Check the license before you compare prices
Price comparisons only mean something between companies you are willing to hire. The Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) publishes consumer tools that recommend checking a contractor's license and researching their specific skills and references. Its site describes the public record as including license status, bond, proof of liability insurance on file, and complaint or disciplinary history.
Use the CCB's official license search to look up each company yourself, and write down the license number and status on your worksheet. We do not state that any company in our rankings holds a license, and a listing on our site is not a substitute for this lookup. Ask each company for its license number, then confirm the name matches the record.
A diagnostic visit is not a repair estimate
Here is a hypothetical example, with no prices implied. If one company quotes only a visit fee to find the problem, and another quotes a complete repair, the two numbers are not comparable yet. The first covers finding the cause; the second assumes the cause is already known. Before anyone arrives, ask what the visit fee covers, whether it is credited toward a repair if you approve one, and whether you will receive the diagnosis in writing.
After the visit, the company should be able to describe what it found, what it proposes to do about it, and whether the answer is final or conditional. "Not cooling" is a symptom, not a finding. Ask the technician to name the part or condition they believe is responsible.
Make every quote cover the same scope
A price comparison breaks down when different jobs are treated as the same job. Here is a hypothetical example, with no prices implied. Company A proposes replacing one failed component. Company B proposes the same replacement plus a system test and cleaning. Company C proposes a repair to a different component entirely. The totals will differ, but the quotes are not competing on price. They are describing different work.
When scopes differ, go back to each company with the same question: what exactly will be done, on which equipment, and what is not included?
Read the line items: parts, labor and possible additions
ENERGY STAR's contractor-hiring guidance recommends getting estimates in writing and itemized. We suggest asking for these lines to be separated so you can compare them:
- Parts, with the part description and, where available, model or part numbers.
- Labor, and whether it is a flat amount or billed by time.
- Other charges such as disposal, permits or supplies, if any apply.
- Possible additional work: what conditions could add to the total, and who decides before it happens.
Compare warranty, timing and written approval
ENERGY STAR advises that a written proposal should state costs, model numbers, schedule and warranty. Those four items are good columns for your comparison. For warranty, ask who stands behind the part, who stands behind the labor, how long each lasts, and what voids or excludes coverage. Our suggestion is to get the exclusions in writing, because they often decide whether a warranty is useful.
Also ask when the work can start and finish, and whether the timeline depends on getting a part. Finally, decide in advance that no work beyond the written proposal happens without your written approval. If a technician finds something new mid-visit, the company should pause, explain it, and put the change in writing first.
If a company suggests replacement
Sometimes a repair quote turns into a replacement recommendation. ENERGY STAR guidance says to expect a home evaluation rather than a quick guess. If replacement comes up, ask whether the company will evaluate your home and existing system, and request written options, such as the repair path and the replacement path, each with scope, equipment details and warranty. That lets you compare them with the same worksheet instead of deciding on the spot.
It also helps to know your system's model and service history before anyone visits, which is another ENERGY STAR suggestion.
Choosing the next step
A good comparison ends with a decision you can explain: which company, for which written scope, under which warranty terms. If two proposals still do not match, ask both for a revised written scope rather than choosing on the lowest number alone. If a company will not put its diagnosis, itemization or warranty in writing, that is useful information too. Keep copies of everything you sign. To see how our rankings work, read our published ranking methodology.