Compare HVAC quotes on what they actually include

Two quotes for the same house can be thousands of dollars apart, and the difference is usually not the equipment. It is a line that one quote names and the other leaves out. Tick what each of yours specifies, and the gaps become visible.

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Quote A Quote B Quote C

Does the quote specify…	A	B	C
A load calculation, with the result stated Why it matters Sizing by rule of thumb — or by copying the old unit — inherits every mistake the old install embodied. The quote should name the calculated load and the size chosen, and they should be close.
Model numbers for every piece of equipment Why it matters Indoor unit, outdoor unit, coil, thermostat. "New high-efficiency system" is not a specification, and matched components are what the efficiency ratings and the warranty actually depend on.
Ductwork: assessed, and what is done about it Why it matters In this region the ducts usually live in a baking attic and leak there. New equipment breathing through failed ducts inherits every one of their losses on day one — this is the most commonly skipped expensive line.
Refrigerant line set: replaced or reused Why it matters Reused lines carry the old system’s oil and debris into the new compressor. Replacing or properly flushing and pressure-testing them is real work; silence here usually means reuse.
Electrical: breaker, wiring and disconnect matched to the new equipment Why it matters New equipment rarely draws exactly what the old did. The quote should say who verifies the circuit and what happens if it needs work — before the install day, not during it.
Condensate path and safety switch Why it matters The drain that clogs in Gulf humidity is the leak that ruins a ceiling. A safety switch is a small part that prevents an expensive repair, and quotes routinely omit it.
Backup heat sizing and controls (heat pumps) Why it matters Auxiliary heat costs several times what the heat pump costs to run. How much is installed and when the controls call for it decides your January bills — it deserves a line, not a default.
Commissioning: charge and airflow set by measurement, numbers provided Why it matters The same equipment installed with measured charge and verified airflow, or without, performs like two different machines. Written commissioning numbers are the proof the job was finished, not just completed.
Permit and inspection coordination Why it matters Included in the price, billed separately, or left to the homeowner. All three are common and they are not the same deal — and the permit rides on the contractor’s licence.
Removal of the old equipment and refrigerant recovery Why it matters The old refrigerant must be recovered, not vented, and the old equipment hauled away. Both take time and both have been left off headline numbers before.
Labour warranty and manufacturer registration: who, and how long Why it matters The manufacturer warrants the box; somebody else warrants the installation, and installation is what fails. Many manufacturers also require registration to grant the full term — ask who files it.
Thermostat: included, compatible, configured Why it matters Multi-stage and heat pump equipment needs a thermostat that can actually run it — and configured wrong, it will quietly run the expensive backup heat instead. A small line with outsized bill consequences.
Items specified	0/12	0/12	0/12

How to read the result

A quote that specifies more items is not automatically the better deal, and a cheaper quote is not automatically incomplete. What the comparison shows is where two numbers are answering different questions. If one quote prices the ductwork repairs and another says nothing about ductwork, those two numbers are not describing the same job — and the difference will appear later rather than disappear.

The useful next step is not to pick the longest list. It is to go back to whichever contractor left a line blank and ask them to fill it in, then compare again.

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This checklist may be reproduced or linked to freely, with attribution to yellowhammerhvac.com. If it is useful to a homeowners association, a housing counsellor or a community group, it is meant to be shared.