Who Installs This?
Let's Sort That Out.
We sell the equipment, not the labor. But "find a contractor who will install gear he didn't sell you" is a real obstacle, so we help with it: tell us where you are and we'll go find you options.
Straight answer first
We don't employ installers and we don't run a certified network. What we do is call licensed HVAC contractors in your zip, ask the two questions that matter — will you install customer-supplied equipment, and what do you charge for this job — and send you the ones who say yes.
Usually back to you within 2 business days.
Four steps, no mystery
This is a person making phone calls, not software matching you to a database. That's slower than a marketplace and a lot more useful.
You send the request
Zip code, what the job is, and the equipment if you've already picked it. Takes a minute. You don't have to have ordered anything.
We make the calls
We contact licensed HVAC contractors serving your area and ask whether they'll install equipment supplied by the customer, and roughly what they charge for it.
You get names and numbers
Typically two or three, within 2 business days. If nobody in your area will take the job, we tell you that too — before you've bought a pallet of equipment.
You hire whoever you want
You contract directly with the installer and pay them directly. Get a written quote, and get it from more than one of them.
Any contractor we pass along is an independent business. We do not employ them, supervise them, vet their work, or warrant it, and we receive no payment for the referral. You contract with and pay the installer directly. Verify the license and insurance yourself, get a written quote, and make your own decision — the installation is between you and your contractor.
What the job actually involves
Worth knowing before you call anyone, because it's the difference between a quote you can compare and a number someone made up on the phone.
Standard split systems and heat pumps
Anything with a sealed refrigerant circuit that has to be opened and recharged. This is licensed, certified work — not a weekend project.
- Set the outdoor unit on a pad or brackets, hang or seat the indoor unit
- Run and connect the line set — brazed or flare, depending on the equipment
- Pressure-test with nitrogen, then pull a deep vacuum and verify it with a micron gauge
- Weigh in the correct charge for the actual line length, not a guess
- Line voltage from the panel, a disconnect, and the control wiring
- Condensate drain and, where required, a safety switch
- Commissioning: measure the readings, confirm it's running to spec, document it
Anyone opening a sealed refrigerant circuit must hold EPA Section 608 certification. That is federal law, not a preference.
Pre-charged DIY-style mini splits
Systems designed to ship with a pre-charged, quick-connect line set so the refrigerant circuit is never opened. Genuinely more approachable — but "no vacuum pump" is not "no work".
- Mounting both units, and getting the wall penetration right
- Routing the line set without kinking it, then torquing the couplers to spec
- A dedicated circuit at the right voltage and breaker size — usually an electrician
- Condensate routed somewhere it can actually drain
- A permit and inspection in most jurisdictions, even on a DIY install
Plenty of people do these themselves. Plenty of others hire a handyman for the mounting and an electrician for the circuit, which is often the cheapest honest route.
Most areas require a mechanical permit for equipment replacement, and the inspection is what protects you if the work was done badly. Your contractor normally pulls it — confirm who is responsible before work starts, and don't treat "we don't bother with permits here" as a selling point.
What drives the price
We won't publish an installed-cost figure, because any number we printed would be wrong for most of the people reading it. Here's what actually moves it instead.
Where you are
Labor rates vary enormously by metro. The same job can differ by a factor of two between two states, and permit fees differ on top of that.
Swap or new run
Replacing like-for-like where the line set, pad, drain and circuit already exist is the cheap case. New line routing, new electrical, or a different system type is not.
Access
An attic air handler in August, a crawlspace, a roof curb, or a third-floor condo all cost more than a garage install, because they cost more in hours and bodies.
What else has to change
Duct repairs, a new disconnect or breaker, a pad, a line-set replacement, a condensate pump. These are the line items that turn a quote into a surprise.
Refrigerant recovery
The old system's charge has to be legally recovered before removal, and the old equipment has to be hauled away. Both are billable.
Season
Mid-July and mid-January are when every contractor in your city is busy. Shoulder season is cheaper and you get a better crew.
Get at least two written, itemized quotes. A quote that's one number with no breakdown is not a quote you can compare.
Nine questions worth asking
Ask all of them. The answers tell you more about a contractor than their reviews do.
- Will you install equipment I supplied, and does that change your labor rate?
- What's your license number, and what state is it issued in?
- Are you carrying general liability and workers' comp right now?
- Who pulls the permit, and is the fee in your quote?
- What warranty do you give on your own labor, and for how long?
- What's included and what's excluded — in writing, itemized?
- Will you do a load calculation, or are you sizing it off the old unit?
- Will you give me the commissioning readings when you're finished?
- What happens if the equipment arrives damaged or faulty — do you still charge for the trip?
If a contractor won't give you a license number or won't confirm insurance, stop there. That isn't a negotiation, and it isn't a price you can take a risk on — uninsured work on your home is your problem, not theirs.
Checking a license yourself
Takes about five minutes and it's the single most useful thing you can do before handing over a deposit.
Get the number
Ask for the license number and the exact legal business name. A contractor who hesitates here has told you something.
Look it up at the source
HVAC licensing is handled by the state — usually a contractor licensing board or department of labor, and in some states at county or city level. Search for your state's board by name and use its own lookup, not a third-party site.
Check it's current and matches
Active status, the right trade classification, and the name on the license matching the name that will be on your invoice.
Ask for the insurance certificate
A real contractor will have their insurer email you a certificate without blinking. Ask for it rather than taking a verbal yes.
Why the installer affects your coverage
Manufacturer warranties are the manufacturer's terms, not ours, and they are not the same across brands or even across product lines within a brand. Two conditions come up repeatedly and are worth knowing before you book anyone:
- Many brands require installation by a licensed HVAC contractor for the warranty to apply
- Many brands require you to register the product within a set window after installation, and reduce the term if you don't
In every case coverage depends on the unit being installed to the manufacturer's instructions and to applicable codes. The warranty document for your specific model is the controlling source — ask us and we'll send you the one that applies before you buy, not after.
Keep your invoice, the permit, the inspection sign-off and the commissioning readings together. That paperwork is what makes a warranty claim straightforward instead of an argument.
Tell us where you are
You don't need to have ordered anything. If we can't find anyone in your area who'll take the job, knowing that now is worth a lot more than knowing it later.
Any contractor we pass along is an independent business. We do not employ them, supervise them, vet their work, or warrant it, and we receive no payment for the referral. You contract with and pay the installer directly. Verify the license and insurance yourself, get a written quote, and make your own decision — the installation is between you and your contractor.
Make sure it's the right equipment first
An installer can't fix a system that was the wrong size or the wrong match. These two take a couple of minutes each.
Find Your System
Answer a few questions about the space and get the system types that actually fit it.
Build Your System
Match a condenser, air handler and accessories into a combination that goes together.
HVAC 101
System types, sizing, SEER2 and what the ratings mean, written in plain English.
Ask Us Directly
Model-number checks, compatibility, freight and lead times. Call (888) 558-5637 or write.