Benefits of Hiring a Licensed HVAC Contractor
When upgrading or installing your heating and
air-conditioning system, it can be tempting to look for the cheapest contractor
in hopes of saving money. Chances are, if you do, you'll be hiring someone who
is unlicensed, and this can cause a host of problems when installing your HVAC
(heating, ventilation, air-conditioning) system. Your HVAC system is arguably
one of the most important components of your home. This is how you heat your
home in winter and cool it in summer. It's one of your home's most significant
expenses and has a major effect on your home comfort.
Most jurisdictions in USA require or encourage their HVAC
contractors to be licensed. Becoming licensed ensures that a contractor meets
minimum standards for technical knowledge, experience and respect for safety.
Licensed contractors are also usually monitored by a government agency or
industry association and unsafe companies can lose their licenses if they
perform shoddy work or cheat their customers.
A shoddy HVAC system can be expensive to run, dangerous to your health
and reduce the resale value of your home. In USA, the Electrical Safety
Authority, an independent industry watchdog, reports that since 1988 at least
100 people have been killed by electrocution in homes because of improper and
unsafe work and there have been at least 3,000 electricity-related fired each
year because of poor workmanship.
While it's not illegal for you hire an unlicensed contractor
and pay them cash, it can be very difficult to get your money back if something
goes wrong. Even worse, homeowners can be held legally responsible in some
cases if they hire an unlicensed HVAC contractor. For one, licensed HVAC
contractors are required to obtain the necessary building and work permits from
the local government office, depending on the type of work they are doing in
your home. Most unlicensed contractors don't bother with this paperwork. But
many homeowners don't realize that when a contractor skips the necessary
permits, it's the homeowner that can be fined, not the contractor. Licensed
HVAC companies are also required to have some form of insurance to cover
injuries to workers and damage to your home. Few unlicensed contractors have
this kind of insurance. If an unlicensed contractor, or one of its employees,
is injured while working on your HVAC system, as a homeowner you can be held
legally responsible for the worker's medical expenses, lost wages and the cost
of pain and suffering. You will also have to pay for any damages to your home,
or to the company equipment.
Sometimes your homeowner's insurance won't cover damages to
your home that are performed by an unlicensed contractor - especially if you
haven't signed a written contract. It can even be difficult to take an unlicensed
contractor to court since they typically won't sign a contract with you and it
can be difficult to prove to a judge that any problems in your home were a
result of the contractor's work. Many are fly-by-night operators who disappear
as soon as the work is done, making them tough to track down.
While a licensed contractor may seem more expensive, they
can save you significant amounts of money in the long run, by filing the proper
paperwork, having the right insurance coverage, and having the necessary
knowledge and experience do safely install the best HVAC system for your home.
for More, visit: http://www.hvaccontractors.biz
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