Overview
Smith & McClain is a one-stop shop solution for all your home or business renovation needs. Founded in 2004 by best friends Oakley Smith and Kevin McClain, Smith & McClain has evolved into a diverse community of professionals offering master carpenters & electricians, construction managers, and even solar experts. Smith & McClain prides itself on focusing on a niche for cutting-edge designs, executing complex projects, and catering to any of your solar panel requirements in the central Vermont area. They are amongst the few who not only provide solar power products but also have the ability to service them for you.
The firm states that its goal is to provide customers with the highest quality construction while employing responsible building practices focusing on energy-efficient design and the appropriate use of renewable energy technologies. They design projects to fit the needs and goals of their clients. Whether clients want to reduce their fossil fuel reliance by transitioning to solar energy or design for reduced energy demands overall (or both), their goal is to listen.
Smith & McClain services and features
Smith & McClain Products
The company serves both residential and commercial clients, promising to provide cost-effective and cutting-edge technology in all its products. This includes:
- Solar Photovoltaic Panel Systems – design, installation, and troubleshooting
- Solar air conditioners and heat pump systems installed and serviced
- New high-efficiency air conditioning installations and upgrades
- Air scrubbers and whole house surge protection systems
- Energy-efficient pool pumps and solar heaters
- Solar attic fans, HVAC, and ventilation systems
If you live in Bristol – then Smith & McClain might be a company to consider. The added benefit of using this company would be to negotiate good terms if you want additional services with the expertise the workforce at Smith & McClain possesses as a team. As mentioned before, they pride themselves on undertaking complex projects that other firms may be reluctant to tackle.
Installation Process and Cost
Costs
The company is a small operation and will provide competitive packages for your solar panel needs. However, should anything go wrong, this is where we find this company lacks service.
For example, they will not charge you anything if an installed product is faulty and will replace it under the manufacturer’s warranty which is for one year – but they will charge you all over again to install the new panel. This doesn’t seem very fair for the customer in our eyes – you have to pay to install a new panel which is the pitfall of a small family-owned company. They simply do not have enough staff to rectify the fault without charging you to cover their costs. In comparison to some of their competitors in the area, they also do not offer any monthly payment options either.
Legitimacy
We found Smith & McClain to be a company that does take great pride in its reputation and actively tries to set high standards in this industry. Upon review of their website, the quality of their work speaks volumes about their attention to detail and actual knowledge.
Maintenance
When it comes to maintenance, the company makes it extremely easy for its service users to reach out via an appointment system. From the reviews that our experts analyzed, clients had no issues with technicians arriving on time for their appointment and being extremely friendly whilst maintaining an open line of communication with clients. Once the job was complete, they would give clients a full breakdown of everything that was done and then provide advice as to when the next service should be, dependent on location and conditions.
The SolarEmpower View
In our expert opinion, Smith & McClain provides excellent service with exceptional care for their customers but just fails to provide the same level of service after the installation has been completed. The complaint that they received on a website we found was not resolved, and it is easy to understand that both parties felt that they were in the right.
The faulty product was no fault of Smith & McClain, yet it was unfair for the customer to have to pay to install a new one. It is important to note that this was just one complaint, however, and they have done numerous installations without any issues, according to our research.
Contact details
Address: 5 Main St Bristol, VT 05443
Tel: 802-453-3001
Email: [email protected]
