HVAC Contractors Are Switching Equipment Brands in 2026 — The EGIA Data Every Distributor Must See

The EGIA 2026 HVAC Contractor Survey contains a finding that distributors and equipment manufacturers need to take seriously: a significant portion of HVAC contractors reported having switched distributors or equipment brands in the past year, or said they were actively considering doing so. The survey identified the quality of the relationship with the distributor's territory manager as the single most important factor in those switching decisions.

In a year when consolidation is reshaping distribution — Watsco acquiring Jackson Supply, SRS Distribution absorbing Mingledorff's, AD merging with Commonwealth Group — the EGIA brand switching data is a sharp reminder that acquisition announcements do not automatically transfer contractor loyalty. Loyalty is personal. It follows people, not logos.

What the Data Shows

EGIA's survey, compiled from hundreds of HVAC contractors across the US and Canada with research firm Decision Analyst, found that brand switching was a meaningful and accelerating phenomenon in 2025 and into 2026. The specific data points:

• A significant minority of respondents reported switching their primary distributor relationship in the past 12 months — more than in any equivalent EGIA survey period in recent years.

• A larger group reported actively considering a switch, indicating that the switching trend is likely to continue into the second half of 2026.

• Equipment brand switching — moving from one manufacturer's product line to another — was correlated with, but not identical to, distributor switching. Some contractors switched equipment brands while staying with the same distributor. Others switched both simultaneously.

EGIA's 2026 HVAC Contractor Survey found that the relationship with the distributor territory manager — not pricing, product range, or brand reputation — is the single most important factor that HVAC contractors cite in making brand and distributor switching decisions.

Why the Territory Manager Relationship Is Everything

The EGIA finding that territory manager relationships are the primary driver of switching decisions is consistent with decades of B2B sales research — but it is still surprising to many distributor and manufacturer executives who assume pricing and product quality are the dominant variables.

The mechanism is straightforward: HVAC contractors make many dozens of purchasing decisions per week. Those decisions happen under time pressure, in the middle of service calls and job sites. The contractor who has a trusted territory manager they can text or call for quick answers, who knows the contractor's business and can anticipate their needs, and who shows up consistently and reliably — that contractor does not shop around. The relationship removes friction from every transaction.

When that relationship breaks — because the territory manager leaves, because a distributor is acquired and management changes, because service quality declines — contractors suddenly start evaluating alternatives they had not previously considered. The switching window opens, and it can stay open for years.

The Consolidation Risk That Nobody Is Talking About

The brand switching data has a specific implication for the wave of distributor consolidation happening in 2026. When Watsco acquires Jackson Supply, when SRS absorbs Mingledorff's, when Winsupply buys Central Corp — the acquiring company is paying a premium for the acquired company's contractor relationships. But those relationships are concentrated in specific people: the territory managers, the counter staff, the technical support contacts who have built trust with local contractors over years.

If those people leave — or are displaced by integration processes, new management cultures, or compensation structure changes — the relationships leave with them. The EGIA data suggests that contractors who lose their primary distributor contact are more likely to switch than those whose day-to-day relationship continuity is maintained through an ownership transition.

This creates a specific post-acquisition risk that Watsco, SRS, and every other consolidating distributor needs to manage proactively: investing in territory manager retention as aggressively as they invested in the acquisition itself.

What Contractors Are Switching To

When contractors switch brands, they do not switch randomly. The EGIA data points to several factors driving switching decisions:

• Equipment availability: During the A2L refrigerant transition and the supply chain disruptions of 2022 to 2024, contractors who could not get the equipment they needed from their primary brand switched to whatever was available. Some of those switches became permanent.

• Training and support: The manufacturers and distributors who invested most heavily in A2L training, heat pump certification support, and technical assistance during the transition retained more contractor loyalty than those who left contractors to figure out the new requirements themselves.

• Pricing and programme changes: Post-acquisition pricing rationalisation — where the acquiring distributor changes pricing to align with its national programme — sometimes disadvantages contractors who had negotiated favourable terms with the previous independent owner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are HVAC contractors switching brands in 2026?

Yes. EGIA's 2026 Contractor Survey found significant brand switching activity among HVAC contractors, with the territory manager relationship identified as the primary driver of switching decisions — more important than pricing, product quality, or brand reputation.

Why do HVAC contractors switch distributors?

The most common trigger for distributor switching is loss of the personal relationship with a trusted territory manager — through turnover, acquisition-related personnel changes, or declining service quality. Equipment availability problems, pricing changes, and training support quality are secondary factors.

How should distributors prevent brand switching after acquisitions?

Proactive territory manager retention — through compensation protection, cultural integration, and visible leadership engagement — is the most effective protection against acquisition-related contractor switching. The acquired company's contractor relationships are carried by specific people, and retaining those people retains the relationships.

What equipment brands are HVAC contractors switching to?

Brand switching destinations depend on local availability, distributor relationships, and the specific reasons for switching. A2L transition availability problems sent some contractors to brands with better R-454B equipment supply. Training support quality drove others toward brands with stronger certification programmes.