Guide
How to hire an HVAC contractor in the South Sound
Five checks that take about ten minutes and protect a five-figure purchase.
- Look up the license and bond. Search the business name on Washington L&I: Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business. Note the registration number and expiry date.
- Ask which rebate list they are on. Tacoma Power and PSE rebates only pay when the installer is on that utility’s list. In Thurston County, Energize Thurston discounts only go through its Certified Installers. See the rebate guide.
- Get at least three bids. Tacoma Power’s advice for heat pumps is the same: prices for comparable equipment can vary drastically. (Tacoma Power: Find a Residential Contractor)
- Ask for a load calculation. A bid for a heat pump should be sized to your house, not copied from the old furnace. Ask how they sized it.
- Get the warranty in writing. Ask what the manufacturer covers, what the installer covers on labor, and for how long.
Questions to ask on the first call
- Are you on the Tacoma Power, PSE or Energize Thurston installer list, and will you file the rebate paperwork?
- Do you service the brand you are quoting, or only install it?
- Is the quote for a full system or one indoor unit, and what electrical work is included?
- Who pulls the permit?
- How soon can you do a site visit, and is it free?
If the heat is out tonight
Call a listed company in your area, ask whether they can come out today, and confirm any after-hours fee before a technician drives out.
Then pick a contractor from your area: Tacoma, Puyallup, Graham, Federal Way, Olympia.
More before you hire
- HVAC licenses in Washington, explained
- Questions to ask an HVAC contractor before a heat pump install
- HVAC red flags
- Heat pump or furnace? What changes
- Permits, rebates and bids for a heat pump or furnace job
- HVAC licenses and certifications to check
- Pierce County mechanical permit fees for HVAC work
- Olympia mechanical permit fees for HVAC work
- Lacey mechanical permit fees for HVAC work