Check equipment, sizing, ducts, electrical, permits, startup and warranties before a low monthly payment or headline total makes the decision for you.
No price gate
Tick what the written proposal actually includes. The checker identifies missing scope that can turn the cheapest headline price into the most expensive job.
Instant result · no email requiredThis checker assesses written scope, not contractor competence or legal compliance. Verify credentials with the relevant official register and resolve every material assumption in writing.
“Three-ton 16 SEER2 system” does not identify a matched system. Obtain the condenser, evaporator coil, furnace or air-handler model numbers and the AHRI reference for the proposed combination. Different indoor equipment can change efficiency, capacity, blower performance and warranty requirements.
The contractor should document the load instead of copying the old nameplate. A Manual J considers construction, windows, orientation, infiltration and local design conditions. The distribution side matters too: ask for measured static pressure, airflow, return capacity and any duct leakage or modifications included in the proposal.
The estimate should assign responsibility for the equipment pad or stand, line set, drain, disconnect, breaker, wiring, permits and inspections. It should state whether the existing line set is replaced, flushed or reused under the manufacturer’s rules and how refrigerant transition compatibility is handled.
Startup should include evacuation, charging by the approved method, airflow setup, temperature measurements, controls testing and a written commissioning or startup record. Ask who registers equipment warranties, what labor warranty applies and whether annual maintenance is a condition.
Pause when the salesperson refuses to provide model numbers, sizes only from square footage, quotes before inspecting accessible ducts, or discusses monthly payment before equipment scope. “Permit by owner” and “electrical as needed” are exclusions with real price consequences, not harmless boilerplate.
Emergency heat can compress a decision, but it does not make blank documents, undocumented change orders or verbal warranty promises acceptable. Ask what temporary comfort options exist and obtain the proposal by email so the same scope can be reviewed and compared.
Request the cash price and financed price for identical work. A contractor-arranged loan can affect the project price through dealer costs even when the stated rate looks attractive. Use the HVAC financing calculator only after the correct equipment and scope have been priced.
Run the capacity through the AC size and tonnage calculator, compare the national range in the HVAC replacement cost calculator, and use the SEER2 savings calculator to test an efficiency premium. None replaces a site visit; together they make the sales conversation more accountable.
Verify the contractor’s state or local license where required and the EPA Section 608 responsibility for refrigerant work. Confirm insurance, deposit, payment stages, schedule, change-order process, cancellation terms and disposal. Do not rely on a verbal promise to add a missing return, upgrade a panel or “take care of the permit later.”
A strong estimate should let another qualified contractor understand the intended result. It identifies equipment, distribution changes, controls, permits, testing, cleanup and exclusions, then explains how concealed conditions will be priced. That clarity is more useful than a long list of optional accessories or a discount countdown.
Tell us about your property once. We match you with an independent local specialist — EPA 608 certified technicians — who calls you to arrange a free survey and a properly priced quote. It costs nothing either way.
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Your local HVAC contractor will call you shortly to arrange your free survey and quote.
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Use practical estimates to prepare for a licensed contractor assessment.