Beware the lowest price You want to spend the least amount possible, which often eliminates the lowest price. Cheap contractors typically cut corners, which costs more in the long run. Cheap contractors cannot afford to fix mistakes, resulting in the need to pay twice. Often the lowest price is not the lowest at all. Beware the yellow pages Selecting a contractor from the yellow pages is tantamount to throwing a dart. Maybe you will get lucky. Maybe not. The yellow pages should be used as tool of last resort. Beware companies without a track record Every company has to start sometime. Yet, heating and air conditioning companies tend to fail frequently. In fact, one company in five closes annually. The best indicator that a company will survive long enough to honor its warranty obligations is that it has survived in the past. Beware anything that sounds too good to be true Usually, something too good to be true really is too good to be true.