Keep your cool and have a solid HVAC tech on call
You flip on the AC during a heatwave and warm, stagnant air crawls out of your vents. Or, a snowstorm comes to town and your thermostat refuses to budge. When any of your HVAC elements go haywire, you need a highly qualified and trusted technician as quickly as possible, but finding one that’s reliable and professional isn’t always as easy as it seems.
In this guide on how to hire HVAC technicians, we'll cover all you need to know about finding the best HVAC techs for hire, from your search to signing a contract. Always begin by hiring HVAC technicians that check these three boxes:
Meets state and federal requirements
Has experience working with your unique system and repair
Comes recommended by a trusted community
Twenty years ago, you'd likely flip open the Yellow Pages to find the best HVAC repair pro in your area. Luckily, we have far more options today, as well as better ways to verify a technician's background and credentials.
Here are the top three ways to find a great HVAC tech:
1. Search the Angi database for a certified, licensed, and insured HVAC technician near you.
2. Ask your friends for personal recommendations.
3. If you have one, check your HVAC company's service agreement.
State websites also dedicate pages to finding an HVAC contractor that meets energy efficiency and licensing standards. The Air Conditioner Contractors of America (ACCA) offers a federal database as well. When you sense your HVAC is on the decline, avoid hiring the first name that pops up in your search. We recommend contacting at least three professionals for quotes before signing a contract.
Each of your prospective technicians should offer detailed estimates of the work. In most cases, they will come out to your home to inspect the problem firsthand for free. In the meantime, get a bit of information ready to help streamline the quote process:
The brand, make, and model of the components that need repairs
A history of past work on your system (if you have it handy)
A detailed account of when the problem started and what happened
Keep in mind that the term “HVAC” covers everything from your AC to whichever system heats your home. Not all contractors have a background—or license—for every type of work, so you’ll want to make sure that the tech you hire can handle your specific issue.
Hands down, checking qualifications is the most crucial step of your vetting process. All technicians should be licensed, certified, and insured to take on your repairs. Here’s how to evaluate these qualifications:
Licensed: Check your technician's website and your state's public safety or utility page for appropriate and up-to-date licenses. You can also use our handy online license look-up tool for fast results. Licenses ensure that the technician has the proper training and number of years on the job.
Certified: HVAC technicians test and prove their skills by earning certifications. You may spot the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) certification, the EPA's 608 certificate, and the HVAC Quality Installation certificate from the ACCA. These aren’t necessary, but they help ensure professional service.
Insured: A contractor should have workers’ compensation and general liability insurance before starting work on your home.
When you're in a—very understandable—panic about your furnace or AC malfunctioning, you need a technician who will put you at ease. A reputable air conditioning and heating company will take their time through the quote process, quelling all your concerns and fully inspecting your home.
Here are a few questions to ask during the quote process:
Can you provide proof of insurance, certifications, and an up-to-date license?
Can I contact past customers to hear about their experience?
Have you worked with my type of HVAC system in the past?
Will you be the one performing all my work, or do you contract out to other technicians?
Once you find the HVAC tech that fits the bill, it's time to get your home feeling comfy again. Follow this checklist when making an HVAC service call and reading your contract to avoid any confusing payments or potential scams.
As always, a contract is your best friend when hiring any professional in your home. Never proceed without signing and understanding your contract, even for emergency work.
Your written contract should include:
A fixed price and itemized list of charges
The proposed work schedule
Plans for follow-up maintenance
No more than a 50% deposit for small jobs or a 20% deposit for larger jobs
Clear payment schedule and accepted forms of payment
Proof of a building permit before work begins (if necessary)
Keeping detailed records of your HVAC problems and repairs can not only give you recourse if an HVAC tech doesn’t deliver, but it also expedites future repairs if your tech can see what has and hasn’t been addressed in the past. Detailed service records can also speed up an insurance claim if anything goes wrong because it proves to your homeowner’s insurance company that you were doing your part to avoid expensive issues.
Take photos of your HVAC system whenever possible before, during, and after the technician completes the work. Your local building department should also perform inspections throughout the process if a building permit is necessary (only for new installations or major changes to your system).
You can also note:
Hours your technician worked
Work completed during each session
Reported changes in your home system before and after work
All financial transactions
Whenever you hire an HVAC tech or agree to service, make sure you know your rights and any recourse you have. This is how you avoid HVAC scams, especially if you need to hire in a hurry in an emergency situation.
Check if your contract includes what's known as the cooling-off rule, which allows you to cancel a contract up to three days after signing. If you signed the agreement in a flurry of stress, this is an excellent clause that will let you reconsider.
There are some less-than-reputable workers out there on the internet. Look out for these red flags to find qualified heating and air conditioning pros (or just rely on our list of vetted local HVAC pros):
Requested payment before work begins (beyond the contracted deposit)
Little-to-no online presence
Unexpected repairs on a different part of your unit
Lack of permit, license, professional certificates, or insurance
Collecting three different estimates also defends against scams. This way, you'll easily know if one contractor charges an excessive amount for the service (or a suspiciously low amount).
As your HVAC tech wraps up, your town should send an expert to inspect the work one last time, but only if your work requires a building permit (like for an installation or major change to the system). If something seems off, they may leave a correction notice, or if the system is still a threat, a red tag. Only pay the final amount after the HVAC team completes the work successfully and you get the green light from the city.
Hopefully, by this point, you'll have a cozy home once again. Remember to go online and leave a great review for your HVAC tech. Not only is this good form, but it also launches the process for the next homeowner on the hunt for the best expert for the job.
You might be wondering: can I fix my HVAC issue myself? While everything is technically DIYable, your HVAC equipment is complicated and somewhat delicate, so any work on air handlers, blower motors, condensers, boilers, baseboard heating systems, and other HVAC equipment should always be handled by a professional. There are three main reasons we recommend leaving the work to a pro: safety, skill level required, and peace of mind.
Most importantly, HVAC equipment includes electrical components, so there’s always a risk of electrical shock and an electrical fire if something goes wrong. You’ll absolutely pay more hiring an HVAC professional than you would doing the work yourself, but is it really worth putting your home, yourself, and your family at risk? Usually not.
HVAC repairs cost an average of $350, so what is likely to be a minimal investment is going to be worth it—especially if it means keeping you and your loved ones safe.
HVAC systems are also complicated, and assessing and repairing a broken system is likely to be confusing and overwhelming, even if you are an experienced DIYer. You may end up spending time and money replacing a part, only to find out that something else entirely was causing your issue.
Hiring a qualified HVAC technician means they’ll find your exact issue and that they’ll have the skills, experience, and tools to get the problem fixed quickly, whether it requires replacing components in your air handler or bleeding your baseboard heating system.
Finally, as is the case with hiring any professional, you get the peace of mind knowing that your system is in good hands and that the issue will be fixed once and for all when you hire an HVAC professional. A real professional will solve your underlying problem but also evaluate your system to predict future issues and offer preventative solutions to keep your system running for longer.
Ultimately, this means your system is likely to last longer, you’ll be more comfortable in your living area, and you won’t have to worry about the system going down again.
