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I mean, they estimate $10k for installation, so you are calling an HVAC company and having them install a heat pump system. It's not clear to me from the websit

I mean, they estimate $10k for installation, so you are calling an HVAC company and having them install a heat pump system. It's not clear to me from the website if the idea is that they are actually integrating installation in-house or if they will contract out the work, in which case it's likely the exact same installers as if you ordered a system from somewhere like Home Depot.

yencabulator 4y ago
Well, at least the ones that agree to work with it. For example, the most reputable HVAC company I can find locally has picked their favorite 1-2 brands and largely only installs those, so they know what they're bound to be repairing later.
- cstejerean 4y ago
  They also tend to only install units that you can't buy directly and only quote for total cost not parts and labor so you cannot easily tell just how much they are charging for the labor.
  - PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
    What difference would the breakdown on parts and labor make to you as a prospective client, given that you cannot buy the units directly?
    - cstejerean 4y ago
      It must make a difference otherwise they'd provide the breakdown when asked. I suspect most consumers don't know how much the appliance should cost, it is a complex piece of machinery. But the labor part is easier to reason about. So seeing $12k all in to install a heat pump might seem reasonable, people will shrug and say heatpumps must be expensive, but if they see that's $5k for the heat pump and $7k for the labor then it doesn't seem so reasonable. And there are alternatives. You can buy comparable units from other manufacturers directly and shop for labor only (harder to find but not impossible). And there are sealed DIY units you can install yourself.
    - briHass 4y ago
      The answer to this, assuming the breakdown was actually honest, is exactly why they don't typically provide a breakdown. You would see an hourly labor rate that would make a lawyer blush. There's just something unpalatable to most people about seeing a $200-300+/hr labor rate, especially considering that the average person paying that rate probably make closer to $20-40/hr.
    - hattmall 4y ago
      You could buy an equivalent system, they just use special contractor only models so you cant easily see the price online.

yencabulator 4y ago

Well, at least the ones that agree to work with it. For example, the most reputable HVAC company I can find locally has picked their favorite 1-2 brands and largely only installs those, so they know what they're bound to be repairing later.

cstejerean 4y ago
They also tend to only install units that you can't buy directly and only quote for total cost not parts and labor so you cannot easily tell just how much they are charging for the labor.
- PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
  What difference would the breakdown on parts and labor make to you as a prospective client, given that you cannot buy the units directly?
  - cstejerean 4y ago
    It must make a difference otherwise they'd provide the breakdown when asked. I suspect most consumers don't know how much the appliance should cost, it is a complex piece of machinery. But the labor part is easier to reason about. So seeing $12k all in to install a heat pump might seem reasonable, people will shrug and say heatpumps must be expensive, but if they see that's $5k for the heat pump and $7k for the labor then it doesn't seem so reasonable. And there are alternatives. You can buy comparable units from other manufacturers directly and shop for labor only (harder to find but not impossible). And there are sealed DIY units you can install yourself.
  - briHass 4y ago
    The answer to this, assuming the breakdown was actually honest, is exactly why they don't typically provide a breakdown. You would see an hourly labor rate that would make a lawyer blush. There's just something unpalatable to most people about seeing a $200-300+/hr labor rate, especially considering that the average person paying that rate probably make closer to $20-40/hr.
  - hattmall 4y ago
    You could buy an equivalent system, they just use special contractor only models so you cant easily see the price online.