HVAC
HVAC Proposal Calculator
Build a proposal with options, so the customer chooses between systems rather than deciding whether to buy at all.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditWhat moves the number
- The genuine differences between tiers: efficiency, staging, warranty and comfort features.
- Margin held across tiers rather than left to fall on the cheaper option.
- What is included in every tier, stated once so it is not compared away.
Where this one goes wrong
Building a cheapest tier you would not install. An option that exists only to look bad damages trust when a customer chooses it, and some will.
Questions
About this calculator
How many options should a proposal carry?
Few enough to explain clearly, usually three. Each has to be a system you would genuinely install, differing in ways the customer can perceive.
Should margin be the same across tiers?
Hold the margin percentage rather than the dollar amount. Holding the dollar amount means your margin falls on the cheaper system, which is the one most likely to be chosen under price pressure.
How should options be presented?
Differences first, prices last. Leading with three numbers invites a price comparison; leading with what changes invites a decision about comfort and running cost.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 12 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 2.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $145.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $3,800.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $0.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 12 h |
| People needed | 2 |
| Labour rate charged | $145 |
| Parts and materials | $3,800 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $0 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $7,280 |
| Labour | $3,480 |
| Before tax | $7,280 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $7,280: $3,480 of labour, $3,800 of parts and a $0 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $73 | $5,552 |
| $109 | $6,416 |
| $145 example above | $7,280 |
| $218 | $9,032 |
| $290 | $10,760 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 12 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 2.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $145.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $3,800.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $0.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Before you rely on this number
Sizing, capacity and load figures here are planning estimates. A real installation depends on the manufacturer's data for the specific equipment, the duct system it is going into, and a proper load calculation for the building. Use this to sanity-check a number or price a job, not to select equipment.
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.