How Do I Compare Two HVAC Quotes?
Two HVAC replacement quotes usually differ because they are not for the same scope, not because one contractor is greedy. Before comparing prices, confirm both include the same equipment capacity and efficiency, the same duct and electrical work, permits and required testing, and the same warranty terms. Once those line up, the comparison is meaningful.
Make sure both cover the same scope
- Equipment: capacity, efficiency rating, and whether the indoor coil and outdoor unit are a matched set
- Ductwork: modifications, replacement, or nothing at all
- Electrical: any new circuit, disconnect or whip the installation requires
- Permits and required testing, which are not optional in California
- Removal and disposal of the old equipment
- Warranty: how many years on parts, how many on labour, and who honours each
The omissions that show up later
The most common gap is a quote that prices equipment but not the duct or electrical work the installation actually needs. The second is a quote that leaves out permits and testing. Neither is necessarily dishonest, but both make a number look lower than the finished job will cost.
Questions that make quotes comparable
- Was the size based on a load calculation for my house, or matched to the old equipment?
- Is the indoor coil being replaced with the outdoor unit?
- Are permits and HERS testing included in this price?
- How long is labour covered, and by whom?
- What is not included that you would expect to find during the install?
Our two guarantees on this
Bring us a comparable written replacement quote and we will beat it by $500 — that is the Apples-to-Apples guarantee, and the word comparable is doing real work in that sentence. You can also send us a quote you have received and we will read it with you, line by line, and tell you what it does and does not cover.
Common questions
Why are HVAC quotes so different?
Usually because they are for different scopes — different equipment, different duct or electrical work, or one includes permits and testing while the other does not. Compare scope before comparing price.
What should an HVAC quote include?
Equipment capacity and efficiency, whether the indoor coil is included, duct and electrical work, permits and required testing, removal of the old system, and the specific parts and labour warranty terms.
What is the $500 Apples-to-Apples guarantee?
If you bring Cool Guys a comparable written HVAC replacement quote, we will beat it by $500. Comparable means the same scope of work, not merely the same headline number.
Reviewed by Briton Davis, owner, and the Cool Guys Home Services service team · Licensed, bonded & insured (CSLB #1156890)
More from the Learning Center
What Size AC Do I Need?
Why square footage alone gets it wrong, and why oversizing is its own problem.
Questions to Ask About HVAC Financing
What to ask, and why we will not quote you terms we are not the lender for.
How Much Does a New HVAC System Cost?
What drives the price of a replacement, and how to tell whether two quotes are even for the same job.
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