Price is always important. The question is how to weigh price—your short term cost—against your longer term costs that depend on equipment life, repairs, and energy consumption.

The relative weight of each depends on your goals. If you simply want your system to run for one year, price should usually rise in importance. Just be sure you’re comfortable with the contractor’s commitment to honor their labor warranty.

If, on the other hand, your goal is to minimize price and your longer term costs, think about using this three-step process:

1. Ask each contractor you’re considering the question described in Your Decision:
   To which parts of ACCA’s Quality Installation Specification do you adhere and not adhere?
2. Ask the contractors who have provided satisfactory answers to that question:
   What specifically will you do and how much will it cost?
3. When you’re sure you’re comparing apples and apples, hire the contractor with the lowest price.