Ever have a friend do HVAC installation?

[at4iowa]

So our A/C and Furnace need to be replaced and a patient of mine that I have seen for 6+ years gave me his card and offered to get it done for me. His card said he has had over 30 years of experience. He's a good dude and very friendly. Seems to know his stuff. I called him yesterday and he came over to look at our house and give us an estimate. He sounded professional and gave us an estimate that seemed fair.

Well, last night as I was talking with the wife, she asked if he worked for a company or if he was his own business. She wanted to make sure he was licensed and insured and an authorized dealer. Those are all good questions that I just assumed a guy with 30 years of experience would be up on. Well, I called the guy back today and he is NOT licensed OR insured and I would have to pull a permit myself. It made for a very awkward conversation after he told me this.

I can't go with this guy, right? My instincts tell me this is a no-brainer decision. There must be a reason that a guy with 30 years of experience isn't licensed or insured. Plus, I read the warranty on the system and one of the conditions is that it mus be installed by a licensed HVAC technician. He, of course, assured me that he would fix anything if it didn't work properly.

I'm sure he is probably saving me a few grand, but would anyone consider this? Is the potential savings worth the potential headaches if something goes wrong? It's going to be awkward to tell the guy to forget it.

 

[Wendy79]

I did, but he also works sometimes with a couple local companies, so he had his stuff in order.

 

[at4iowa]

Was he licensed and insured? That's the biggest thing for me. If he screws something up and burns my house down, I would have no recourse. Plus, if the warranty is voided because he isn't licensed, then I'm screwed if I get a clunker. I guess it's a matter of how much I trust him and I have no idea if he is the best in the biz or a train wreck. He's a nice guy which is why I called him in the first place, now I'm in a bad spot because, although I like the guy, I can see things going sour in a hurry if it doesn't turn out right.

I have to tell him no, I just don't feel good about doing it.

 

[Wendy79]

Yes, he was.

If he's not licensed and insured, I wouldn't do it.

 

[fredjr82]

I wouldn't do it. Especially if it says the warranty is void if not done by someone that is certified and insured. I'd tell him that and just say you can't risk the chance that he's not available if it ever dies during the coldest or warmest months.

 

[ChrisVarick]

I wouldn't do it. I was in a rush to a bathtub and shower lining in the bathroom of a rental property I owned. People were not getting back to me and one guy from Craigslist answered. He sounded like he knew what he was doing like he had done it many times before. It would only take about 5 hours to get the job done.

This turned out to be an absolute disaster. It took two days to complete the job and it looked off. I paid him and just wanted to be done with it. A couple of weeks later the tenant decided to take a bath, the seal in the overflow was never installed, and the ceiling in the unit downstairs unit collapsed.

 

[lou loomis]

They need to be licensed/insured or you're an idiot.

If something doesn't work, the manufacturer is going to blame the installation. Even if it is a manufacturing issue, you're going to be screwed.

Further, improper installation can literally kill you and your family.

I'm not a licensed surgeon, but I've got some experience. I'll fix your hernia for, say, $1000. Sounds like a great idea, right?

Edited to add that, for any central air installation, the technician must be certified for handling refrigerant. Ergo, his installation would actually be illegal if he isn't licensed/certified.

 

[who r u]

So our A/C and Furnace need to be replaced and a patient of mine that I have seen for 6+ years gave me his card and offered to get it done for me. His card said he has had over 30 years of experience. He's a good dude and very friendly. Seems to know his stuff. I called him yesterday and he came over to look at our house and give us an estimate. He sounded professional and gave us an estimate that seemed fair.

Well, last night as I was talking with the wife, she asked if he worked for a company or if he was his own business. She wanted to make sure he was licensed and insured and an authorized dealer. Those are all good questions that I just assumed a guy with 30 years of experience would be up on. Well, I called the guy back today and he is NOT licensed OR insured and I would have to pull a permit myself. It made for a very awkward conversation after he told me this.

I can't go with this guy, right? My instincts tell me this is a no-brainer decision. There must be a reason that a guy with 30 years of experience isn't licensed or insured. Plus, I read the warranty on the system and one of the conditions is that it mus be installed by a licensed HVAC technician. He, of course, assured me that he would fix anything if it didn't work properly.

I'm sure he is probably saving me a few grand, but would anyone consider this? Is the potential savings worth the potential headaches if something goes wrong? It's going to be awkward to tell the guy to forget it.

where do you live that they will let you just pull your own permit?

 

[Chewback]

Walk away.

 

[TunzaHawk]

Don't do it. He won't be your friend after he screws it up.

 

[moral_victory]

Tell him you are going to push the project back, and then just get it done correctly.

 

[at4iowa]

Tell him you are going to push the project back, and then just get it done correctly.

That's exactly what I did. I decided to just get our A/C fixed (hopefully just needs to be recharged) and look more into other options. I called and thankfully got his voicemail. I didn't know about the refrigerant thing and having to be licensed to do that. He replied to my voicemail with one of his own saying that he could do that for me. I feel a little bad because I think he really wanted my business, but I'm not taking the risk.

 

[bagdropper]

If you knew the guy for those 30 years, then maybe consider it.

But I'd be passing if I were you...

 

[KennyPowers_96]

That's exactly what I did. I decided to just get our A/C fixed (hopefully just needs to be recharged) and look more into other options. I called and thankfully got his voicemail. I didn't know about the refrigerant thing and having to be licensed to do that. He replied to my voicemail with one of his own saying that he could do that for me. I feel a little bad because I think he really wanted my business, but I'm not taking the risk.

Don't be passive aggressive, tell him about those things. Did you even ask why he isn't licesed and insured?

 

[joelbc1]

I learned a lesson a long, long time ago. Don't do business with friends. You can become friendly doing business with contractors/agents and the like. But, beware of doing business with someone because they are your friend. It's a great way to end a friendship. Friendships have a way of confusing a business relationship.......both ways.