Free HVAC Estimates on New Systems & Upgrades

If you are considering a new air conditioner, a furnace or heat pump, a ductwork overhaul or indoor air quality equipment, the first step costs nothing. Helping Hands provides free, detailed written estimates across Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, Scottsdale and Phoenix. We measure the house, inspect the ductwork, and provide two or three options in writing with the equipment named and every included item listed. The price does not change unless the scope changes.

Use the form on this page or call or text (602) 456-1464 to schedule. Most homeowners receive their written options the same day as the visit.

We are an owner-operated company based in Glendale. When you request an estimate, the recommendation you receive is a correctly sized system for your home.

What the free estimate covers

Any project involving new equipment or a planned upgrade is priced at no charge:

• AC replacement and installation. A full system replacement, a new condenser and coil, or a first-time installation on a home without central air.
• Heater and heat pump replacement. Gas furnaces, electric air handlers with heat strips, and heat pumps, which are standard in most Valley homes built in the last 25 years. See heater replacement.
• Rooftop package units. The self-contained units on the roofs of most older Glendale, Phoenix and Sun City homes, and on nearly every small commercial building in the West Valley.
• Ductless mini-splits. Garages, casitas, converted patios, and additions where new ductwork is impractical.
• Ductwork and airflow work. New runs, added returns, sealing, replacement of crushed flex duct, or a full redesign when the original layout was never correct.
• Indoor air quality upgrades. Whole-home filtration, UV lights, purifiers and humidity control. See indoor air quality.
• New construction and additions. Sizing and installing a system for a new build, a room addition or a guest house.
• Light commercial. Rooftop units and split systems for offices, shops, restaurants and small warehouses.

What it does not cover, and why

A repair on a failed system is not a free estimate. It is a diagnostic visit, for a specific reason.

A repair cannot be priced until the fault is identified. An air conditioner that stopped cooling could have a failed contactor, a refrigerant leak, a seized fan motor, a failed control board or a failed compressor. Those are five different repairs at five different prices. A repair quoted over the phone is an estimate without a diagnosis, and the difference is paid one way or another.

A repair call therefore begins with a full diagnostic. There is a $99 service fee for that visit, and we waive it when you go ahead with the repair. Once the fault is identified, you receive a flat written price for the repair and approve it before any work begins.

If the diagnostic indicates that replacement is the better value, the estimate for that replacement is free. If another contractor has already recommended replacement, our second opinion is free as well.

What a detailed written estimate means

A single figure sent by text after reading the nameplate on the old unit is not an estimate. Here is what you receive from us.

• A system sized to your home, not the old unit’s tonnage. The current system may have been sized incorrectly at installation, or the house may have changed since: new windows, added insulation, a converted garage, a sunroom. We size the new system to the house as it stands today. A load calculation, which measures square footage, orientation, window area, insulation and ceiling height, is available upon request.
• An inspection of the ductwork and returns. Undersized returns and leaking attic duct are the most common reasons a new system underperforms. We inspect before we quote so the estimate includes any duct corrections the new equipment requires, rather than discovering them on installation day.
• Two or three options in writing, with the equipment named. Model numbers, tonnage, efficiency rating and warranty for each, so you can compare directly against any other bid.
• Line items for everything included. Removal and disposal of the old equipment, the pad or roof curb, electrical disconnect and wiring, thermostat, refrigerant line work, startup and commissioning, and registration of the manufacturer’s warranty in your name.
• A price that holds. The figure on the estimate is the figure on the invoice unless you change the scope.

Phoenix fact. A Valley air conditioner runs close to twice the hours of the same unit in a milder climate, and oversizing is the most common installation error here. An oversized system cools the air quickly, shuts off before it removes humidity, and short-cycles its way to early failure. Correct sizing is why we measure the home instead of matching the old nameplate.

How the free estimate works

1. Request it. Use the form on this page or call or text (602) 456-1464. Tell us what you are considering: replacement, an upgrade, an addition, or a review of your options.
2. A short call to understand the situation. We ask about the age of the system, what has been repaired, what concerns you about comfort or cost, and whether you are on a timeline. About five minutes, so the visit is productive.
3. The visit. About 45 minutes to an hour. We measure the home, inspect the existing equipment and electrical, evaluate the ductwork and returns, and photograph the installation so we are pricing exactly what is there.
4. Written options, same day or next. Two or three options with equipment named, line items listed and warranties stated, sent by email or text.
5. Questions answered, no follow-up campaign. We answer questions for as long as you have them. We do not call repeatedly, and the price does not expire at midnight.
6. You decide. When you are ready, we schedule the installation. If you are not, you have a complete document to compare against any other bid.

What to have ready

None of this is required, but it improves the visit and the paperwork.

• The age of the current system. It is on the nameplate on the outdoor unit or air handler, or we will locate it.
• Recent APS or SRP bills if high cost or uneven comfort is driving the decision. They indicate how hard the current system is working.
• Any other quotes you have received. We compare them line by line with you.
• Where the hot and cold spots are. Rooms that never cool, a second floor that runs ten degrees warmer, a bedroom over the garage. That is airflow information the equipment alone does not provide.
• HOA rules, if applicable. Some communities restrict rooftop equipment or side-yard placement, and it is better to know before the design stage.

How to compare estimates fairly

When two bids differ by thousands of dollars, the difference is almost always in the scope rather than the markup. Align them on these points before comparing the total.

• Same tonnage. If one contractor quotes a 4-ton system and another quotes 5, at least one did not perform a load calculation. Ask both how the system was sized.
• Same efficiency rating. A 14 SEER2 single-stage unit and an 18 SEER2 variable-speed unit are different products. The higher rating should cost more to install and less to operate.
• Same scope. Does the bid include the coil, the line set, the thermostat, the pad or curb, electrical and disposal, or will those appear as change orders?
• Matching warranties. Parts and compressor from the manufacturer, and labor from the installer. Ask the length of the labor warranty and what it covers.

Financing options are available on new systems, and APS and SRP both offer rebates on qualifying high-efficiency equipment. Ask about both when you request your estimate.

What we check during estimates in each city

We are based in Glendale and spend most of the week within a 30-minute drive of it. A few notes on what estimates involve in each city.

Glendale: crane lifts and curb adapters for rooftop units

Home base, so an estimate visit is easy to schedule. Many homes here run rooftop package units, so the estimate includes the crane or lift for the changeover and any curb adapter the new unit requires. See HVAC in Glendale.

Peoria: HOA placement and screening rules

Newer communities such as Vistancia have HOA guidelines on equipment placement and screening, so we confirm side-yard clearances and visibility rules before the options are written. See HVAC in Peoria.

Surprise: architectural rules in Marley Park and Sun City Grand

Marley Park and Sun City Grand both have architectural rules that can affect condenser placement and whether rooftop equipment is allowed, so we verify those during the visit rather than after the sale. See HVAC in Surprise.

Scottsdale: design review, duct corrections and multiple systems

Some historic and hillside areas of Scottsdale require design review. Older homes here often need the estimate to include duct corrections, and larger homes frequently run two or three systems that we price together so the options are coherent as a whole. See HVAC in Scottsdale.

Phoenix: access, disposal and pad work priced for your house

North and West Phoenix are well within our normal range, and the mix of rooftop units on older homes and attic systems on newer ones means we price the access, disposal and curb or pad work specific to your house rather than applying a standard figure. See HVAC in Phoenix.

We also regularly serve Goodyear, Avondale, Litchfield Park, Sun City, Sun City West, Anthem, Cave Creek and Paradise Valley. If your area is nearby and not listed, contact us to confirm coverage.

Why homeowners get their estimate from Helping Hands

• Owner-operated. Aaron Hoberg holds the license and oversees every job. Based in Glendale.
• Sized to the house as it stands today. Never copied from the old nameplate. Load calculation available upon request.
• Options, not a single figure. Two or three choices with the equipment named, so you decide.
• Everything itemized. Disposal, pad or curb, electrical, thermostat, startup, warranty registration.
• The price holds. It changes only if you change the scope.
• Licensed, bonded and insured. Arizona ROC #365835, CR-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, dual residential and commercial.
• 5.0 stars on Google. Honesty is the quality customers mention most.
• Your timeline. Take the paperwork, compare it, and decide when you are ready. We are available Monday through Saturday, 7 to 5.