Use These Nifty Tips When Negotiating HVAC Installation

Posted on: 10 October 2017

Just like other purchases, it is possible to negotiate an HVAC installation cost down from an original quote. How far down you can go depends on your negotiation skills. Here are some practical tips to help you get your HVAC at the lowest price possible in your area:

Make Comparisons with Competitors

One of the oldest negotiating tricks in the book is to make comparisons with competitor's prices; this may work with HVAC installation too. Of course, this requires you to know what other contractors are charging for the same service in the area; comparisons with other areas will not suffice since labor costs vary by region. If you are lucky, the contractor may lower their rate to match a direct competitor's rate. However, this doesn't always help because most contractors issue their quotes with their competitors' rates in mind.

Understand the Reasoning for the Cost

Even if you don't know what others are charging for the installation, you can still request the contractor to explain their charges to you. Ask the contractor why they are charging the quoted price and not, say, ten percent lower. Most likely, the contractor will tell you that your house is big, your attic is small or difficult to access or you are asking for expensive accessories.

Use the information to see if there are areas you can modify to get a lower installation rate. For example, if the contractor mentions your brand of thermostat as expensive, ask them for recommendations on suitable alternatives at lower costs.

Negotiate For Other Services

In many cases, the installation per se isn't the only service the contractor will be selling to you. The contractor may also sell you other related services such as extended warranties and service contracts. Therefore, even if the contractor isn't willing to reduce their actual installation price, they may give you some discount on these related services.

Ask For Free Samples

Lastly, this isn't a negotiation tip per se, but you can also reduce your overall cost by asking the contractor for free accessories. This may work if the contractor has branded accessories, such as thermostats with the contractor's business name on it. Many contractors have such branded accessories to help them market their businesses.

Always negotiate on price or extra accessories, but not on quality. That is, you shouldn't downgrade to a lower quality product just to save some money; it may cost you more in the long run. Contact a company, like Dalton Heating & Air Conditioning, for more help.

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