Get your own quotes
I reached out to about ten established, well-reviewed HVAC companies in our area, and seven came out to look. Their quotes came in at or below AeroPro's — AeroPro's pricing sits at the higher end of the market. But the real cost gap isn't the equipment, it's the crane: a rooftop unit can't come off the roof without one, and AeroPro gets the project's crane for free, while owners using their own contractor are told to arrange their own — about $2,000. Get your own quote and compare.
AeroPro's price is a floor, not a ceiling
Permits, inspections, wiring, and more get billed on top, in the letter's own words. Every independent quote I got was an all-in, fixed number with permits and inspections included.
See the exact wording
Board letter · May 22
“Permit fees, municipal inspection fees, and any required electrical upgrades are not included in the above pricing and may be billed separately by the contractor.”
Same letter
Refrigerant lines, ductwork, electrical, gas and flue piping “may require additional work if conditions warrant.”
Pricing sheet · wiring line
“In some locations existing wiring is not outdoor rated and is very weathered.”
Moving an old unit is risky
Ours is an old R-22 unit. Every contractor I had quote a full replacement told me the same thing: take a unit this old off the roof and put it back, and it will most likely never run again. If yours is around the same age, ask your own contractor whether it's smarter to just replace it.
When I called around
- None of the companies I contacted recall the Association or its engineer ever reaching out for this project, or asking them to bid.
- Seven came out. Their quotes came in competitive with or below AeroPro's — for equal or better equipment.
- Every one includes permits, wiring, and the items AeroPro lists as separate extras.
- Every one matched or beat AeroPro's efficiency ratings.
- Every one gave exact model numbers. AeroPro's quote does not.
That is very hard to square with the “competitive review of multiple HVAC contractors” the Association described.
The answers keep changing
Each point below is backed by word-for-word quotes from management's emails and the Board's letter. Expand any one to read them.
Was there really an HVAC bid, or none at all?
The letter says AeroPro won a “competitive review” of “multiple HVAC contractors.” The property manager told me in person she isn't aware of any HVAC bids — that bidding was only done for the roofers. It can't be both.
See the quotes
Management · in writing · May 26
“…vetted proposals from multiple HVAC contractors. AeroPro was selected after this competitive review…”
The same letter
“AeroPro … is a subcontractor engaged by the roofing contractor (Accent Group).”
Property manager · in person · June 26
Told me she isn't aware of any HVAC bids — didn't think they did that; bidding was only done for the roofers.
Still no answer: we've asked to see the bids and how the company was picked. A real review would have left paperwork, and we haven't been shown any.
The fees get waived, just not for you
The $500 deposit is “waived for this work” in the May 22 letter. For owners who use their own contractor, management now says “nothing is waived.”
See the quotes
Board letter · May 22
The $500 deposit “will be waived for this work.”
Management · June 14 · own-contractor owners
“…the required paper work and deposit is required. Nothing is waived.”
What I keep asking: are the $500 deposit and the $622 fee waived the same way for owners who use their own contractor? And since the deposit is meant to cover damage, how can it be held against one owner when the roofers, AeroPro, and that owner's contractor are all on the same small patch of roof at once, with no way to tell whose work caused what?
One company put forward, no responsibility taken
The Association put AeroPro in front of every owner, then said it makes no representations or warranties about the company's pricing or work.
See the quote
Management · May 26
The Association, Board, managing agent and roofing contractor “are not a party to any agreement between homeowners and AeroPro and do not make any representations or warranties regarding AeroPro's pricing or workmanship.”
My question: if the Association lined up this company, why won't it stand behind any of the work? If the company is the roofer's own subcontractor, why won't the roofer either? And why was there never a set, negotiated replacement price for owners who do want a new unit?
If AeroPro is independent, why is it the only one on the crane?
Using your own contractor is less work for the project, yet only AeroPro gets the project crane. Everyone else may have to pay for a second one to do the exact same lift.
Why it doesn't add up
Management says AeroPro was picked on its own merits, and that we're just as free to use our own contractor. But the crane work is the same no matter who you use. The project crane is already here, going building to building. If you bring your own contractor, AeroPro doesn't have to reconnect, recharge, or test your unit — so it's less work for the project, not more. Yet only AeroPro is allowed on that crane.
One ask that could save you a lot
Money on the table
You need a crane to get a rooftop unit on or off the roof. The project already has one here, and AeroPro gets to use it. If you use your own contractor, you might have to rent your own.
Ask the Board to let our own contractors use the project's crane and roof access on the same schedule AeroPro gets. One conversation on their end could save each of us around $2,000.
The company the Association put forward
What you can do
- Email the Board (drcaboard@darlingtonridge.com) and the office with your questions, and bring it up at the next meeting.
- Ask the Board to get us shared crane and roof access if we use our own contractor.
- Ask to see how the HVAC company was picked, and the bids.
- Get a quote from your own licensed NJ contractor before you decide anything.
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Sources & how to verify this yourself
Everything here traces to a document you can check:
- NJ business record: njportal.com → Business Name Search → search “AeroPro Heating” (shows the March 11, 2025 registration).
- The quotes come from the Board's May 22 letter and pricing sheet, and management emails dated May 13, May 26, and June 14, 2026. The one in-person line is from June 26.
- The $15,500–$16,250 is AeroPro's premium (16 SEER2) full-system price from the May 22 sheet; the sheet lists cheaper tiers too. My independent quotes are from licensed NJ contractors.
- The full emails and my quotes are available on request.