Whether it’s a commercial or residential setting, finding the right mechanical contracting services can mean a huge difference in your construction, maintenance or repair project in terms of time and money. However, choosing the best mechanical contractor is often a challenge, especially in a market where everyone is self-positioning as the most highly skilled and professional; not to mention the there’s are too many of them to choose from making the entire process even more difficult.

There are many key factors to consider when selecting the right mechanical contractor for your project and understanding how each factor impacts your selection can help you make an informed decision.

1. Contractor’s Licensing, Experience and Training

Qualities of mechanical contracting services can be determined by the training, licensing and experience of the contractor. They are also the requirements needed for a person to practice mechanical contracting. Consider hiring contractors with enough experience and skills in the specific project that you want to be done; 3 to 5 years before receiving certification and licensing should be enough.

Licensing for mechanical contractors is a show of adequate experience. If you’re looking to hire a company that offers mechanical contracting services, confirm if the company has minimum insurance coverage to protect you against liability. However, how long a contractor has been in the field doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get an excellent job, so you need to approach you to search with more caution.

2. Property Inspection and Evaluation

Assuming you hiring a mechanical contractor for your HVAC system installation or fire protection systems, a good contractor should be capable of evaluating your home or business first and then recommend the best options for you to decide. In addition to property evaluation, it pays to compare different contractors’ costs, warranties, and energy efficiency.

3. Contractor’s Stability

Hiring an unstable mechanical contracting company, in terms of resources and financial responsibility, can delay your project and possibly cost you more than you’ve planned to spend. A stable company should have a team of highly-skilled workers with advanced machines and tools to complete a project of any size, in a timely and efficient manner.

Financially responsibility is also a good indicator of how reliable a contractor is, especially when it comes to project cost management. This is important because the quoted cost depends on the total cost of the project, which could substantially increase if the contractor does a shoddy job during estimation.

4. System Rebates and Incentives

Another important factor which could greatly reduce the cost of your project are incentives offered by some mechanical contracting companies. Some contractors will offer rebates and special discounts on particular projects such as HVAC system installation. This is done in conjunction with the government to encourage the use of high-energy efficient systems and eco-friendly energy solutions like the solar panels. HVAC manufacturers also get to enjoy tax incentives from the government in an aid to encourage more people to invest in efficient systems.

5. Customer Reviews and Recommendations

Online search is an easy place to start and it never disappoints. By looking through customer reviews on a particular contractor you can easily tell if the perception is positive or not. See if there are any complaints, and how well the contractor handled each complaint. If you’ve narrowed down to prospective mechanical contractor, request for referrals of previous customers. This allow to gather more information about the contractor and be able to base your judgement. Get to know the duration it takes for the contractor to complete a project, how efficient was the installation, and if there were tests done for system checks.

Though there may be other considerations, having this knowledge and factors in mind will help you choose the right mechanical contracting services for your specific project.