How to compare two replacement proposals
Two quotes rarely describe the same job. Line them up item by item before you compare the totals.
Priya Mercer, Home assessment coordinator
4 min read
Two replacement quotes can look alike and describe different jobs. One includes the crane and the permit; the other leaves them for later. Before you compare totals, check that both proposals cover the same work. This guide is the list we use ourselves, and it never tells you whether a price is fair.
Start with the equipment
Each proposal should name the outdoor and indoor model numbers and the components it includes, plus the matched-system reference. If one quote replaces the outdoor unit only and the other replaces the whole system, they are not comparable yet.
Then the work around it
Mark each of these as stated, not stated or unclear in each proposal:
- Load calculation: what supports the chosen capacity.
- Efficiency ratings for the matched system.
- Duct inspection, sealing or repair.
- Electrical work: circuit, disconnect and wiring.
- Access and lifting, including any crane for a roof unit.
- Permit responsibility and inspection.
- Commissioning: startup measurements and written records.
Then the money and the terms
- Tax: how it applies and where it is shown.
- Warranty: parts, labor, registration and exclusions.
- Payment terms: deposit, milestones and final payment.
- Exclusions: what is left out, and how changes are approved and priced.
Ask, in writing
Every item you marked not stated or unclear becomes a question for that contractor. Ask in writing and keep the answers with the proposal. A gap is not a sign of a bad quote; it is a sign the quote is not finished.
What the list cannot do
It cannot size a system, diagnose equipment or say which quote is better value. Home size, the age of the old system and the tonnage on its label are context only. A fair comparison needs both contractors to measure the same home.
Our service planner runs the same 12 checks and lists the questions for you. Nothing is sent, and the desk review is free in this demo.
Written for this fictional demo by Vulpesco, in the voice of an invented team member. Prices are illustrative assumptions, reviewed October 12, 2026.