The employees at your company likely depend on commercial AC and heating equipment to keep them comfortable while they work. Maintaining these systems well should be one of your top priorities. After all, their comfort will be essential to their productivity, which helps your business stay ahead of the competition. However, it can be difficult to choose a reliable commercial AC and heating service to keep your climate control systems in tip-top shape. How can you tell a first-class service program apart from one that may not suit all your needs?
Fortunately, there are definitive signs that can help you recognize a particularly strong AC and heating service. We’ve come up with a list of identifiers that you can use next time you’re looking for a contractor who can help your company. Keep this guide handy during your search, and you should have no trouble hiring professionals whose service program can keep your heating and cooling systems functioning at their best. Consider, the characteristics you should insist upon from your commercial HVAC contractors:
Recognizing a Top Tier AC and Heating Service: the 5 Essential Features
- A Valid C-20 Contractor’s License
HVAC contractors in California do not necessarily need to have a license, but the law only allows unlicensed contractors to work on certain projects. Specifically, an unlicensed contractor may not perform any work on an HVAC system that costs more than $500. Because of this, some unlicensed contractors offer their work at discounted prices—but that doesn’t mean you should hire them instead of a licensed professional. Remember, a license guarantees that your contractor has spent enough time in the industry to know their tools and their trade exceptionally well. Licensed contractors must also pay a bond to the State Licensing Board, which means that they have a financial incentive to perform their duties as best as they can.
- An Honest and Upfront Approach to Pricing
A license may reassure you that your contractor is skilled and experienced, but not all licensed contractors charge the same amount for their services. In fact, pricing can vary widely from one organization to the next, which means you should carefully research every prospective commercial AC and heating service you find. You can save time and effort by choosing a service that makes a point of being forthcoming about the costs of their labor. When you speak with a contractor you’re thinking about hiring, ask them what their labor costs are and see if they’ll give you a quote for the work you have in mind. Exact quotes usually are impossible due to the sensitive and unpredictable nature of HVAC systems, but reputable services should be able to provide you with a reasonable estimate.
- Positive Testimonials from Former Customers
Once you know the minimum standard that you can expect from a licensed contractor and have verified their affordability, you’ll want to know what other people are saying about their work. Excellent AC and heating services almost always have an abundance of positive reviews on Facebook, Yelp, or other platforms. Do a quick online search for the company you’re considering, and read the reviews from past clients. You’ll learn how the service treats its customers, which is one of the essential parts of excellent commercial HVAC service.
- Experience with Common Commercial HVAC Systems
Each HVAC service company has various levels of expertise with varied brands of equipment. If you want to ensure that the contractor you hire will do their absolute best work, consider looking for one that specializes in the brand that you have in your facility. For example, if your company uses Carrier products, you should look for a business that is explicitly familiar with their maintenance.
- Demonstrable Knowledge of Products and Skills
Finally, search for a commercial HVAC service that makes their expertise clear by sharing their knowledge freely with interested parties. One way to do this is by asking questions about a contractor’s work when you contact them, but busy contractors often have limited time to discuss their work. A more efficient way to ensure that your contractor knows what they are doing is to look for blogs that contain details of their work. Reading up on a contractor’s approach will also help you familiarize yourself with essential commercial HVAC terminology so that you can understand your contractor’s methods and enjoy greater peace of mind during their visit.
Choose a Five-Star AC and Heating Service for Your Business
Think of your AC and heating service in the following way: each of the criteria listed above represents a single star. A five-star commercial HVAC service should fulfill them all. Use the information above to find a licensed company with excellent product knowledge, relevant experience, reasonable pricing, and a strong reputation in your community.
Check with us here at Valley Comfort Heating and Air, our customers love our attention to detail and our friendly, affordable service. (707) 539-4533