09/19/2025
I bought my first investment (rental income) property more than 28 years ago. In those nearly three decades, it has become more urgent to understand how great the need is for qualified, well-trained, skilled tradespeople and skilled technicians, such as carpenters, HVAC technicians, plumbers, masons, and electricians. Back in the 90's we found great skilled craft professionals, who knew their trade, and were proud of their work.
As I post this thought, I have three properties where the HVAC is not working, and in one, has not worked efficiently for more than a month. This situation exists, even though I have had three or four different HVAC firms either service or investigate the issues. It seems none of them can neither diagnose the issue, or worse, can not communicate their findings in a clear and timely manner.
HVAC techs are like any other mechanical technician, with different levels of skill and training. And no, we are not looking for the cheapest price.
Where is the HVAC company or tech who does quality work they are willing to stand behind at a reasonable price? As an example, we recently obtained two bids on a complete HVAC heat pump installation including duct work, the price difference between the two identical brands, size and SEER rating was $5000. Wy? Same warranty, same design, same materials.
I repeat, where is the skilled HVAC company or tech who can provide quality work and stand behind their work, at a reasonable price? A colleague believes contractors all have and expiration date. Do you believe so? We ahve worked with some of our tradespeople for more than 15 years. So why are HVAC techs so variable. By the way, my father was a union sheet metal worker, more than skilled in his craft!
