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Put three quotations side by side
Twelve things that decide whether a replacement works. Tick what each quotation actually states — not what you were told on the doorstep — and see where the gaps are. It produces no price and it asks for nothing.
Use the columns for whichever companies you are considering, including us. If an item is not written in the quotation, leave it unticked — a verbal assurance is not a scope of work, and it is the written scope you will be held to.
| Does the quotation state this in writing? | Quote 1 | Quote 2 | Quote 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A load calculation was done for your buildingNot the size of the old unit, and not a rule of thumb per square foot. | |||
| Static pressure was measured before quotingThe single best indicator of whether your ducts can carry what is being sold to you. | |||
| The existing ductwork was inspected and reported onIncluding what is in the attic, which is where it usually goes wrong. | |||
| Duct sealing or modification is priced, or explicitly excludedEither is fine. Silence is not. | |||
| The line set is stated as new, or as being reusedReusing it can be correct. Not mentioning it is how a change order appears later. | |||
| Electrical work and the disconnect are accounted forWhich parts are in the price, and which you have to arrange yourself. | |||
| Condensate drain, trap and overflow switch are includedIn this climate this is the item that saves a ceiling. | |||
| The permit is named, with who files it and whereDeerfield Beach, Boca Raton and unincorporated Broward are not the same process. | |||
| Removal and disposal of the old equipment is includedSmall money, and a common way for a total to be made to look lower. | |||
| Commissioning numbers will be measured and handed overAirflow, static pressure, temperature split and refrigerant charge. | |||
| Warranty terms are stated, parts and labour separatelyIncluding any coastal or corrosion wording, which matters in this county. | |||
| Model numbers are given for everything being installedA brand name is not a specification. Without model numbers you cannot compare two quotations at all. |
The table scrolls sideways on a narrow screen.
Where they stand
Nothing ticked yet. Work down the list with the quotations in front of you.
No quotation covers these:
Anything on that list is worth asking about before you choose. In our experience it is not usually deliberate — it is simply how quotations in this trade get written — but it is the part you end up paying for separately.
Every item is covered by at least one quotation. That is unusual. Now the interesting question is which single quotation covers the most, because a gap in the one you choose is still a gap.
A count is not a recommendation. A quotation that states everything can still be the wrong price, the wrong equipment or the wrong company, and a quotation that states less can come from somebody excellent who writes badly. This tells you what to ask about; it does not tell you who to hire, and it deliberately produces no price.
What each item is really testing
| Item | What its absence usually means |
|---|---|
| Load calculation | The size was copied from the old unit. That is fine if the old one was right, and nobody has checked whether it was. |
| Static pressure | Nobody knows whether your ducts can carry the airflow the new equipment needs. This is the commonest reason a new system disappoints. |
| Duct inspection | The attic was not looked at. In Florida that is where the losses are. |
| Duct work priced or excluded | It will come up during the install, when you have no leverage and no comparison. |
| Line set | A change order waiting to happen, one way or the other. |
| Electrical | You may be arranging and paying for an electrician you did not budget for. |
| Condensate | The overflow switch may be missing. It is the cheapest part in the job and the one that prevents the most expensive damage. |
| Permit | Either it is not being filed, or you are filing it. Both are worth knowing in advance. |
| Removal and disposal | A line item that appears afterwards, or a unit that sits beside your house. |
| Commissioning | The system will be switched on rather than set up. Nobody will be able to tell you later what it was doing on day one. |
| Warranty | You do not know what you have got until you need it, which is the worst moment to find out. |
| Model numbers | The quotations genuinely cannot be compared. This is the item to fix first. |
This describes how quotations in this trade are commonly written. It is a general observation about an industry, not a claim about any particular company.
What we are not doing here
We are not telling you that the cheapest quotation is wrong. Often it is a perfectly good company that has written a short document, and sometimes it is genuinely the best value in the pile. What we are saying is that you cannot know that from the totals, because the totals are for different work.
We are also not telling you that we will be cheapest. We will not be, on a like-for-like line, if somebody else has left half the scope out. That is the whole reason this page exists.