--- title: "HVAC Google Reviews Study: 45% of 1-Star Reviews Cite Price" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/hvac-companies-google-reviews-study description: "HVAC Google reviews study of 699 companies: 45% of one-star reviews mention price, and 52.2% of profiles have fewer than 20 reviews. Read the study." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fhvac-companies-google-reviews-study&text=45%25%20of%20One-Star%20Google%20Reviews%20of%20HVAC%20Companies%20Mention%20Price Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fhvac-companies-google-reviews-study Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fhvac-companies-google-reviews-study Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fhvac-companies-google-reviews-study&title=45%25%20of%20One-Star%20Google%20Reviews%20of%20HVAC%20Companies%20Mention%20Price **45%** of one-star Google reviews of HVAC companies mention price or cost. HVAC companies keep tidier Google Business Profiles than most local businesses, but 52.2% have fewer than 20 reviews and they reply to 27.6% of negative reviews, against 53% of five-star ones. Analysis of 699 HVAC company Google Business Profiles and 7,132 Google reviews · Google Business Profiles and Google reviews, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. **45%** of English-language one-star Google reviews of HVAC companies mention price or cost, and 18% mention rude or unprofessional staff. Copy stat 2. 2. **52.2%** of HVAC company Google Business Profiles have fewer than 20 reviews, and the median HVAC company has 16 Google reviews, against a median of 27 across 18 local business categories. Copy stat 3. 3. HVAC companies reply to **27.6%** of their one- and two-star Google reviews, about half their 53% reply rate on five-star reviews. Copy stat 4. 4. **43.8%** of HVAC companies never replied to any of their 20 newest Google reviews, below the 52.8% average across 18 local business categories. Copy stat 5. 5. **7%** of HVAC company Google Business Profiles are unclaimed, meaning no owner has taken control of the listing, against a 29.2% average across 18 local business categories. Copy stat ## Summary The air conditioning fails in the middle of a July heatwave. The homeowner searches for an HVAC company, looks at the three businesses Google shows on its map, and reads the reviews under each. The one-star reviews they find are mostly about one thing: the bill. For an HVAC company, the Google Business Profile, the free listing that shows a business's reviews, star rating, hours, phone number and website in Google Search and Maps, is often the only thing a customer sees before calling. Reviews show that other homeowners trusted you, replies show that someone is paying attention, and the basic fields tell Google and the customer what you do and when you are open. HVAC companies get the basics right more often than most local businesses: 7% of their profiles are unclaimed, against a 29.2% average across 18 categories. The gaps are in reviews. 52.2% have fewer than 20, **45%** of one-star reviews mention price, and HVAC companies answer those complaints about half as often as they thank happy customers. ## What we measured We used two samples of US HVAC companies, collected on September 23, 2026. The first is 699 HVAC company Google Business Profiles, where we recorded the number of reviews, star rating, website, opening hours, description, claim status, business categories and photos. The second is 518 HVAC companies with at least one review, for which we analysed up to 20 of their newest Google reviews, 7,132 in all, with each review's star rating, text and any owner reply. We compare every HVAC figure with the average of the 18 local business categories in the same study. A profile is unclaimed when no owner has verified it with Google, so the business cannot edit the listing. An HVAC company "never replied" when none of its 20 newest reviews has a reply from the owner. Negative reviews are one- and two-star reviews. A one-star review mentions price when it talks about price, cost, fees, a quote or a bill. The median is the middle business: half have more, half have fewer. The 18-category average is the simple average of the 18 category figures. ## Price drives one-star HVAC reviews 45% of one-star Google reviews of HVAC companies mention price or cost. Nearly every other one-star HVAC review is about money: a repair quote that grew, a diagnostic fee the customer did not expect, a replacement estimate that felt too high. 18% mention rude or unprofessional staff. HVAC work is hard for a homeowner to judge, since they cannot see what the technician found, so the final bill is where distrust shows. Happy customers write about something else. Of five-star HVAC reviews, 32.2% use the word "recommend", 30% say "professional" and 10.3% say "friendly". Reviews of HVAC companies from the last 12 months average 39.4 words, enough room for a customer to explain exactly what they paid and why they felt it was fair or unfair. ## Half of HVAC companies have a thin review profile 52.2% of HVAC company profiles have fewer than 20 Google reviews, below the 58.2% average across 18 categories and 8th lowest of the 18. The median HVAC company has 16 reviews, against a median of 27 across categories, and 10% have none. At the top, 22.7% of HVAC companies have 100 or more reviews, slightly above the 20% average. HVAC companies by review measure Fewer than 20 reviews 52.2% Zero reviews 10% 100 or more reviews 22.7% Rated below 4 stars 12.7% Perfect 5.0 rating 33.4% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 699 HVAC company Google Business Profiles and 7,132 Google reviews · Google Business Profiles and Google reviews, September 2026 | Review measure | HVAC companies | Average of 18 categories | | --- | --- | --- | | Fewer than 20 reviews | 52.2% | 58.2% | | Zero reviews | 10% | 18.3% | | Median reviews | 16 | 27 | | 100 or more reviews | 22.7% | 20% | | Average rating | 4.54 | 4.52 | | Rated below 4 stars | 12.7% | 13.8% | | Perfect 5.0 rating | 33.4% | 35.7% | Claiming the listing goes with a deeper review history: claimed HVAC profiles have a median of 21 reviews against 3 for unclaimed ones. Among HVAC companies with 20 or fewer lifetime reviews, review volume fell 13.3% over the last 12 months compared with the year before, and 31.1% received at least a third of their reviews in a single month, the pattern of a one-off push rather than a steady request after every job. Ratings are slightly above other businesses: an average of 4.54 stars against 4.52, with 12.7% of rated HVAC companies below 4 stars. ## HVAC companies reply to praise twice as often as complaints 43.8% of HVAC companies never replied to any of their 20 newest reviews, better than the 52.8% average and 5th lowest of 18 categories. Across all recent HVAC reviews, 50.4% carry an owner reply, well above the 40.5% average, and HVAC companies rank 4th of 18 on that measure. Those who reply are quick: 3.4 days on average and a median of 2.1 days. HVAC companies by reply measure Never replied to recent reviews 43.8% Reviews with an owner reply 50.4% Negative reviews with a reply 27.6% Five-star reviews with a reply 53% Reviews from the last 30 days with a reply 70.2% | Reply measure | HVAC companies | Average of 18 categories | | --- | --- | --- | | Never replied to recent reviews | 43.8% | 52.8% | | Reviews with an owner reply | 50.4% | 40.5% | | Negative reviews with a reply | 27.6% | 30.8% | | Five-star reviews with a reply | 53% | 42% | | Reviews from the last 30 days with a reply | 70.2% | 55.3% | | Average days to reply | 3.4 | 4 | The reviews that most need an answer get the fewest. HVAC companies reply to 27.6% of one- and two-star reviews, about half their 53% rate on five-star reviews, and rank 11th of 18 on replies to negative reviews, below the 30.8% average. With nearly half of one-star reviews about price, that leaves most billing complaints standing unanswered in front of every future customer. Replying and growing go together. 70.2% of HVAC reviews from the last 30 days have a reply, above the 55.3% average. Businesses with many reviews reply more often: across all 18 categories, 20.5% of businesses with 200 or more reviews never reply, against 81.7% of businesses with fewer than 10. ## HVAC companies keep tidier Google profiles than most businesses HVAC companies beat the 18-category average on every basic profile field. 7% are unclaimed, against 29.2%. 7.4% list no opening hours, against 28.6%. 25.6% have no description, against 43.9%, and 27.5% have no website, against 35.1%. The weak spots are photos, with a median of 10 against 18, and wheelchair access, listed by 20.6% against 62%, a field that matters little for a business that works in customers' homes. HVAC companies by profile field No website 27.5% No opening hours 7.4% No description 25.6% Unclaimed 7% Only one business category 33.3% Lists wheelchair access 20.6% | Profile field | HVAC companies | Average of 18 categories | | --- | --- | --- | | No website | 27.5% | 35.1% | | No opening hours | 7.4% | 28.6% | | No description | 25.6% | 43.9% | | Unclaimed | 7% | 29.2% | | Only one business category | 33.3% | 55.2% | | Median photos | 10 | 18 | | Lists wheelchair access | 20.6% | 62% | With the basics this common, reviews decide who wins the map. In a separate Suff Digital study of 3,160 Google Maps searches across 79 US cities, the top three results for "HVAC company" had a median of 68 reviews, more than twice the 28 of listings ranked 4 to 20, while 73.4% linked a website at both levels. 81.9% of top-three names include the service word, chains held 0.6% of top-three spots, and adding "near me" changed the top three in 65.8% of city searches. ## What this means for HVAC companies Take price out of your one-star reviews. Give written quotes, explain the diagnostic fee before the visit, and call before any repair goes over the estimate. When a price complaint does land, reply with the facts: what was quoted, what the technician found and why the bill changed. A calm, specific reply to a billing complaint does more for the next customer than another thank-you under a five-star review. Next, make reviews routine. Ask every customer after every job, by text with a direct link, so reviews arrive steadily instead of in one burst, and push your count past the 68 median the top three results carry. Set up notifications so every new review reaches someone the same day, and answer one- and two-star reviews first. Your profile basics are likely in good shape, so add what competitors skip: photos of your vans, team and installations, and every service category that applies. Our seo for hvac companies (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/hvac-seo-services) programs build review volume and complete Google Business Profiles for heating and cooling contractors. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: 45% of One-Star Google Reviews of HVAC Companies Mention Price - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). 45% of One-Star Google Reviews of HVAC Companies Mention Price. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/hvac-companies-google-reviews-study Plain link 45% of One-Star Google Reviews of HVAC Companies Mention Price - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/hvac-companies-google-reviews-study ## Frequently asked questions ### What do customers complain about in one-star HVAC reviews? ### How many Google reviews does a typical HVAC company have? ### Do HVAC companies reply to Google reviews? ### Do HVAC companies reply to negative Google reviews? ### What is the average Google rating for HVAC companies? ## Related studies - Local SEO Most Plumbers Have Fewer Than 20 Google Reviews: 58.1% of Business Profiles: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/plumbers-google-reviews-study - Local SEO The Median Roofer Has 9 Google Reviews vs 27 Across Local Businesses: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/roofers-google-reviews-study - Local SEO 81.7% of Local Businesses With Under 10 Google Reviews Never Reply vs 20.5% With 200+: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-review-reply-rates - Local SEO 47.1% of Local Businesses Have Fewer Than 10 Google Reviews: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-reviews-per-local-business ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization", "name": "Suff Digital", "alternateName": "Suff Digital Marketing", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "contentUrl": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "caption": "Suff Digital" }, "image": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo" }, "description": "Suff Digital is a full-stack digital marketing agency that turns websites into predictable revenue engines, SEO, paid media, content, CRO, and web design built around revenue, not vanity metrics.", "slogan": "Digital marketing built for what's next.", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "foundingDate": "2022", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "contactType": "sales", "areaServed": "US", "availableLanguage": [ "en" ] } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "postalCode": "37219", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/suff-digital/", "https://www.instagram.com/suffdigital/", "https://www.youtube.com/@suffdigitalmarketing", "https://www.tiktok.com/@suffdigital" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Search Engine Optimization", "Pay-Per-Click Advertising", "Paid Social Advertising", "Conversion Rate Optimization", "Web Design", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Website Migration", "Website Maintenance and Support", "Technical SEO", "Local SEO", "AI Search Optimization" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Suff Digital Services", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/ppc" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Paid Social Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/paid-social" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/cro" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Web Design", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/web-design" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Digital PR & Link Building", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Migration", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-migration" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Maintenance & Support", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-maintenance" } } ] } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "name": "Suff Digital", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/hvac-companies-google-reviews-study#article", "headline": "45% of One-Star Google Reviews of HVAC Companies Mention Price", "description": "45% of one-star Google reviews of HVAC companies mention price or cost. 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HVAC companies keep tidier Google Business Profiles than most local businesses, but 52.2% have fewer than 20 reviews and they reply to 27.6% of negative reviews, against 53% of five-star ones.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/hvac-companies-google-reviews-study", "creator": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "measurementTechnique": "Google Business Profiles; Google reviews" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/hvac-companies-google-reviews-study#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What do customers complain about in one-star HVAC reviews?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Price. 45% of English-language one-star Google reviews of US HVAC companies mention price or cost, and 18% mention rude or unprofessional staff (September 2026)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many Google reviews does a typical HVAC company have?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The median US HVAC company Google Business Profile has 16 reviews. 52.2% of HVAC company Google Business Profiles have fewer than 20 reviews and 10% have none." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do HVAC companies reply to Google reviews?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Many do not. 43.8% of US HVAC companies never replied to any of their 20 newest Google reviews, below the 52.8% average across 18 local business categories. Overall, 50.4% of HVAC company reviews have an owner reply." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do HVAC companies reply to negative Google reviews?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Less often than to praise. HVAC companies reply to 27.6% of their one- and two-star Google reviews, against 53% of their five-star reviews." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the average Google rating for HVAC companies?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The average HVAC company Google Business Profile is rated 4.54 stars, slightly above the 4.52 average across 18 local business categories, and 12.7% of rated HVAC company Google Business Profiles sit below 4 stars." } } ] } ] } ] ```