How Rising Costs Are Impacting Home Comfort Investments
We have been getting a lot of questions lately about tariffs and whether they are affecting our industry. The short answer is yes, but maybe not in the way people expect.
What we have seen the biggest impact on is the smaller items. Supplies, materials, and installation-related components have gone up quite a bit over the past year. That has directly affected how we estimate jobs and price our work because those increases eat into margins. Equipment prices, however, have stayed relatively steady so far. It will be interesting to see what happens after the start of the year, when price increases are more common. We may see a typical three to four percent increase, or we may see manufacturers making up for time by raising prices more sharply.
My advice to customers is to plan ahead whenever possible. If you can make a purchase or invest in your home six to twelve months before you absolutely have to, you are usually in a better position. Emergency replacements almost always cost more and leave less room to compare options or pricing.
What used to be a ten to twelve thousand dollar investment a few years ago can now be closer to thirteen to fifteen thousand. Water heaters and other equipment have gone up significantly as well. When you make these investments on your terms instead of in a rush, you are almost always better off. A little proactiveness goes a long way when it comes to major home upgrades.
