How do I compare HVAC quotes and know which one is fair?
Compare HVAC quotes on six line items, not the total: equipment model numbers for all three components, system size in tons from a load calculation, efficiency rating, whether a permit is included, exactly what duct work is included, and the parts and labor warranty stated separately. A quote missing any of these cannot be compared fairly, because the gap is usually where the price difference is hiding.
Why the totals are not comparable
A number on its own tells you nothing. One contractor may have priced a matched system with a permit, new line set, and duct repairs. Another may have priced a bare condenser swap onto your existing coil. Both are real quotes. Only one of them will actually deliver the efficiency on the label.
Comparing totals rewards whoever left the most out.
What has to be on every quote
- Model numbers for all three pieces. Outdoor unit, indoor coil, furnace or air handler. You need all three to confirm they are a matched set. A mismatched system does not hit its rated efficiency.
- Size in tons, backed by a load calculation. Ask how they arrived at the size. Same as what is there now is not a load calculation. The existing system may have been wrong for twenty years.
- Efficiency ratings. SEER2 for cooling, AFUE for the furnace. Two quotes at very different prices are often two different efficiency tiers.
- Permit. Included or not. Leavenworth and metro cities have their own requirements, and an unpermitted install can complicate a future home sale.
- Duct work scope. Spelled out explicitly. A single line that says existing ductwork is not a scope.
- Warranty, split into parts and labor. These are two different things and contractors often quote only the first.
Why does the warranty matter so much?
Parts coverage means the manufacturer sends a replacement component. It does not pay the technician who spends four hours installing it. A twelve year parts warranty paired with a one year labor warranty leaves you paying labor from year two onward.
We are a Daikin Comfort Pro dealer, which carries a 12 year parts warranty, with a 12 year labor warranty available. When you read a competing quote, look specifically for the labor term and how long it runs.
What are the red flags?
- A price with no measurements. If nobody looked in the attic, checked the electrical panel, or measured a single room, the number is a guess.
- Today only pricing. Real seasonal promotions exist and they have written terms. Pressure that expires when the salesperson leaves your kitchen is a sales tactic.
- Replacement recommended without a diagnosis. If a technician pushes a whole new system before naming the failed part, get a second opinion.
- No written scope. A verbal number is not a quote.
- Refusing to state the refrigerant. On a repair versus replace decision, the refrigerant type changes the math entirely.
- No license or insurance details. Ask. We are licensed, insured, and bonded mechanical contractors with EPA certified technicians.
What should I ask on the phone?
- What is the diagnostic fee, and does it apply to the repair? Ours is a flat $129, or $179 after hours and on weekends, and we quote the repair before we start.
- Will you do a load calculation, or size it from the old equipment?
- Is the permit in the price?
- What is the labor warranty, in years?
- Who performs warranty service, you or a third party?
What if I already have a quote I do not trust?
Bring it to us. We will read it line by line with you and tell you plainly whether the scope matches the price, including when the answer is that the other quote is a good one. We would rather be the company you call next time than talk you into something today.
What to do next
Get the six line items in writing from everyone you are considering, then compare like for like. For reference on what the numbers should look like, our published starting prices are in the Kansas HVAC cost guide, and the repair versus replace math is in the repair or replace guide. We serve Leavenworth, Lansing, Basehor, Shawnee, Piper, Overland Park, and the wider metro, with a 4.8 star rating across more than 600 Google reviews.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare HVAC quotes fairly?
Compare six line items rather than the totals: model numbers for the outdoor unit, indoor coil, and furnace, the system size in tons from a load calculation, the efficiency rating, whether the permit is included, the exact duct work scope, and the parts and labor warranty listed separately. Missing items are usually where the price difference hides.
Why are HVAC quotes so different for the same house?
Because they often describe different work. One may include a matched system, a permit, a new line set, and duct repairs while another prices a bare condenser swap onto an aging coil. Different efficiency tiers and different warranty terms also move the number by thousands.
What is a load calculation and do I need one?
A load calculation measures how much heating and cooling your specific home needs based on square footage, insulation, windows, and orientation. You need one because sizing from the old equipment repeats whatever mistake was made before. An oversized system short cycles, leaves the house humid, and wears out sooner.
What warranty should a new HVAC system come with?
Look for parts and labor coverage stated separately. Parts coverage only replaces the component, not the labor to install it. Mr. Breeze is a Daikin Comfort Pro dealer with a 12 year parts warranty and a 12 year labor warranty available.
Should I get a second opinion on an HVAC replacement quote?
Yes, especially if replacement was recommended without a diagnosis of the failed part, if no one measured anything, or if the pricing expires the moment the salesperson leaves. A second contractor reading the first quote line by line costs you nothing but time.
How we know this
This guidance comes from what our technicians find on real service calls across Leavenworth, Shawnee, and the Kansas City metro. Prices shown are our own published rates. Anything that depends on your specific equipment is called out as something we confirm on site.
Licensed, insured and bonded mechanical contractors. EPA certified technicians.
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Still not sure what you are dealing with?
Tell us what the system is doing and we will tell you what it means. A real person answers the phone 24 hours a day, and we quote the repair before we start work.
Serving Leavenworth, Shawnee, and the Kansas City metro since 2009. Licensed, Insured & Bonded Mechanical Contractors.