Private equity firms have been buying HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies at a fast pace. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing PitchBook data, that investors have bought roughly 800 of them since 2022, and that count misses many smaller deals. The buyers usually keep the original name, the “since 1962” on the truck, and the family photo on the About page.

Homeowners are starting to notice. This week a widely shared opinion piece, How Private Equity Is Ruining HVAC, argued that people who “shop around” for a repair are often getting three quotes from three brands with the same owner. It also says those companies push replacements over repairs, and it ends with advice to homeowners: record expensive repairs on video, get several quotes, and find out who actually owns the company.

You don’t have to agree with all of it. Plenty of private equity-backed shops do good work, and some pay their techs well. But if you own an independent business, you should pay attention to what that advice tells homeowners to look for. They’re being told to be suspicious, to ask who owns you, and to want proof. An independent shop can give them all three, but only if it does it on purpose. “Family owned” and “locally operated” are already on the trucks of companies that were sold years ago, so saying it isn’t enough.

Here’s how to make it obvious.

1. Put a real owner’s name and face where people decide

A homeowner deciding who to call looks at three places: your Google Business Profile, your website, and the person who answers the phone. Your name should be in all three.

  • Website. Your About page should name the owner, show a recent photo, and say how long you’ve owned it. “Owned and run by Dave Martinez since 2011. I still do estimates myself” is specific. “A family tradition of quality service” could be anyone.
  • Google Business Profile. Put the same line in the first sentence of your description. Add a photo of you with your truck. Answer reviews with your first name.
  • Your estimates and invoices. Sign them. A name at the bottom is a small thing that a large company rarely bothers with.

Only claim what’s true and what you can keep true. If you might sell in five years, don’t build your marketing on “we’ll never sell.” Say what you are today: who owns it, and who will show up.

2. Show the problem before you quote the fix

The article tells homeowners to record expensive repairs on their phones because they don’t trust what they’re told. Do it for them, before they think of it.

On every repair call, take a photo or a 20-second video of what you found: the swollen capacitor, the corroded fitting, the reading on your meter. Text it to the customer with the quote:

“Hi [Name], here’s what I found on your unit. The capacitor on the left is swollen at the top, which is why the fan won’t start. Replacing it is [price], and I can do it now. Happy to answer questions before you decide.”

This does three things. It answers “how do I know you’re telling the truth?” before they ask it. It gives a homeowner who isn’t home a reason to say yes. And it keeps a record that protects you if a customer later disputes the work.

3. Put repair and replace side by side, with your honest call

Homeowners are being told that some companies quote a full replacement when a part would do. You beat that by giving them both options in writing and saying which one you’d choose.

“Option 1: Replace the part, [price]. Your system is 9 years old and otherwise in good shape. This is what I’d do if it were my house. Option 2: Replace the system, [price]. Worth thinking about if you’re planning to stay 10+ years, or if this unit breaks down again soon.”

Sometimes your honest call will be replacement, and that’s fine. What earns trust is that you showed both options and explained why. The customer you talked out of a $9,000 system this year is the one who calls you first when it really needs replacing, and who tells their neighbors about you.

4. Publish your fees and typical prices

People get suspicious about prices they can’t see. You don’t have to post a full price list, but publish what you can:

  • Your service call or diagnostic fee, and whether it’s credited toward the repair.
  • Typical ranges for your most common jobs. “Most capacitor replacements we do run between $X and $Y.” Use your own numbers from the last year of invoices.
  • Your after-hours rate, so nobody gets surprised at 9pm.

Put these on your website’s service pages and in your Google Business Profile’s service descriptions. A homeowner comparing you with two companies that won’t name a number has a clear reason to call you first.

5. Make your maintenance plan easy to say no to

Service plans aren’t bad. They’re good for customers and they keep your schedule full. But the article describes tune-up visits that turn into sales calls, and homeowners are watching for that now.

Write your plan so it’s easy to trust:

  • List exactly what’s included and what isn’t, in plain language.
  • Let people cancel any time with a phone call or a text, and say so on the sign-up page.
  • Keep the tune-up a tune-up. If you find a problem, show the photo, explain it, and let the customer decide later. Don’t push for a decision while you’re standing in their kitchen.

6. Teach whoever answers the phone to answer “who owns you?”

More homeowners are going to ask this directly. Whoever answers your phone, whether that’s you, your office manager, or an AI receptionist, should have a ready answer that’s short and true:

“We’re independently owned. Dave Martinez owns the company and he’s been running it since 2011. He still does most of the estimates himself.”

Then go straight back to helping: “What’s going on with your system?” Don’t criticize anyone else. The homeowner asked a simple question, and a simple answer is more believable than a speech about the industry.

7. Ask for reviews that mention what you did

The reviews that help most against a big company aren’t “Great service!” They’re the ones that describe honest behavior: “He showed me a photo of the broken part,” “He told me I didn’t need a new unit yet,” “The price was exactly what he quoted.”

You can’t write reviews for customers, and you can’t offer anything in exchange for one. But you can ask them to mention what happened:

“Thanks again for having me out today. If you were happy with the work, a quick Google review would really help a small shop like mine. If you mention what we found and fixed, it helps other homeowners know what to expect: [review link]”

Over a few months, these reviews become proof that no ad budget can buy. I covered the full review routine in local SEO and reviews for owners without a marketing team.

Bonus: Offer a second opinion

If articles like this one are making homeowners doubt a big replacement quote, some of them are searching for a second opinion. Consider offering one on purpose: a flat fee to look at a system someone else said needs replacing, with photos of what you find either way.

Give it its own page on your website, mention it in your Google profile’s services, and if you run ads, it’s a search worth testing. Only offer it if you’ll give an honest answer, including “the other company was right.”

What not to do

  • Don’t name competitors or say they’re owned by private equity unless you know for certain and it’s relevant. You’ll look petty, and you could be wrong.
  • Don’t promise you’re cheaper. Some independent shops cost more, and that’s fine. Promise what you control: you show your work, you explain your options, and the owner picks up the phone.
  • Don’t call yourself “the only honest company in town.” Homeowners are tired of claims. Proof works better.

Where to start

If you only do one thing this week, start texting a photo with every repair quote. It costs nothing and gives a suspicious homeowner a reason to trust you right away.

If you want help getting your name, your reviews, and your pricing in front of the right people, that’s what Google Business Profile management and review requests in my plans are for. My call screening can answer “who owns you?” the same way you would. And if you’re not sure how your business looks next to the bigger companies in your area, let’s talk about your business. I’ll tell you what I see.