How we grade
One public scorecard for every Valley company
Every company gets a score out of 100, built only from public information: what it states on its own website, its Google reviews, and how long it has been in business. The score sets the order of every list and the letter grade. A grade says how much we could find out, not how well a company will fix your AC, so get more than one quote.
Six groups of points
Each profile shows how many points a company earned in each group. The groups can add up to more than 100; a score stops at 100.
| Group | Weight | What feeds it |
|---|---|---|
| Credentials | 29 pts | NATE-certified technicians, ACCA Quality Assured, EPA 608, manufacturer programmes (Trane Comfort Specialist, Carrier factory authorized, Lennox Premier, Daikin Comfort Pro) and BBB accreditation, as stated. |
| Reviews | 22 pts | How many Google reviews the company has, and its average. |
| Profile | 22 pts | A working website, phone, a real description, how complete the facts are, and social accounts. |
| Track record | 14 pts | Years since founding, and profiles on BBB, Yelp, Angi and similar. |
| Service terms | 12 pts | Emergency service, pulls permits, sizes with a load calculation, swamp coolers and rooftop units, warranty, free estimates, financing. |
| Licence and insurance | 8 pts | Licensed, insured and bonded as stated on their site. ROC numbers earn nothing until they can be checked. |
The scale
From A to D, or Limited info
The top score in the Valley today is 76. A company whose relevance to heating and cooling is borderline (one that mostly does plumbing, say) can grade no better than B.
- A
Excellent
58 and up
11 companies today
- B
Good
48 to 57
42 companies today
- C
Fair
38 to 47
42 companies today
- D
Poor
28 to 37
53 companies today
- i
Limited info
under 28, a site we could not read, or no website
86 companies today
What the grade is, and is not
- Built from public information only, the same rules for every company.
- Every fact on a profile quotes the company’s own page, with the date we read it.
- ROC licence numbers are shown as listed on the company’s site. We have not checked them, and they earn no points until we can.
- Too little information shows “Limited info”, not a failing grade. Those companies stay listed.
- It is not a review of workmanship. Get more than one quote.
Check any Arizona contractor licence yourself on the ROC public search ↗.
How a company can raise its grade
- 1
Say it on your own website
We grade what a company states publicly. Credentials, warranty terms, financing and after-hours service that only live in a sales call do not count.
- 2
Show the proof
Name the certification (NATE, EPA 608, a brand programme) and who holds it. We keep the sentence and the page it came from.
- 3
Put your terms in writing
Your diagnostic fee and whether it is waived, your labour warranty, what “24/7” means. These earn service-terms points and help homeowners compare.
- 4
Keep the reviews coming
Google review count and average make up a fifth of the score. Ask every customer.
- 5
Tell us when something changes
We re-read websites when we refresh the directory. If yours changed, write to us and we will look again.
Questions
Can a business pay for a better grade?
No. Listings and grades are never influenced by payment.
Why does a business show "Limited info"?
We found too little public information to grade it fairly: a very low score, a website we could not read, or no website at all. It stays listed, and it is not a judgement on the quality of its work.
Are the licence numbers verified?
No. Arizona ROC licence numbers and certifications shown on a profile are what the business says on its own website. They do not change a grade. Use the Check on ROC link on a profile to confirm a licence yourself before you hire.
See the grades in action
Run an HVAC company in the Valley and something is wrong or missing? Tell us.