Houses and condos
Single-family houses, townhouses and condominium units across Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton and Coconut Creek. No-cooling calls, replacements, ducts, humidity and the drain lines that cause most of the ceiling damage in this county.
Deerfield Beach, Florida
Three quotes, three different jobs, one price you are told to compare
Air conditioning, heating and ventilation for houses and businesses in north Broward — and a straight account of what should be in a quotation, so you can see what is missing from the cheap one.
What we do
Houses and businesses, and which is which
We work on both, and the work is genuinely different. This is what each side actually gets.
| Work | Houses & condos | Businesses |
|---|---|---|
| Breakdown call-outs and diagnosis | Yes | Yes |
| Replacement sized from a load calculation | Yes | Yes |
| Static pressure and airflow measured | Yes | Yes |
| Duct inspection, sealing and modification | Yes | Yes |
| Condensate, traps and overflow switches | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduled maintenance with a record per unit | On request | Yes |
| Rooftop packaged units | – | Yes |
| Kitchen extract and make-up air balance | – | Yes |
| Server and comms room cooling | – | Yes |
| Out-of-hours and phased work | On request | Yes |
| Written commissioning numbers on handover | Yes | Yes |
The table scrolls sideways on a narrow screen.
Businesses
Shops, restaurants, professional suites, clinics, small hotels and light industrial. Maintenance on a schedule, rooftop plant, extract and make-up air, and work timed around when you actually trade.
The argument
Why two quotations for the same job are not the same job
Almost every quotation people show us is for a different scope of work, and almost none of them say so. The price gap is usually the scope gap, and it is invisible unless somebody sets the two side by side.
| Item | Typically written as | What it should say |
|---|---|---|
| Sizing | The tonnage, with no explanation | That a load calculation was done, and what it produced |
| Ductwork | Nothing at all | Inspected or not; sealing and modification priced, or explicitly excluded |
| Line set | Nothing at all | New line set, or reuse of the existing one, stated either way |
| Electrical | “Electrical by others” | Which parts you are paying for and which you must arrange |
| Condensate | Nothing at all | Drain, trap and overflow switch included or excluded |
| Permit | Nothing, or “if required” | Who files it, with which jurisdiction, and whether it is in the price |
| Old equipment | Nothing at all | Removal and disposal included or not |
| Commissioning | “System will be tested” | Which numbers are measured and handed to you |
| Warranty | “Manufacturer warranty” | Whose warranty, for how long, on parts and on labour separately |
| Equipment | A brand name | Model numbers, so you can compare like with like |
This is a general description of how quotations in this trade are usually written. It is not a statement about any particular company.
How we work
Six steps, and you get something in writing after four of them
- The visitWe look at the equipment, the ductwork, the electrical supply and the space. Not a walk past the outdoor unit and a number.
- MeasurementStatic pressure, airflow and temperature split where the system runs; a load calculation where we are quoting a replacement.
- A written scopeItemised against the list above, including what is excluded. You can hold it next to somebody else’s.
- PermitFiled with the jurisdiction that covers your address. Stated in the quotation, not discovered later.
- The workScheduled against your hours, particularly for a business. Anything that changes the scope is reissued in writing before it happens.
- Commissioning and handoverAirflow, static pressure, temperature split and charge, plus model and serial numbers, filter sizes and the warranty documents.
Questions
Common questions
Why are my three quotes so far apart?
Almost always because they are for different scopes of work. One includes duct modification and a permit, another says nothing about either. The comparison checklist on this site sets twelve items side by side so the gap becomes visible instead of being a mystery about price.
What should a quotation actually contain?
Model numbers for everything being installed, a statement that a load calculation was done, what happens to the ductwork and the line set, who files the permit, whether the old equipment is removed, and which commissioning numbers you will be given. Anything not written down is not in the job.
Do you measure before quoting a replacement?
Yes — static pressure on the running system, airflow room by room, and a load calculation for the building. That sometimes produces a smaller system than the one coming out, and we would rather have that conversation before the install than after it.
The house is cold but it feels damp. Why?
Usually because the equipment is larger than the house needs, so it satisfies the thermostat before it has run long enough to remove moisture. Blower speed, return sizing and duct leakage are all worth checking before replacing anything.
Do you work on restaurants?
Yes — extract, make-up air and the balance between them. A kitchen pulling harder than its make-up air puts the whole building under negative pressure, and that shows up as a dining-room comfort complaint. Hood cleaning and fire suppression are separate trades and we do not claim them.
Which areas do you cover?
Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Parkland and Lighthouse Point.
Where
Deerfield Beach and north Broward
220 Lock Rd, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442. We cover Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Parkland and Lighthouse Point.
Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 4.30pm, with planned commercial work out of hours by arrangement.