About us

We started this to do it differently.

I founded 2nd Opinion after working at a large, private-equity-owned home services company. I didn't like what I saw.

Customers got strong-arm, high-pressure sales and inflated prices to go with them. Most of the people doing the work weren't treated well either.

So the goal with 2nd Opinion was to turn that upside down: to show that a home services business can be successful without exploiting its customers or its employees.

That means honest quotes that explain every line, no commissioned salespeople, and a crew that's paid and treated well enough to stick around. Take care, not advantage.

John Fuller, founder

Every install includes

A load calculation (Manual J), so the system is sized for your home, not guessed
The permit and the city inspection
Rebate paperwork, filed for you
Equipment registered for you
10-year parts warranty (12 on Midea), registered for you, plus our 2-year labor warranty on installations

Visit or call

5024 Kipling Pkwy
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

720-579-6540 · Office: Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Get directions

Meet the team

Over 40 years of combined trades and home services experience, and no one here is paid to push you.

John Fuller

Founder

Bachelor's degree and master's in business management, University of Notre Dame

John founded 2nd Opinion after working at a large, private-equity-owned home services company and seeing how its customers and crews were treated. Before moving to Colorado, he worked in consulting. He writes most of The 2nd Opinion Guide.

Fun fact: John and his wife Sarah, his fellow zookeeper of six years, run a small zoo at home: two toddlers, Lady the Samoyed, cats Felix and Milo, turkeys Benjamin Franklin and Belle, and chickens Ave, Maria and Dora.

Michael “Lefty” Palfy III

HVAC Operations Manager

NATE-certified technician
ICC Master Mechanical
25+ years in HVAC
10+ years in management and leadership

Lefty has spent more than 25 years in HVAC and more than 10 leading crews. He reviews our HVAC guides for accuracy and holds every install to the standard we promise.

Fun fact: Still pending. The last time we asked, Lefty was in somebody's attic. After 25 years in the field, he's earned a little extra time on his homework.

Michael Doran

Master Electrician

Colorado master electrician
Colorado Master Electrician ME.3002020

Michael leads our electrical work. He founded Doran Electrical, which joined forces with 2nd Opinion in February 2026, and brings the same straightforward pricing to every panel, circuit and EV charger.

Fun fact: Michael's fun fact is overdue. He's been too busy upgrading panels and wiring EV chargers to do his website homework. We've sent a note home.

Danielle Olson

Customer Operations Manager

7+ years in home services

Danielle keeps every job on track behind the scenes. She schedules your visit, pulls the permits, books the city inspection and handles the paperwork, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Fun fact: When she's not at work, you'll find her on the golf course, wakeboarding, or with her family and her dogs.

Rick Kerr

Controller

Our story

We've spent over a decade in various home services businesses. Together, we've seen how bloated overhead and aggressive marketing inflate costs without improving service. Across the country, private equity firms (both foreign and domestic) are buying up local businesses, chasing margins by cutting costs and increasing prices, chasing value for their shareholders, not value for their customers.

We've seen what happens when companies chase sales, quotas and private equity profits instead of customer value. Prices go up, training goes down, and quality suffers.

So we cut the fat. No gimmicks, no sales pressure. Just honest work at a fair price.

The hidden costs of getting "big"

Many "big name" HVAC companies are no longer the local businesses you once knew. They're often backed by external private equity or venture capital. This model frequently prioritizes rapid returns for investors, which translates into:

Aggressive sales: pushing for new system sales even when repairs might suffice.
Compromised quality: cutting corners on materials or training to boost margins.
Less experienced techs: high turnover or less investment in top-tier talent.
Bloated overhead: huge marketing budgets passed directly to you.

We operate differently, free from these external pressures, so your investment goes into quality work, not corporate profits.

Sometimes, less is more.

Here are some of the things we don't have, so we can focus on maximizing value for the things we do.

Private equity

Private equity firms have a singular goal: to drive up the value of the business at all costs.

Value extraction: taking from working Coloradans to give to billionaire investors
Slashing true value items like technician training
Increasing margins to maximize profit, not homeowner value

A multimillion-dollar marketing budget

Marketing doesn't provide our customers with any benefit, so we don't prioritize it. We keep advertising spend to an absolute minimum.

No sports sponsorships
No expensive billboards or TV ads that the customer has to pay for

An overpaid sales team

Because we focus on providing maximum value in a low-pressure sales process, we don't need to pay massive commissions.

HVAC sales reps ("comfort advisors") often take home more than 10% of the total sale. How that works.
No technicians sent more to set up a sales pitch than to fix the problem

A large call center

When the goal is quantity rather than quality, you need people to take and make calls.

We won't call you to upsell products and services
You'll talk directly to the team that is managing your job
No escalating to managers as part of the sales pitch

Our values

The Golden Rule: We treat others, customers or not, how we would like to be treated. We don't love high-pressure sales tactics, so we don't employ them.
Value: We provide real value. We believe it's the best way to earn your business in today's difficult financial environment.
Transparency: We want our customers and partners to know how and why we do what we do. If you have questions, just ask!
Trust: All good relationships are built on trust. We look forward to earning yours.

What you can expect

When you choose us, you're choosing a partner dedicated to your comfort and peace of mind. We stand for:

No gimmicks, no pressure: Just straightforward recommendations and clear, upfront pricing.
Quality first: We're obsessed with installations that last.
Local trust: We're not a faceless corporation; we're your neighbors, committed to earning your trust in our community.
Your true second opinion: We provide the honest assessment and fair solution you deserve, without the sales pitch.

Doran Electrical and 2nd Opinion join forces

February 3, 2026

In February 2026, Michael Doran's Doran Electrical partnered with 2nd Opinion, bringing Denver homeowners and businesses an even more complete suite of trusted home services. The collaboration merged two local service brands to provide seamless electrical and HVAC solutions throughout the Denver metro.

Many home improvement projects need both electrical and HVAC expertise, from panel upgrades and EV charger installations to HVAC system installs and air quality upgrades. Working as one team helps:

Simplify project planning
Ensure electrical and HVAC systems work together safely
Reduce scheduling conflicts
Streamline communications and service delivery

That means fewer vendors to manage, a single point of contact for electrical and HVAC projects, and better communication from start to finish. See our electrical services.

Who owns us

2nd Opinion is a partnership owned by the people who built it, and by family who invested to help get us going. There's no private equity firm behind us. Our home base is right here at 5024 Kipling Pkwy in Wheat Ridge.

Where the money goes

We'd rather spend our budget taking care of you, so you'll send us your friends. You won't see our name on a stadium. What you'll see is the job done right, a warranty we stand behind, and our number when you need it.