How to Choose an HVAC Contractor in Metro Detroit

Michigan licenses HVAC contractors, and anyone handling refrigerant must hold EPA Section 608 certification — both are non-negotiable. Ask for the license number and verify it with the state, and confirm liability and workers’ comp insurance. Gas and refrigerant make this trade genuinely hazardous when done wrong, so credentials are not red tape here — they are your safety margin. A contractor who balks at showing them is disqualifying themselves.

Ask: "Will you run a load calculation to size the system?" A real pro says yes and explains it; a box-swapper says "we’ll match what you have" — which just repeats whatever sizing mistake is already there. Also ask whether they pull the permit and how they will handle venting and any duct corrections. Confident, specific answers signal someone who installs for performance, not just to close the sale.

Be wary of pressure to decide today, "no permit needed" on a furnace swap, sizing by square-foot rule of thumb, no written scope, and a quote far cheaper than the rest. We screen every HVAC contractor in our network for a current Michigan license, EPA certification, active insurance, and a track record of properly sized, permitted installs. You compare quotes and choose, but every option has already cleared the credentials that matter on equipment this critical.