Before you select a contractor, it might be worth asking whether any other contractors will honor his warranty in the unlikely event that he can’t do the work.
Last year, I had a heating and air conditioning contractor install a new air conditioner in my home. One month later, the air conditioner stopped working. I had a warranty on the contractor’s labor, so I called him to request his services. For several days I called him, but he never returned my calls. After doing an internet search, I found some rather negative comments about his work on review websites. I finally found out that he had gone out of business, so it looked like I might be spending the summer without air conditioning. I decided to contact the manufacturer of the air conditioner to see if there was anything they might be able to do. The manager suggested that I call several HVAC companies – those with good reputations – to inquire about technicians who could service my air conditioner. Thankfully, there was an air conditioning specialist who was kind enough to come and fix the system, charging me only for parts. As I paid him, he indicated that the original HVAC guy was well-known for his poor business practices. Lesson learned the hard way, I thought to myself. I now tell anyone who is looking for a heating or cooling technician to be sure to get references before selecting one. I listened naively to the claims that were made by the contractor himself, including the fact that he had installed hundreds of air conditioners. The only good that came out of this experience is that I won’t be fooled again.