Email template to request HVAC quotes for a new furnace or air conditioner
Your furnace, central air conditioner, or heat pump is failing, or a technician has told you it's time to replace it. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and a replacement is a several-thousand-dollar purchase where the quote depends on choices you may not know you're making: the size of the unit, its efficiency rating, the brand, and whether the ductwork gets touched. Companies also vary a lot in how they size a system. The careful ones do a load calculation, a room-by-room measurement of how much heating and cooling your house actually needs; the rushed ones just match whatever was there before. Asking for written quotes from a few companies, with the same questions to each, gets you comparable numbers and shows you who does the homework.
Before you send
- What you have now: the type of system (gas furnace, electric heat pump, central air), its approximate age, and the brand and model from the label on the unit if you can read it.
- The size of your home in square feet and whether the current system keeps up. Rooms that never get comfortable are worth mentioning.
- What's wrong: it stopped working, it's limping along, a technician recommended replacement, or you want lower utility bills.
- Your fuel situation. If you have gas, you can choose between a gas furnace and a heat pump; if you don't, the choice is narrower.
- Any rebate programs. Federal tax credits and many utilities offer money back for efficient equipment, and the company should know which ones you qualify for.
Hi [company name], I'm looking for a quote to replace the [type of system, e.g. gas furnace and central air conditioner] at my home at [your address], and I'd like to schedule an estimate. Some details: - Current system: [brand and model if known], about [age] years old - Home: about [square feet] square feet, [number] stories, [any comfort problems, e.g. the upstairs runs hot in summer] - Why now: [what's wrong, e.g. the furnace was red-tagged last week / the compressor failed / the system is old and I'd like better efficiency] - Fuel: [natural gas / propane / electric only] I'm available for a visit [days and times]. In the written quote, could you include the equipment brand and model numbers, the size and efficiency rating you're recommending and why, whether you'll do a load calculation, any ductwork or electrical changes needed, permit costs, the warranty on parts and labor, and any rebates or tax credits I could apply for? I'm getting a few quotes and plan to decide by [date]. Thanks, [Your name] [Your phone number]
Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. Keep the rest as it is or change the tone to match how you write.
After you send
- Most companies reply within a day or two to schedule a visit, and a quote follows the visit. A quote given over the phone from your square footage alone is a guess.
- Compare the efficiency ratings. SEER2 for cooling and AFUE for furnaces are the standard measures; higher numbers cost more up front and less each month. A company should be able to say roughly what the difference means on your bills.
- Bigger is not better. An oversized air conditioner cools fast, shuts off, and leaves the house humid. If one company recommends a much larger unit than the others, ask them to explain.
- If a company won't commit to model numbers in writing, or the quote is a single line with a total, ask for the detail. You want to be able to look up exactly what's going in.
Or don't send it yourself
Forward the job to myagent@standinfor.me and let StandIn run the whole thread.
StandIn is an email assistant that handles conversations with businesses for you. You write it one email saying what you need. It writes to the business, waits for the answer, follows up when they go quiet, pushes back on the number when it should, and brings the results back to your inbox for you to decide. You don't need to install an app or sign up. The first email you send is already the start of the task.
Hand this to StandIn opens an email to myagent@standinfor.me with the job already written out
Hi StandIn, I'd like you to get written quotes from a few heating and cooling companies to replace my system. My address: [street address]. Current system: [type, brand and model if known, approximate age]. My home: [square feet, stories, and any comfort problems]. Why I'm replacing it: [what's wrong or what you want]. Fuel available: [natural gas, propane, or electric only]. Availability for estimates: [days and times]. Decision date: [date]. Please contact three or four licensed companies in my area, ask each for the same details in writing, including model numbers, efficiency ratings, whether they'll do a load calculation, permits, warranties, and rebates, coordinate visits with me, and bring the quotes back with the differences explained. Thanks, [Your name]