Pricing hvac jobs comes down to keeping two halves apart: the equipment, which moves with the distributor's price sheet and carries a resale markup, and the install, which is the takeoff of line set, duct, fittings, refrigerant, electrical and condensate parts, priced with waste, and the crew's hours at a loaded rate. A contractor who prices the whole job at one percentage cannot see which half made or lost the money. Add the permit, the disposal and the electrician at quote, recover the overhead and apply the markup, and present the customer one total per option. The estimate template on this site works that arithmetic and prints the lines.
The equipment half
The condenser, air handler or furnace, coil, thermostat and the accessories the warranty requires are priced from the distributor's quote of the week with the company's resale markup on top. The distributor's price is the estimate's date; a quote that is signed a month later is repriced from the sheet, not honored from memory. The equipment margin is read on its own when the job closes, because it is the half a competitor can shop.
The install half
The install is a takeoff: line set by length and size, brazing and nitrogen, refrigerant beyond the factory charge, duct transitions and registers, the electrical whip, disconnect and breaker, the condensate line and trap, the pad and the fasteners, with a waste allowance. The hours come from the crew's own record by system type and access, at a rate that carries taxes, insurance, the van and the apprentice. Permits and disposal are at cost; the electrician is at quote.
Overhead, markup and one total per option
Apply the company's overhead percentage from the books before any profit and the markup on top; the template prints the margin beside the markup. Present the customer one total per efficiency option with the model, the warranty and the terms, and keep the two halves in the estimate. Pro on this site files each estimate against the customer and the property, so the hours worked can be written against the hours quoted and the next swap is priced from a record.
Questions people ask about pricing hvac jobs
Should HVAC equipment and install carry the same markup?
Not necessarily; the equipment carries a resale markup the market limits and the install carries the labor margin, and keeping them separate lets the company see which half is making money.
How do I estimate HVAC install hours?
From the crew's own record by system type, tonnage, duct work and access on similar jobs, recorded when jobs close and applied to the next estimate.
Why present options rather than one price?
Because the customer then chooses between efficiency tiers with the same install rather than between contractors on price; the estimate behind each option is the same arithmetic.