality work and offers exceptional customer service, word tends to get around. When you’re in search of reliable HVAC professionals, talking to people who you trust is a great first step. Ask your friends, family members, and even neighbors if they’ve worked with any high-quality HVAC companies in the area. If they tell you that a local HVAC business like John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical has provided them with excellent service, you’ll know that you can trust the information.
Additionally, your friends and family members will be able to tell you if they’ve had any negative experiences with HVAC contractors in the area. Then, you’ll know to avoid those businesses, which will save you some time and effort in your search.
2. Search for NATE-Certified Professionals
When you’re considering different local HVAC companies for your home services, you should only consider companies with NATE-certified technicians. NATE certification, or North American Technician Excellence certification, is earned by HVAC technicians after going through strenuous training and education. Generally, any reputable HVAC business will have NATE-certified technicians on staff. This certification confirms that the contractors know what they’re doing and will be able to handle your HVAC services safely and effectively. If a company’s technicians aren’t NATE certified, you’re better off looking elsewhere. At John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical, our team consists of highly skilled, experienced, NATE-certified HVAC technicians.
3. Always Check Customer Testimonials
Another important step in choosing the right HVAC company is looking up customer testimonials and reviews. Ultimately, there’s no better way to determine what type of experience you’ll have with a company than to find out what past clients have experienced. Before you hire an HVAC company to work on your home or business, take some time to look online for their reviews. If past customers have nothing but positive things to say about an HVAC business, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll have a great experience working with them. Plus, checking customer testimonials is a great way to weed out the HVAC companies that don’t cut it.
4. Get a Free Estimate for the Job
The vast majority of reputable local HVAC companies will be willing to provide you with a free estimate for most of their services. This means that one or more of their HVAC technicians will come out to your home, evaluate the scope of the job you need completed, and give you a detailed breakdown of what the project will cost. For one, this process will make it pretty clear whether the technicians you’re dealing with are knowledgeable and experienced. Plus, it will give you important information about how much the company will charge you for the project. However, if an HVAC company refuses to provide you with an upfront estimate, that’s a red flag that should not be ignored.
5. Get Multiple Quotes
Getting multiple estimates for your HVAC project is always a good idea, but it’s especially important if you’re on a tight budget. Ideally, you should choose two or three reputable HVAC companies that you’re interested in working with and get free estimates from all of them. That way, you can compare the prices to find the best deal. Plus, you can interact with contractors from each business, which should help you get an idea of who you’d prefer to work with. If you want to find the best HVAC company, you shouldn’t always choose the cheapest option. However, if one company wants to charge you much more than the others, you’ll know that they aren’t worth considering.
6. Check With the Better Business Bureau
Another step worth taking while seeking out a quality HVAC company is contacting the Better Business Bureau. If the company you’re considering has gone through the accreditation process and maintained a rating of “A” or higher, that tells you that they will be reliable and do quality work. At John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical, we have earned several awards through the Better Business Bureau, including the BBB Integrity Award and the BBB Excellence in Customer Service Award.
7. Ask About the Warranty
Whenever you have an HVAC system repaired or installed, it’s important to receive warranty coverage from the contractors responsible for the job. With a warranty, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that if anything goes wrong with the appliance down the road, you won’t have to worry about spending a bunch of money. Instead, the technicians will be obligated to fix the problem and cover some or all of the cost. When you get your initial estimate from the HVAC company you’re considering, make sure to inquire about whether or not a warranty will be included. You should also make sure to go over the warranty thoroughly and ensure that you know exactly what you’re getting. Ultimately, having a quality warranty could save you thousands of dollars in the near future.
8. Don’t Pay for the Job Upfront
Oftentimes, HVAC companies that are less than reputable will require that you pay for a project in full before any of the work has actually been completed. If a company tries this with you, it should be viewed as a red flag. In truth, reliable, reputable HVAC companies will never demand that you pay for a repair or other service upfront. You should get a written estimate in advance of the job, but you shouldn’t have to pay anything until after it has been completed. Plus, most quality HVAC companies offer some kind of satisfaction guarantee, in which case you won’t need to pay for the service unless the technicians have done a quality job.
Your Trusted Lincoln HVAC Professionals
When you need any type of home comfort services for your Lincoln area household, you can’t go wrong by hiring our team at John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical for the job. For over 20 years, we’ve been proudly providing Lincoln residents with a diverse variety of quality household services. Some of the reliable services we offer include heating, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, drains, duct cleaning, and commercial HVAC system services. Our motto is “Quality at a Reasonable Cost,” and we strive to live up to that name with every job we do. Contact us at John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical today to learn more or schedule an appointment!
