How Much Do HVAC Quotes Cost?
Most companies provide HVAC quotes free of charge for new installations. For repairs, a service fee may be assessed, which typically runs between $50 and $100. Beware of websites offering free, instant quotes for new HVAC systems – to properly select the right type and capacity of equipment for your home, a contractor needs to visit your home and take measurements to effectively calculate the heating and cooling load of your house.
Beware of Online HVAC Quotes for New Installation
If you know exactly what you are looking for – the equipment type, brand, model, and appropriate capacity for your home – an online HVAC quote can give you access to the pricing information you want quickly and accurately… for the new equipment only. Every installation will vary, as all homes are different, and your existing components that will work with the new equipment, such as a duct system, may require modification or repair. An online HVAC quote cannot factor these elements into the price for installation, because your home hasn’t been assessed!
Most homeowners aren’t familiar with the nuances of heating and air conditioning systems – and that’s perfectly fine! That’s what HVAC contractors are for. To provide you with an accurate quote, they’ll need to visit your home and assess it along with your existing HVAC components. This information will help your contractor create an accurate quote for the work you need – an online quoting service does not have knowledge of the essentials that could affect the price of your installation.
Obtaining Accurate HVAC Quotes
The best way to ensure you receive an accurate quote for the heating and cooling work your home requires is to have a skilled HVAC professional visit your home and provide you with one. Contractors need to assess your home and current HVAC equipment, and perform load calculations to find the equipment that is best for your home and accurately price a new system installation. If your existing system needs repairs, a skilled technician needs to perform diagnostics and pinpoint the exact issues plaguing your system to provide you with an accurate price for repair work.
The Problem with Online HVAC Quotes for Repairs
When an air conditioner or furnace breaks down, most homeowners do not know what the specific issue is – that’s why they call upon an HVAC contractor for help. Without specific knowledge of the system issues present, an online quote won’t be helpful. An online quote may give you a price for one type of repair, but when an HVAC professional assesses your system, an entirely different fix may be required – creating a big discrepancy in price.
Online HVAC Quotes Aren’t Personalized
Online HVAC quotes cannot match a quote performed by a contractor who has visited your home. They simply cannot assess your home over the Internet to determine every item and service necessary to perform installation or repair. Their prices are typically for equipment only, and do not consider the installation or repair needs that add to the cost of a project.
An online quoting service cannot assess the complexity of the system problem you face to accurately quote repairs for your heating or cooling system. It may not just be one component that requires repair or replacement – they simply cannot know without having trained eyes on your system.
Pricing for heating and cooling work varies, in different areas of the country and from one contractor to another. Your climate may dictate different HVAC needs than a home in another part of the country. Online HVAC quoting services simply don’t give you the entire picture when it comes to the cost of an HVAC installation or repair.