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If you're an HVAC contractor still pricing residential change-outs from a clipboard and a wholesale-supplier price list, you're either leaving money on the table or quoting yourself out of jobs. This estimator does the math the way the best techs do it in their head — square-footage to system tonnage, equipment cost plus labor plus ductwork plus permits plus profit margin — and produces a branded, print-ready estimate the customer can sign on the spot. Built for residential techs who close at the kitchen table.
One-truck HVAC companies, small shops with two or three crews, and field supervisors who want every estimate to look the same coming out of every truck. If you're losing jobs because the estimate took three days to type up, this fixes that.
1. Enter the home square footage. The system auto-sizes to industry-standard tonnage: roughly 1 ton per 600 square feet in moderate climates, adjusted up for hot/humid regions. If your manual-J load calc differs, override the tonnage field.
2. Pick the equipment tier. Choose builder-grade, mid-tier, or premium. Each tier maps to actual SEER ratings, ductwork sizing, and brand availability. Equipment cost auto-populates from your supplier markup.
3. Set labor hours and rate. Average residential change-out is 12-16 hours of crew time. Your hourly rate stays constant across estimates — set it once in the settings, every estimate uses it.
4. Add ductwork modifications. Most change-outs need at least minor duct work — new returns, supply re-balancing, transition fittings. The estimator includes a checklist with industry-standard line-item costs.
5. Add permit and inspection fees. Most jurisdictions require a mechanical permit ($85-$200) and inspection. The estimator includes a field for these so you don't eat the cost.
6. Set your profit margin and review. Default is 35% on equipment, 50% on labor — the typical residential HVAC margin. Override if your market supports more (or demands less).
7. Print or email. Hit the print button and you have a clean, professional estimate the homeowner can take to their spouse for approval. Or paste the totals into a follow-up email.
Always include a "good / better / best" three-column comparison. Customers buy the middle option 60% of the time. If you only show one number, you're either too cheap (and the customer wonders what's missing) or too expensive (and they get three more bids).
Build in 8% material-cost contingency on every estimate. Copper has been on a tear since 2024 and a job you bid in March can cost 12% more in May if you have to re-order line sets. Bake it in or eat it.
If the customer asks for "your cost," show them the wholesale invoice with your handwritten margin next to it. Most installers won't do this and it builds trust faster than any glossy brochure.
Date every estimate with a 14-day validity. Equipment prices move; permits change. A 90-day-old estimate is a future complaint.
The sample above has placeholder branding. A custom HVAC estimator with your company name, logo, license number, service area, your specific supplier markup, your labor rate, and your standard ductwork pricing takes 90 seconds to build at yoursaas.diy. Pre-built personalization is $19. Fully custom field-tool builds with your supplier-specific equipment catalog are $179. The file is HTML — runs in any browser, prints to PDF, works offline in the truck.