How to compare HVAC quotes before you choose

One quote has a tidy total. Another has four pages of options. A third is full of model numbers that could pass for Wi-Fi passwords. Somewhere in there is the answer to a fair question: what am I getting?

Start a little above the price. What is being replaced? Why was that equipment chosen? And what happens after the crew leaves? Once those pieces line up, the totals have something useful to say.

Start with what is actually being replaced

Suppose one quote replaces the furnace, the unit that heats air for the house. Another also replaces the air conditioner and repairs some ducts. These are the passages that carry air to the rooms. Those prices cover different jobs, before you even get to brands or payment plans.

The list of included work is the scope of work. It covers what stays, what goes and what needs to change along the way. “Complete system” sounds good, but it leaves a lot unsaid. The written list fills in the gaps.

For a furnace job, our replacement walkthrough follows each step. It covers getting the house ready, the work itself and what to do before the crew leaves.

Tell each contractor the same things about your home. Include that bedroom that never gets warm enough. If their plans differ, ask what each one is meant to solve.

The details worth lining up

Put the quotes side by side. Mark each item in the price, not in the price or needs an answer. Now you have a list to talk through, without turning the kitchen table into a buying department.

Equipment that fits the house

Model numbers tell you which units are being offered. Beside them, look for the equipment’s capacity: how much heating or cooling it can provide. Here, “size” means output. It is not about whether the box fits through the door.

The choice should fit the home’s heating and cooling needs, often called its load. Windows, insulation and ducts all matter. Using only the floor area or the old unit’s size leaves out part of the picture.

A contractor may use Manual J to work out those needs. Manual S helps them choose equipment, and Manual D guides duct design. These methods come from the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA). A useful follow-up is: “What did those checks tell you about this house?”

A split system has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The quote should name both and show that they are designed to work together. This setup can be used for an air conditioner or a heat pump, which can heat and cool. A certificate from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) shows the ratings for those units as a pair. It does not take the place of checks on the work to put them in.

Choosing between Carrier and Trane? Our guide to the two brands uses current air conditioner models to show what to compare. It covers the cooling type, controls and repair terms behind the names.

Ducts and the air moving through them

A new unit is one part of the system. The quote should also explain what happens to the old ducts. It should say how the installer will check airflow, the air moving through the system.

Duct repairs, sealing and insulation belong on their own lines. Then you can see whether both prices cover the same work. You can also ask why one contractor thinks a change is needed.

Connections, removal and cleanup

The job may include wiring, gas connections, drains or vents that carry exhaust gases outside. It depends on the equipment. For split systems, ask whether the refrigerant lines will stay or be replaced. These pipes carry refrigerant, which moves heat between the indoor and outdoor units.

The quote should say who takes the old equipment away and gets rid of it. You’re buying a new furnace; the old one needn’t become basement decor.

Approvals and the final checks

Some jobs need permits, or approval from the local building office, and checks by an inspector. The quote should explain the local rules and who handles each step. It should also say whether those fees are in the price.

The plan should include the installer’s startup checks. What gets checked when the system is turned on? What records come with it? If you want someone else to check the finished work, ask if that is offered and included. A label showing that the equipment meets a standard does not answer those questions.

What the energy ratings tell you

Two ratings can appear on one quote because they measure different things.

For a furnace that burns fuel, AFUE stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency. It shows what share of the fuel’s energy turns into heat over a typical year. That share is shown as a percentage.

For an air conditioner or heat pump, SEER2 stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio 2. It measures how well the unit uses energy to cool over a season. Use it to compare the cooling side of the job.

Higher ratings can help you choose, but they cannot tell you your dollar savings on their own. A savings estimate should show the energy prices, use and equipment it is based on. The number in the brochure has to meet the house you live in.

Read the warranty beyond the big number

“Ten years” makes a good headline. What happens during a repair is the useful detail underneath it.

A warranty can cover a new part while leaving you to pay for the repair work or other charges. The repair work may be listed as labor. The contractor’s workmanship warranty is a separate promise about the work to put the system in. Compare coverage for parts, repairs and that work, along with the rules for each.

There may also be product registration. This means sending the equipment and install details to its maker to keep on record. Find out who does it, the deadline and how you’ll know it is done. Check what upkeep you must do and whether coverage can pass to a future owner.

Compare the job price, then the payment offer

The installed price covers the equipment and the work to put it in. Look for a list of what that price leaves out. Upgrades are easier to weigh when each has its own price, instead of one package total.

A useful quote also shows the deposit, later payments and expected schedule. It should say how extra work will be priced and approved. With those details written down, you can judge a lower price against the work it covers.

If the quote comes with a borrowing plan, get two prices for the same work: with and without that plan. They may be the same, or they may differ. Our HVAC financing guide explains how to compare the fees, payment dates and full amount you will repay.

One follow-up can tidy up a lot

Send each contractor a written list of the gaps in their quote. You could start with this:

Please update the quote with the exact equipment, included work and anything the price leaves out. Please send the warranty terms and payment schedule, too. Where your work differs from the other quote I’m weighing, please explain why. How would extra work be priced and approved?

Check the contractor as well as the quote. Check their license with the right state or local office, ask for proof of insurance and talk to past customers. A large price gap needs a clear reason, whether the quote is the high one or the low one.

Keep the updated quotes and paperwork together. Then you have a record of what each company will do, with fewer mysteries between the lines. The HVAC hub brings our heating, cooling and payment guides together as they are published.