When it comes to selecting an HVAC contractor to help safeguard the integrity of your Arlington, Fort Worth, or other area home, clearly you don’t want to choose just anyone.

Still, how do you know in advance whether or not you can trust someone you’ve located on the internet but have no experience with? Throughout the DFW area, there are thousands of such providers, all claiming to be experts in their field. And to some extent they probably are: but that doesn’t make them equally qualified or up to your own standards for excellence.

At Optimum Air, we believe you should choose an HVAC contractor like you would a doctor – carefully and thoughtfully. Plus, it’s important to do so long before a home heating or air conditioning emergency strikes so you’re not forced to make a hurried decision that may or may not turn out the way you hoped.

Here is a handy checklist to help you make a confident choice for all your home heating AND cooling needs.

Ask around. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Ask what type of heating work they’ve had performed and how satisfied they were with the experience.

Research. After you’ve compiled a list of potential contractors, hit the web. In today’s day and age, you can get reviews on anything and everything with a few clicks of the mouse. See if the companies you’re researching have had any formal complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau and how (or if) they’ve been resolved.

Interview. Don’t be shy: pick up the phone and interview your narrowed list of contenders. Find out how well they treat you on the phone. How long they’ve been in business. Do they offer weekend service, and if so, do they charge more for it? A good company will be more than happy to answer all your questions.

Licensing and insurance. Make sure that any HVAC company you consider is licensed to perform the work in your state, and able to cover any mishaps that occur during a service or repair call.

Written quotes and guarantees. Your contractor should be prepared to offer you a written quote before starting the project. They also should be able to guarantee all work performed so you don’t end up paying for the same repair more than once.

Service. Once you’ve made your thoughtful selection, the process shouldn’t stop there. How does the contractor treat you and your home? Do they take extra steps to answer your questions and provide added peace of mind? Make mental notes of this and all other aspects of their service and then, ultimately, ask yourself this: “How likely am I to hire them again?”

At Optimum Air, we invite you to put us to the test: check out our reviews, visit our web site, and call us with all your questions. We want to be your home heating and air conditioning company, and we’ll work hard to earn and maintain that privilege. You can count on it.