Is that HVAC company in Metro Vancouver actually local or a lead broker?

A fair question, and one worth asking before you hand over your contact details or pay a deposit.

The Metro Vancouver HVAC market has a mix of genuinely local contractors, regional chains, and third-party lead brokers whose business is selling your request to contractors. Here is how to tell them apart.

Signs a company is actually local

A real local contractor will have a physical address in Metro Vancouver (not a P.O. box or a suite number at a virtual office), a Technical Safety BC gas contractor licence you can look up by name at the Technical Safety BC public registry, and technicians who live and work in the region. Ask where their shop or office is, and whether the person doing the work is an employee or a subcontractor they found after you called.

A lead broker typically has a national or provincial website, no specific address, and no licence of its own because it does not do the work. It sells your name, address and job description to one or more contractors, and those contractors pay the broker for each lead. The sign to watch for is calls from companies you never contacted and no clear answer about who will actually do the work.

The single most useful check: look up the company name at the Technical Safety BC public registry. A licensed gas contractor will appear there with an active licence. If the name does not appear, it may be a company that does no gas work (some heat pump and electrical-only firms), a lead broker, or an unlicensed operator, so ask which it is. For any job involving a gas furnace, boiler or water heater, the company doing the work must hold that licence.

Also confirm WorkSafeBC coverage. You can search the WorkSafeBC clearance letter system by company name. A contractor without coverage leaves you potentially liable if a worker is injured on your property.

A few other practical checks: ask for a local phone number (not just a toll-free line), read Google reviews and look at whether the reviewer names match the service area, and ask directly whether the quote is coming from the company you contacted or from a third party they will refer you to.

How Vancouver HVAC Pro is different: we are a matching service, not a lead reseller, and we never sell your details. Your request is matched by area to local HVAC contractors who are members of the Vancouver Construction Network, and we send it to them. Contractors never pay for leads; they are a free part of being a member, and the service is free for you too. We do not do the work ourselves and we do not verify licences on your behalf, so confirm the Technical Safety BC gas contractor licence and WorkSafeBC coverage yourself before signing anything.

Want to get matched with local Metro Vancouver HVAC contractors and compare a couple of quotes? Vancouver HVAC Pro can match you with them for free.