I think your advise is good, Stretch. After four on-site assessments
and quotes and much research, we have decided to go with Installer 2,
despite the higher cost of the install.
Already we're impressed -- someone's coming by to do a site assessment
before the actual install date, and the included duct cleaning is to be

scheduled on a day just before the new install. Installer 1, who we
actually hired before we changed our minds, was just going to come in
and do the whole thing in one fell swoop, assessment, duct cleaning,
and install.