In June 2014 we bought a house with electric baseboard heat with the intention of converting it to a natural gas, forced air system. Also the house had an electric hot water tank and only a ductless air conditioning unit installed on the second floor. After getting mechanical drawings done that showed the size and routing of all the ductwork throughout the house we began meeting with contractors. Over the span of several months we met or talked to about 25 companies. We disqualified most of the 25 for various reasons: bad attitude, better suited to larger or commercial jobs, price too low, price too high, etc. One company’s price was $55,000 plus HST! Some companies decided not to provide a price quote after visiting the house because they deemed the job too difficult due to the relatively small space in the attic. We were not doing a total gut renovation of the house so that too added to the difficulty of the job given all the new ductwork that was required.
We found Dave White Heating late in the process but are glad that we did. Lou Aretusi returned my initial phone call promptly. A few weeks later, when we were ready to begin the job, we arranged a meeting with Lou at the house. One thing we noticed was that, compared to the many other HVAC contractors that visited the house, Lou actually took measurements to see how the house compared to the mechanical drawings. Being a difficult job, he wanted to make sure if it was possible for the ductwork to be installed according to the plan before committing to the work. He suggested a few tweaks to the plans that would help to keep the project in our budget and still give the desired results.
After two more visits to the house to check all the various details, which we welcomed and viewed as a positive sign, we received a quote. We were able to work with Lou to land on a price that was acceptable to all and a start date in the not too distant future. The crew of 3 arrived on time the first day and started work. Considering the difficulty, the project went smoothly from start to finish. Communication was excellent, with Lou letting us know a week ahead of time which days he would be working the following week. This approach worked out well as it allowed my wife and I to coordinate our schedules with our employer. Lou communicated with the mechanical designer as needed, coordinated with the company that spray foamed the new ductwork in the garage and attic, as well as the carpenter that framed the ductwork in the garage. Lou also provided a reference for a plumbing company – in order to move some water pipes on the basement out of the way of the ductwork – that turned out to be dependable and competitively priced.
We now have a brand new forced air heating and cooling system, including air conditioner and furnace, along with the new gas lines that Lou installed to the barbecue and stove. Dave White Heating and Lou were a pleasure to deal with. We were always able to reach Lou whenever necessary, asked him many questions and the project was completed on time, even though he was in the process of moving into a new home at the same time. If you are doing a project in your home that involves ductwork/sheetmetal I highly recommend Dave White Heating.