Through the years, I've been pleased with Back Bay Mechanical. Even recently, Chris, the technician knew what he was doing, took time to assess the situation and to solve problems. Additionally, he was pleasant, polite, thorough and professional. That said, when I received my bill, I was stunned by the exorbitant cost, $535.00, that BBM charged for a thermostat which can be purchased online or in stores for $385.00 less than what I was charged. (plus there was an additional $149.38 installation fee) [Best Buy and Walmart $139.99, HVAC Home Safety $131.50, Amazon $149.99 } Prior to my appointment, my thermostat had not been working properly so, in anticipation, I purchased one exactly like the one I had. But later, based on conversations with the technician and my neighbor, I switched to the Honeywell T6 . When I received my bill, I was shocked to see a charge of $535.00 for a thermostat that other websites charge no more than $150.00. Through phone calls and emails, I requested BBN adjust the charge. Crickets. In short, I think paying $535.00, a $385.00 or more markup for a $149.99 thermostat, is usurious price gouging. read more

We had our rooftop HVAC unit replaced. It was a pleasure from the quote, communication with the office and specifically with the install team. They ran into a few surprise issues from the existing install and they spent the time to work the problem and troubleshoot to make it all work without needing to open new holes in the walls or ceiling. Everyone was incredibly professional and the job came out great. I will be calling them for all future HVAC needs read more

After 5 frustrating years of using Back Bay Mechanical, who originally installed our HVAC system (in a gut renovated building, so they can't claim, "it was the other guy's fault :)), we're taking our business elsewhere. Just want to know if anyone else has had similar issues with this company? Over the course of five years, they never succeeded in fixing a faulty damper that was installed by them and sporadically but consistently made noise, like a gerbil running on a wheel. The owner, Dan, sounds like he knows his stuff (at least over the phone), but despite repeated promises to come address the issue himself, something always came up, and he would cancel. Instead, you get his "technicians" who are incompetent, not only in diagnosing and fixing problems but in regular maintenance. They jammed the wrong size filters into vents or simply neglected to change them at all, all while never missing an opportunity to bill us. read more

Very professional and the team was very knowledgeable and worked very efficiently updating and installing our very old heating system with a brand new system. Everything works great without any issues. I was able to reach James with a couple questions and he was able to get back back to me promptly with the answers I was looking for. It makes us feel very assured. I recommend them to anyone who needs It done right the first time. read more

We were having an intermittent problem with our Goodman furnace system. I sent the company a message via their website contact page and had an email response within 1 hour. I called their office, and we had a technician on site at our house within 2 hours the same day. The tech was able to identify the problem (bad sensor) within a very short period of time, had the replacement part on hand, and we were all set. Very happy with this company's overall response and results! read more

When you call you submit a credit card number which they tell you will be used for a minimal charge in case you decide not to do the full repair. The technician showed up in time and fixed my central heating as expected, so I was happy, for about three days... After three days the system again stopped working, I had to wait a couple of more days for the technician to come back and repair the previous repair; I was charged three more hours of work. As they had my credit card info they just charged the money. I repeatedly tried to reach the company by phone and email expecting a full refund, I got no replies. read more

Very positive experience with Back Bay Mechanical recently. Following a snowstorm, had an issue with my gas furnace. Called Back Bay at 8:00 AM, explained the problem, received a call back from James the owner in 30 minutes. Scheduled a visit for a technician same day a couple hours later. Fixed my furnace and the technician was friendly, helpful in explaining the issue and cleaned up after his work. Will definitely call them again and would recommend to a friend. Price was as described on the phone. Only downside is a 2 hour minimum on the service visits but I guess that's understandable in the city (my problem was fixed in 30-45 minutes). read more

I had such a good experience with James from Back Bay Mechanical, that I recommended he submit his business to Yelp so I can write this review. If you need any air conditioning repair or service, contact Back Bay Mechanical. Good rates, good work and honest company. read more

James and Crew are the Best in Boston. Either you hire James now or hire him later to clean up the mess that the other HVAC company made. He is very professional, responsive, and clean. We had a central air installed in our brownstone and never had dust or debris issues. James and his team cleaned at the end of everyday to ensure that we could continue to live in our home. After the job was done, he was great answering further questions and following up. It would be a mistake going with anyone else. read more

I'm a first-time home(condo) owner!!! Yay!!!! Now I have to pay for repairs! Boo!!! After the home inspection on my Fenway duplex, my realtor suggested Back Bay Mechanical when I needed to assess the status of the HVAC heating and air conditioning (is that redundant? I dunno) in my condo. Being used to having "free" heat the temperature of hell's eternal inferno (for the low-low price of only $1600 a month for a 350 square foot, 110-year old studio in the Fenway living below an idiot with a subwoofer), I was pretty bummed to hear the average utility bill for this unit was 200 per month from NSTAR. I crawled into the fetal position and cried (okay I didn't do either of those) but decided to learn more about whether or not this HVAC in the condo I may buy is going to s#!t the bed upon move-in. I also wanted to know the age of machines. Back Bay Mechanical sent an HVAC person (person/tech/man/lady?) to meet my realtor to assess the current state of affairs of the HVAC. I wasn't there, I had to work, but I did get it all scheduled for the next day. I got an estimate to fix some things that were broken [Homer Simpsons blank stare.... some parts were dunzo] and also to replace the entire new unit. Turns out my air handler was built the same year Back to the Future came out in theatres and my compressor was installed when cassette tapes started to see their slow demise.... I compared the two options... since replacing the whole damn thing was going to cost $7800, and I don't know where I'd come up with that sort of cash flow without some serious liquidation of assets, I opted for the basic repairs. I scheduled it upon closing on the condo and arranged to have my dad here in town to help me fix up the new place and also to have someone else who has actually purchased a house before. That way the things that were broken could be fixed sooner than later in the summer. Long story short, there was a little bit of a glitch somewhere along the line when it came to the appointment. Sure, I was frustrated..... but I spoke with James the owner and he got me a solution that worked. As anyone who knows me, I don't care when mistakes happen. I'm much more concerned with how management handles it. And, Back Bay Mechanical did just that. They made things right, and if/when my HVAC kicks the can, I will call these guys back to hook a sister up! read more

A/C not working as well as before. Next day appointment - no problem. On time... no problem. Friendly... yup. Glad I brought them back for a third time - yep. Got the problem fixed quickly. Great advice and an enjoyable visit. I'll keep calling... read more

I really want to like this company after so many positive reviews, but we have reluctantly had to switch to another HVAC servicer after multiple flaky interactions. Early June: Great experience. We purchased our condo in Beacon Hill last May. I had Back Bay Mechanical (BBM) out to clean and inspect our three split AC units in early June. They did a great job cleaning each unit and showing me how to take them apart to clean them myself in the future. They also inspected the compressor on the roof, and informed me that it was working fine at the moment, but would probably need replacing in the next few years (it was older, and the company that made the A/C system was now out of business). Late July: Good work again, but the flakiness begins. The compressor for out A/C stopped working abruptly during the hottest week of the year. BBM was able to fit us in to have it looked at within 48 hours. During that visit, they filled the compressor with coolant (which was low) which did the trick. I also asked them to look at the split units and give me an estimate for replacing the entire A/C system in the off season with a top-of-the line Mitsubishi system (a $3K+ job). They said they would send an estimate in a day or so. To this day months later, I am still waiting on any sort of estimate. November: Cannot get anyone out here for weeks. Two weeks before Thanksgiving, we realize that one of our steam radiators is leaking all over our brand new hardwood floors. I call BBM again, and talk to a technician over the phone to figure out how to stabilize the problem until they can get out to fix the pipe leading to the radiator. They recommend a quick fix from the hardware store and tell me that they will call me back to schedule servicing. I tell them that it needs to be fixed before Thanksgiving, as I am going to be out of town. It's now the week after Thanksgiving, and they still have not scheduled us. Long story short: the work seems fine, but the follow-through is really lacking. read more

I love the guys who run this business - they take my calls , we schedule and they show up on time. James and Robert are smart and knowledgeable about the HVAC here in our neighborhood. Robert worked on our units and he was a pleasure - just so polite and well mannered. Their prices are reasonable which is so appreciated. I belong to a small condo association and we have a small budget. We're going to use them for our annual checkups and anything HVAC that pops up. I also love the fact that they are located here in Boston. read more

Excellent! I called Back Bay Mechanical to see if they could come over and take a look at my central AC that had stopped working. I was able to get an appointment the same day. They charge by the hour, minimum of 1 hour. The guys were very polite, extremely nice and cleaned up after themselves. Even though my issue was quite stupid, they fixed it and didn't make me feel stupid about it at all. All the other reviews are spot on! Don't hesitate. read more

Save your time before calling them as I was told they weren't taking any "new clients". Not a bad thing except...this was told to me after I called 24 hours ago (Thurs)... that's when they connected me to a technician who said he'd get the paperwork together on Fri morning and I would receive a call set things up. It's after lunch so I called for an update...only to be told sorry...no new clients. The receptionist then tried to tell me that it was the tech's fault when she was the one who gave him my info in the first place. If they are going to play the blame game...I don't want to give them my business anyway. (Feel sorry for the tech being used as a scapegoat.) read more

My tankless hot water heater failed and leaked through the floor, a real mess. Back Bay came right over - gave me options and are replacing it now. I can't emphasize how much I trust them and the great work they do. Best HVAC team around and Susan (mgr) is a treat to work with read more

WAY overpriced. The air conditioning didn't seem to be as cool as usual. So we had them come out. After 15 minutes, they said, all was good. We got the bill and it was for $250. We were not told that there was a 2-hour minimum at $125 per hour. That is unacceptable. I also have a place in Florida. We needed someone to check something here and the cost was $75 for more service. Based on other reviews, I'm sure they do great work, but we can't really judge them on that since nothing was really done. UPDATE: After calling the company again, they offered $75 back. That was nice. Still expensive for what was done. But we appreciate the gesture. read more

I had a great experience with Robert from Back Bay Mechanical. I'll pass along my likes and dislikes, but overall, I'm very satisfied and would recommend them. LIKES: Spoke with a receptionist and was quickly called back by the on-call technician. No knock on the smaller companies -- I'm sure they do great work, and might be more flexible on pricing -- but if it's a one man operation and he's on a job, or not checking texts/voicemails, it can be tough to lock in a time. I wasted time at the beginning of this process playing phone tag and waiting for another company to become available as the job they were working on dragged on. With others it felt like I had to beg them to take my money. Not with Back Bay. The technician showed up promptly at the agreed upon time. He was friendly, but got right to work, and didn't mind my questions -- he let me know what he was doing, and after diagnosing the problem, let me know exactly how much the parts would cost. He was aware that I was paying by the hour, and cognizant of the fact that since only a simple repair was required, I would want to keep costs down, which I appreciated. I was able to pay by credit card, and a receipt was immediately emailed to me. DISLIKES: This is probably reflective of the industry, so I'm not necessarily faulting Back Bay, but as soon as you have them coming onsite, you're paying for a minimum of 2 hours. If you want them to come out after 4pm, you're paying for 2 hours at time and a half (and 4PM is an early cutoff in my opinion). They are willing to come out and diagnose the problem 24/7, but if the part isn't in the truck, they won't be able to make a repair until the next day, at which point they'll charge you for more time. I discussed this with Robert the night before, and I would say he was willing to come out, but wasn't pushy. Ultimately, I'm glad I decided to wait, as he needed to drive to pick up a part that wouldn't have been available the night before. It was a simple repair (faulty vent damper valve), but I trusted Robert throughout. He's been working for Back Bay for 3 years and in the trade for 15. They've won my future business. read more

An incredible company to work with. Our furnace broke in the middle of record breaking snow fall and cold in the city of Boston. Their honest opinions, and explanation to make you actually understand the problem was so much appreciated. They were available after hours and their staff were responsible, knowledgable and professional. We would certainly recommend. Thanks to Kevin, James, Steve and Phil, we were extremely pleased and now thankfully warm! read more

I called and I needed my ac fixed. It was not an emergency and they came the next day. It was fixed quickly and the technician was very nice and helpful. I would definitely use them again. read more

Completely unprofessional. Made an appointment with me a week in advance with respect to heat/AC, which I called to confirm. Cancelled the day before a holiday weekend in favor of other customers. No apology, they just made it clear that other customers were more important. I had also requested and offered to pay for emergency service; contractor did not ever even call me with respect to that request, even after they said they would. Incredible waste of time and effort. And all this after I had gone through the process of hiring them to do standard service on my units, which they said was required to achieve customer status. Don't waste your time with Back Bay Mechanical (unless you want to be treated like crap). Would give zero stars if I could. read more

From the booking with Linda to the service with Zack, I am very pleased. I had my furnace serviced 3 weeks ago with a switch replaced and when the furnace stopped working again, I decided to call someone different to get another perspective. It turns out that the cause of the switch not working hadn't been identified and treated the first time and so "it failed again". Thank goodness, Zack checked the whole system, found the real problem which he fixed and hopefully the problem won't recur because the underlying problem is resolved. When you find someone good- stick with them. They were recommended by my plumber, Ryan at Ventolieri Plumbing. read more

Place is completely disorganized. Called the first time to ask about the AC to be fixed. They said they can schedule an appointment in 2 weeks. It was a bit long of a wait so I said I'll call around and come back if I couldn't find anything earlier. Called back the next day, they took my name and number and was told that someone will get back to me. Several days pass without any contact. I called back the 3rd time today, and at first was called by the name of Raj. I said that my name was Ed and they continue calling me Raj asked if I owned a second condo, which was really strange. When I said I only own one condo, they politely said they are not taking on new customers since they are booked through July. You guys need to stop wasting people's time and get better organized. read more

Run the other way. They are poorly managed, don't adequately train their staff, and don't value their customers. After two years of trying, I had to hire another company to fix the installation problems they were unable to diagnose, much less fix. read more

Back Bay removed an old water boiler from my apartment. The guy who did the work, Frank, was a friendly guy and did a great job -- explained everything clearly. They were prompt with the estimate when I first called, and even though it seemed like more work than they envisioned, they stuck with the estimate. Recommended. read more

Working from home is great until your furnace sh*ts the bed on one of the coldest days of the year. I called several places, desperate to have someone save me from the deep freeze. Many of the places I called (and believe me, I called ALOT) are charging a visit to come out to diagnose the issue and then a separate visit to do the actual work. BS excuse to milk money (not to mention the inconvenience of having to be around for two visits). I immediately went with Back Bay Mechanical when James said that their trucks come stocked to fix the darn thing right then and there. Samantha managed to get me an appointment for later that afternoon and the tech came within the 2 hour block specified. He found the capacitor to be the culprit and was in and out in no time. The one knock I have is that they do a 2 hour minimum so in the end, it'll cost you close to what the others are charging. But, it'll save you from having to take time off for two visits and frankly, these folks are honest and competent. I hope I don't have to see these guys too often, but if and when I do.... they are on the top of my list. read more

I found Back Bay Mechanical on yelp with good reviews, so when my heat decided to stop working, I gave them a call. Much to my surprise, the woman who answered said that there was a technician in the area and that they could be at my house within the hour. Pretty shocking considering the snow and cold we've had for the last few weeks. Tim was very helpful and friendly and figured out the problem in less than 30 minutes (although you do have to pay for a 2 hour minimum with each visit). They do carry universal parts on their trucks in order to avoid having to make additional visits, which definitely cuts down on service/labor costs. Unfortunately in my case, the broken part had to be unit specific, so he needed to locate the part and then schedule another visit. While that was a bummer because I'd have to pay for 2 visits (which seems pretty standard in this industry), it wasn't really their fault and I got a call later the same afternoon that they had found the part and could come back the next day to replace it. Sure enough Tim came back the next day and had the whole thing fixed in less than an hour. While no one enjoys having to spend money on these types of things, I felt that BBM had very reasonable pricing compared to some other companies and their responsiveness and ability to get the job done quickly was well worth it. There was always someone answering the phone when I called, and when I needed to get a return phone call, they were prompt in getting back to me. They also give a 30 day warranty (parts and labor) if whatever they fixed stops working. I would definitely recommend them and plan to use them again in the future. read more

Pros: They are nice. Cons: They earn nice recurring income, coming up and repeatedly fixing the same issue without actually fixing it (e.g. add coolant instead of finding why is it leaking in the first place). Came up to fix one of my 2 HVAC units (probably for the 10th time). Spent two hours. Result: a) added coolant (10 minutes). b) broke the second HVAC in the process of pulling it apart to 'take a look and compare'. The new technician who is now working on my HVAC and bringing it back to life nailed it - 'they grew too big and have to keep hiring, and you can only hire so many good guys' read more

Wow! If you want a quote the earliest they can arrange someone to come over is six weeks out (and I live a quarter mile from their office)! This place must be really good if it takes that long to just a quote. Unfortunately, I had to go elsewhere .... read more

Called Back Bay Mechanical to schedule repair on my Central Air/Furnace unit. He was busy and on the road, but said he would make it there the next day, and asked me to send him an email about the problem. I did as he requested. Never replied to my email, never showed up. Called Gomes after that. Talked to Frank who was also very busy but said he would come by later in the early evening. No show, no call. I'm glad they didn't show up because then I called ProSolutions Bath & Boiler and met Elijah. He was fantastic. Read my 5 star review for him. read more

These guys are great. My central AC is ten years old so I've dealt with several HVAC companies for service and repairs. The two technicians from Back Bay Mechanical that serviced my AC this past year were both very professional, friendly, helpful, and really smart. And scheduling an appointment is easy and reliable. The personnel from other HVAC companies that worked on my AC just didn't have any of these traits. Whoever is running Back Bay Mechanical really knows their stuff! read more

Had a really great experience and can't say enough about how nice they were about a problem we encountered. It's hard to find companies that go above and beyond to make sure their customers are happy but James at BBM truly did that for us. read more

Since last summer I had been having trouble with my AC/Heating Unit. I have used another HVAC company for 10 years. They charged me $400/yr for a service contract and did twice yearly preventive maintenance. When the problems began last summer they first told me my unit could not be repaired because it used freon (no longer legal in MA) as a coolant - this turned out to be untrue. They then said it needed to be replaced for $10,000 and began to set up the replacement. I asked whether this was covered under the service contract - NO they said and even if it was fixed, they would no longer offer me a service contract on the unit - which seemed totally unfair since I had paid them $4000 over ten years and now, when I needed repairs they refused to honor the terms of the contract. I called Back Bay Mechanical for a second opinion. Robert tested the unit and discovered that there were several loose connections that were causing the condensor fan to operate intermittently. After fixing the electrical issues the unit has run efficiently and has kept my condo comfortable during the recent heat wave. Because he showed up late for the app't - he didn't even charge me! Back Bay Mechanical saved me serious money and aggravation. Robert was very personable, competent and honest - three hard to find qualities in this industry. I will use Back Bay Mechanical for all my service and maintenance needs going forward. Thanks guys! read more

My furnace malfunctioned on a Saturday morning. I called Back Bay Mechanical. Tim (on call for emergencies such as mine) called me back promptly to ask about the problem. He had me snap some photos of the burner and thought he had an idea of what was wrong. An hour later, Tim showed up, figured out the 2 problems, and fixed them both. He had parts on hand to replace the pressure switch. Tim was friendly and knowledgable, the price was more than reasonable, and I will definitely call them again for HVAC work. Highly recommend this business. read more

After two failed attempts, with other contractors,despite being charged, we have finally found a reliable HVAC vendor to rely on. On time, on budget as quoted, without requiring constant follow up. Highly recommend! read more

Company did good work, but person doing the work was on the phone for most of the time and disappeared in the middle of the work for 45 min. I wouldn't have really had a problem with this except then when he was 'there' for 2 hours and 10 min he charged me for 2.5 hours. I would say overall he did about 45 min of actual work and it was a 2 hour minimum, so I thought the extra charge was really poor customer experience. I probably wouldn't work with them again based on this, but in fairness they did good work. read more

I can't say enough good things about this company and the people that work for it! My best friend and I had a bit of an unfortunate situation. Monday morning, she lost her husband to a long battle with cancer, stricken with grief and obligatory funeral arrangements, she didn't notice her heat had gone out. Her home had gotten to 47 degrees!!! She also didn't have the mental capacity to deal with it! Its thursday afternoon by the time we realize we have a serious problem. I work in real estate development and asked our contractors who would be the best to help me. Unanimously, Back Bay Mechanical was recommended. Samantha took my initial call and heard my story. She quickly got someone to the house to diagnose the issue and meanwhile contacted the owner to express the sensitivity of the situation. Tim arrived, after normal business hours (as I had called Thursday afternoon, it was the fastest he could get to us!), and quickly and thoughtfully determined that the control board was dead. We had two options, replace the board, which he located first thing the next morning, or replace the furnace. We decided to not put good money in to an old furnace and decided to replace the furnace. James, the owner of the company, stepped in and came by shortly after we made our decision to take measurements and source a new furnace. James himself had also had a big week. He had just welcomed a new baby in to the world-not only distracted, but probably exhausted! Its Friday at this point, the day of my friend's husband's funeral. All she wants to do is have a home to return to and mourn the death of her husband. We had pretty much accepted that it wouldn't be till Monday that she would get heat. James, bless him, found us a furnace that day and Tim, god bless his soul (!!!) volunteered to work on Saturday to get the furnace installed. Tim was determined to get Lexi heat, whatever it took. Saturday morning, bright and early, Tim and Phil showed up and worked ALL DAY, till 8pm, installing the furnace. They are angels! So polite, respectful, and extremely professional. They weren't just "HVAC guys" that day. Lastly, and another relief was that is was about $3000 less than we thought it would be. And I have to mention, the entire interaction, took 48 hours, which was the fastest I think they could have diagnosed, sourced and installed a furnace...amazing! I can't say enough wonderful things about Back Bay Mechanical. Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Torry read more

Within one day of posting my review, I was contacted by a manager. He was unaware of my case until after I posted my review on Yelp, was apologetic, and indicated he would be working with the staff to address communication and escalation of issues. He agreed I should not have been billed and said he would refund the charge. Although my credit card company had already conditionally refunded the amount pending resolution of my dispute, shortly after speaking with the manager my credit card company informed me the dispute was closed and the refund permanent. I can't say if it is because of something they did or if my credit card company read my case and sided with me, but I am glad to have this behind me and do believe based on my conversation with the manager that Back Bay would have made it right in any case. I do wish it had not taken me posting this review to get someone to contact me, and I can't ignore the work-related issues, but am upgrading the review for the immediate acknowledgement and ultimately agreeing to do the right thing. I do hope they get these service kinks worked out. read more

Thanks Back Bay Mechanical. Had trouble with A/C and they came right out. Unfortunately after they left the problem continued but when I called they came right back quickly, and I found their billing approach to the 2nd visit was extremely reasonable. I got their name from a neighbor who always gives good referrals and have told him as well to keep BBM on his list. I'd recommend them too. read more

Very professional, efficient, and knowledgeable. Kenneth and Daryl explained the work, the challenge I was having with a system leak in an easy to understand way read more