BOTTOM LINE
A full HVAC system replacement that cost $6,000–$8,000 in 2019 now runs $12,000–$15,000.
Tariffs added another 15–30% to equipment costs in 2025–2026. Labour rates are up 15–25% since 2022. If your flat-rate price book has not been rebuilt around your actual 2026 cost structure, you are losing margin on every job — not because demand is weak, but because your prices were set in a different economic reality.
This guide covers everything required to build a profitable HVAC pricing strategy for 2026: the flat-rate formula with worked examples using current costs, the time-and-materials vs flat-rate vs hybrid decision, the Good/Better/Best options pricing system that increases average ticket 18–32%, the billable hour calculation that reveals what you actually earn per productive hour, the price increase communication templates for telling customers without losing them, and the QuoteIQ implementation that puts every pricing decision in a structured, consistent system.
GoHighLevel automation is covered as the tool that recovers non-billable admin time — which raises your effective hourly rate without changing a single price.
→ Try GoHighLevel Free for 14 Days — Automate the Admin That’s Costing You Billable Hours
Why Your HVAC Pricing Strategy Needs a Complete Rebuild in 2026
The HVAC pricing environment in 2026 is categorically different from any year before it. Three simultaneous cost pressures have made the pricing structures most contractors were using in 2022–2023 structurally unprofitable without an explicit strategy review.
| 2×equipment costs since 2019A $6-8K system replacement now costs $12-15K to install — homeowners experiencing price shock, contractors needing new presentation strategies | 15–30%tariff cost increase 2025-202610% baseline + 145% Chinese + 25% Mexican tariffs adding 15-30% to equipment before it reaches the supply house | 2–5%average HVAC profit marginIndustry average — shops with structured flat-rate pricing + options estimates consistently achieve 15-25% |
The gap between the 2% industry average profit margin and the 15–25% that top performers achieve is almost never a demand gap or a marketing gap. It is a pricing strategy gap. The shops earning 15–25% margins have built their prices from their actual cost structure — not from what competitors charge, not from guessing, and not from price books that were set three years ago.
THE 2026 PRICING URGENCY:
ACHR News tracked 40+ manufacturer price increases in January 2026 alone, with most in the 3–10% range and some up to 22%. If you have not updated your flat-rate prices since January 2026 — and reviewed them against your actual parts costs, labour burden, and overhead — you are almost certainly undercharging on a significant portion of your service tickets. This guide gives you the formula to recalculate from scratch.
What This Guide Covers
1. Why Most HVAC Shops Are Undercharging — The True Cost Formula
2. Flat-Rate vs Time-and-Materials vs Hybrid: Which HVAC Pricing Model Is Right for Your Business
3. How to Calculate Your Fully Loaded Billable Hour Rate — The HVAC Overhead Formula
4. Building Your HVAC Flat-Rate Price Book — The Step-by-Step Method
5. Good/Better/Best Options Pricing: The HVAC Ticket-Increase System Nobody on Page 1 Covers
6. Communicating HVAC Price Increases to Customers Without Losing Them
7. Using Financing as a 2026 Pricing Strategy Tool
8. GoHighLevel + QuoteIQ: Which Tool Handles Which Part of Your Pricing Strategy
9. Frequently Asked Questions — HVAC Pricing Strategy
1. Why Most HVAC Shops Are Undercharging — The True Cost Formula
The most common HVAC pricing mistake is building prices from a partial cost view. Most shops calculate: parts cost + labour time × hourly wage = price. This formula misses the four costs that make the difference between profitability and loss.
| Cost component | What it includes | Typically missed? |
| Direct labour cost | Technician hourly wage | Rarely missed |
| Labour burden | Payroll taxes (7.65%), workers’ comp (3-8%), health insurance, PTO, vehicle, phone, uniform | OFTEN MISSED — adds 35-50% on top of wage |
| Parts and materials | Actual parts cost from supplier | Rarely missed |
| Parts markup | Standard markup to cover ordering time, warranty risk, storage, and profit on materials | OFTEN MISSED — many shops pass parts at cost |
| Overhead allocation | Rent/mortgage, insurance, tools, marketing, software, admin salaries — allocated per billable hour | MOST COMMONLY MISSED — most shops do not calculate overhead per job |
| Target profit margin | The profit the business is supposed to retain after all costs | ALMOST ALWAYS MISSED — most shops price to ‘cover costs’ not to ‘hit margin’ |
The correct pricing formula is: Flat Rate Price = (Labour Cost + Parts Cost + Overhead Allocation) ÷ (1 − Target Margin)
Working example for a 2-hour furnace repair with $85 in parts at a 15% target margin:
| Component | Calculation | Amount |
| Tech wage (2 hrs × $32/hr) | 2 × $32 | $64 |
| Labour burden (45% of wage) | $64 × 0.45 | $29 |
| Parts cost | Invoice price | $85 |
| Parts markup (30% on parts) | $85 × 0.30 | $25.50 |
| Overhead allocation (2 hrs × $45/hr overhead rate) | 2 × $45 | $90 |
| Total cost | $64 + $29 + $85 + $25.50 + $90 | $293.50 |
| Flat-rate price at 15% margin | $293.50 ÷ (1 − 0.15) | $345.29 → round to $345 |
THE MOST COMMON UNDERCHARGING SCENARIO:
A shop pricing the same 2-hour furnace repair at $275 (a common ‘feels right’ price) is charging $70 less than their actual break-even — before any profit. At 300 service calls per year, that $70 gap = $21,000 in unrecovered costs annually. The shop is not losing jobs on price. They are losing margin silently, one job at a time.
2. Flat-Rate vs Time-and-Materials vs Hybrid: Which HVAC Pricing Model Is Right for Your Business
The three primary HVAC pricing models each have specific strengths. The right choice depends on your job mix, team size, and market. Most established residential shops should be on flat-rate. Many commercial shops use T&M. The hybrid is the right choice for shops transitioning or with significant job variety.
| Pricing model | How it works | Best for | Typical margin range |
| Flat-Rate | Fixed price per task regardless of time taken. Published in a price book. | Residential repair and maintenance. Shops with 2+ techs. Consistent job types. | 15–25% — rewards efficiency; fast tech earns more per day |
| Time-and-Materials (T&M) | Customer pays labour hours + parts at cost + markup. Bill on completion. | Commercial work. Custom installations. Jobs with unpredictable scope. | 8–15% — transparent but variable; slow work = lower margin |
| Hybrid | Flat-rate for standard jobs; T&M for custom/commercial work. Diagnostic fee separates from repair price. | Shops doing both residential and light commercial. New construction mixed with service work. | 12–18% — requires two price systems; adds admin complexity |
| ✅ What Works Well• Flat-rate rewards efficiency — fast techs earn the same profit on a 45-minute job as the book allows for 2 hours• Eliminates price disputes — customer agrees to price before work starts• Enables confident Good/Better/Best options presentation — no itemised labour awkwardness• Supports franchise-style consistency — every tech quotes from the same source• Higher average ticket — options presentation consistently increases revenue per visit | ❌ Watch Out For• Requires annual price book maintenance — costs change and the book must keep up• Can feel expensive to price-sensitive customers if not presented with value context• Underperforms on genuinely complex jobs where scope is unpredictable• Tech training required — techs must present fixed prices with confidence, not apologise for them• Flat-rate books go stale — a book from 2022 is costing you money in 2026 |
3. How to Calculate Your Fully Loaded Billable Hour Rate — The HVAC Overhead Formula
The billable hour rate is the foundation of every pricing decision in your business. It is the amount you need to recover per hour of technician time on a job to cover all overhead and hit your target margin. Most HVAC shops have never calculated this number precisely — which means their prices are not connected to their actual financial reality.
Step 1 — Calculate annual overhead
Add all annual non-direct costs: rent/mortgage, insurance (general + vehicles + liability), admin salaries, marketing spend, software subscriptions, tools and equipment depreciation, fuel, phones. This is your total annual overhead.
| Overhead category | Annual cost example (2-tech shop) | Notes |
| Rent/shop costs | $18,000 | $1,500/month for shop, storage, office |
| Vehicle costs (2 trucks) | $24,000 | Insurance, registration, maintenance, fuel — estimate $12K/truck |
| Insurance (general + liability + workers’ comp) | $14,400 | ~$1,200/month; varies by state and job type |
| Admin + owner non-billable time | $36,000 | 1 admin at $18/hr × 2,000hrs OR owner admin time at $18 imputed value |
| Marketing and advertising | $12,000 | $1,000/month across all channels |
| Software and tools | $6,600 | GoHighLevel $97 + QuoteIQ $150 + accounting + field mgmt |
| Depreciation and equipment | $8,400 | Tools, HVAC test equipment, ladders, recovery machines |
| Miscellaneous | $4,800 | Training, uniforms, misc admin |
| TOTAL ANNUAL OVERHEAD | $124,200 | Typical 2-tech residential HVAC shop — adjust to your actuals |
Step 2 — Calculate annual billable hours
Two techs, 50 weeks per year (2 weeks holiday), 40 hours per week = 4,000 total hours. But not all hours are billable. Typical billable rate for HVAC techs is 70–80% of total hours (windshield time, admin, callbacks, training account for the rest). Conservative estimate: 4,000 × 0.75 = 3,000 billable hours per year.
Step 3 — Calculate overhead per billable hour
$124,200 annual overhead ÷ 3,000 billable hours = $41.40 per billable hour overhead cost. This is the minimum overhead recovery needed per hour to break even on overhead — before any tech wage or parts costs.
REVENUE MATHS: Overhead per billable hour — what the number means
Annual overhead: $124,200 | Annual billable hours: 3,000
Overhead per billable hour: $41.40
Add tech wage burden (e.g. $32/hr wage × 1.45 burden = $46.40/hr all-in labour cost)
Total cost per billable hour (overhead + labour): $41.40 + $46.40 = $87.80
At 15% target margin: $87.80 ÷ (1 – 0.15) = $103.29/hr minimum charge rate
This is BEFORE parts markup — parts go on top of this at a 25-35% markup
The GoHighLevel connection — automation reduces non-billable hours
Full guide: HVAC business systems | HVAC follow-up automation software.
4. Building Your HVAC Flat-Rate Price Book — The Step-by-Step Method
A flat-rate price book is a structured list of every service your company performs, each with a fixed price calculated from the formula in Sections 1 and 3. Every tech quotes from the same book. Every customer in the same situation pays the same price. There is no variation based on who does the job or how long it takes.
The price book build sequence
- Step 1 — List your top 50 most common jobs. Start with frequency, not complexity. Which 50 jobs account for 80% of your service calls? These are your immediate priority.
- Step 2 — For each job, establish standard time. Use your best techs’ average time, not your slowest. The flat rate rewards efficiency — fast techs generate more margin.
- Step 3 — Apply the pricing formula to each job. (Labour cost + Labour burden + Parts cost + Parts markup + Overhead allocation) ÷ (1 − target margin). Round to the nearest $5 or $10.
- Step 4 — Sanity-check against the market. Your prices should be in the top third of your local market, not the cheapest. Cheapest attracts price shoppers, not loyal customers.
- Step 5 — Build into QuoteIQ as your price book source. Once prices are in QuoteIQ, every tech quotes from the same source on every estimate. Annual updates happen in one place and push to all estimates instantly.
| Job type | Standard time | Parts cost (2026 avg) | Overhead alloc | Loaded cost | Flat rate at 15% |
| AC tune-up (seasonal maintenance) | 45 min | $0–$15 supplies | $31 | $62 | $73 → round to $75 |
| Capacitor replacement (single) | 30 min | $25–$45 OEM | $21 | $77 | $91 → round to $90 |
| Thermostat replacement (basic) | 45 min | $35–$65 unit | $31 | $120 | $141 → round to $140 |
| Furnace ignitor replacement | 45 min | $35–$55 OEM | $31 | $110 | $129 → round to $130 |
| Refrigerant charge (R-410A, 1lb) | 1 hr | $55–$80 refrigerant | $41 | $155 | $182 → round to $180 |
| Contactor replacement | 45 min | $20–$40 OEM | $31 | $95 | $112 → round to $110 |
| Service call / diagnostic fee | 45 min | $0 | $31 | $77 | $91 → round to $90 |
These are illustrative ranges — your actual prices must be calculated from your specific overhead, labour rates, and parts costs. The formula is consistent; the inputs are yours.
Full guide: HVAC flat-rate pricing software | QuoteIQ review HVAC.
→ Try QuoteIQ Free for 14 Days — Build Your Flat-Rate Price Book and Options Estimates
5. Good/Better/Best Options Pricing: The HVAC Ticket-Increase System Nobody on Page 1 Covers
Options pricing — presenting three tiers on every estimate — is the single highest-leverage change most HVAC shops can make to their average ticket. Shops that switch from single-price to three-option presentation consistently report average ticket increases of 18–32% within the first 60 days. The reason: the homeowner compares your three options to each other instead of comparing your single price to a competitor’s single price.
The three-tier structure for HVAC repair and replacement estimates
GOOD: Base Repair — Fix the Immediate Issue Your lowest tier
Repair the failed component only. OEM or aftermarket part. Standard 30-day warranty. Does not address underlying system age or efficiency concerns.
BETTER: Enhanced Repair — Fix + System Health Mid tier — most common choice
Repair the failed component with OEM part + 1-year warranty. Includes a full system health check: refrigerant levels, electrical connections, capacitor condition, filter. Documents any additional concerns for the customer.
BEST: Complete Solution — Repair + Maintenance Agreement Premium tier
Everything in Better tier + annual maintenance agreement for the next 12 months (two scheduled visits, priority scheduling, 10% repair discount). Turns a one-time repair into a recurring relationship.
The pricing relationship: Good is your flat-rate for the job calculated in Section 4. Better is Good + $75–$150 for the system health check labour. Best is Better + your annual maintenance agreement price ($149–$299). The upgrade from Good to Better is typically $75–$150. The upgrade from Better to Best is the agreement fee.
REVENUE MATHS: Options pricing — average ticket impact
Without options (single price): 300 service calls × $250 avg = $75,000/year
With options pricing (18% avg ticket increase): 300 × $295 avg = $88,500/year
Annual revenue increase from same job volume: +$13,500
30% of customers choose Better (+$110 avg): 90 × $110 = $9,900 additional
15% choose Best (adds maintenance agreement $225 avg): 45 × $225 = $10,125
Total annual revenue increase from options pricing: ~$20,000–$25,000
Building options estimates in QuoteIQ
6. Communicating HVAC Price Increases to Customers Without Losing Them — Copy-Paste Templates
The practical challenge of 2026 pricing strategy is not just calculating the right prices — it is telling customers who remember the 2022 prices why the same job now costs 25–40% more. Done badly, this destroys relationships and triggers one-star reviews. Done well, it reinforces your professionalism and actually increases loyalty because customers feel respected enough to be told the truth.
The four principles of price increase communication
- Be specific about why. ‘Costs have gone up’ is weak. ‘Refrigerant costs increased 40% in the last 18 months and our equipment prices are up 20% due to tariffs on imported components’ is specific and credible.
- Lead with the value, not the price. The price increase message should come after a reminder of what the customer gets: quality parts, warranty, priority scheduling, your team’s expertise.
- Give advance notice where possible. Agreement holders and high-value customers deserve a heads-up before the price change. This feels like VIP treatment, which it is.
- Offer a path to offset the increase. A maintenance agreement, multi-year pricing lock, or financing option gives the customer a way to manage the change — and converts one-time customers into recurring revenue.
Price increase notice to agreement holders (send 30 days before renewal at new rate):
Hi [Name] — we want to be upfront with you before your maintenance plan renews next month. We’re updating our service pricing in [Month] to reflect the significant increase in equipment and parts costs over the last 18 months — refrigerant alone is up 40% and equipment is up 20%+ due to tariffs. Your agreement renewal will increase from $[OLD] to $[NEW]/year. As a valued customer, we’re giving you 30 days to renew at the current rate before the increase takes effect: [LINK]. Any questions, just reply.
Price increase notice to one-time customers (seasonal broadcast):
Hi [Name] — quick heads-up before your next service call. Our pricing has been updated to reflect 2026 parts and equipment costs. What used to be $[OLD RANGE] is now $[NEW RANGE]. This keeps our parts quality, warranties, and technician training at the level you’ve come to expect. We appreciate your understanding — any questions, just reply or call [Phone].
In-person price increase explanation (what your tech says on the job):
I want to be upfront with you about the price before we start. Our pricing has increased this year — refrigerant is up 40% and most parts are up 15-25% from where they were two years ago. The [job] today is $[PRICE]. That includes [OEM part / 1-year warranty / system health check]. Any questions before I get started?
Response to customer objecting to higher price (for tech or CSR to use):
I completely understand — it is more than it was a couple of years ago. The main driver is parts costs: refrigerant alone is up 40% since 2022, and equipment is up 20%+ from tariffs on imported components. Our price includes [warranty detail], and we use [OEM/quality tier] parts so you’re not back here in 6 months. Is there a way I can help make the decision easier — financing, or perhaps looking at our maintenance plan which gives a 10% discount on repairs?
7. Using Financing as a 2026 HVAC Pricing Strategy Tool — Close More Replacements at $12-15K
At $12,000–$15,000 for a system replacement in 2026, the affordability gap has become the primary objection to replacement jobs. Homeowners who would have replaced a 10-year-old system at $6,000–$8,000 are now asking to repair it instead. This is the pricing strategy problem that financing solves: not by reducing your price, but by making your full price accessible on a monthly payment basis.
The ACCA data is telling: contractors who always offer financing see only 35% of sales go to base models, versus 50% for contractors who never offer it. Offering financing keeps the higher-tier options accessible to more customers — which preserves your margin while increasing your close rate on the most profitable job type.
| Scenario | Without financing offer | With financing offer | Revenue impact |
| $13,500 heat pump replacement | 50% of customers choose repair-for-now instead | 35% choose repair — 15% more convert to replacement | $13,500 × 15% conversion improvement = $2,025/job opportunity |
| Average ticket — replacement | $13,500 for base unit (price sensitivity drives down-grade) | $14,800 avg (35% choose Better/Best tier because monthly payment is manageable) | $1,300/job ticket increase when financing available |
| Maintenance agreement upsell | 20% acceptance rate at $13,500 checkout | 35% acceptance rate — agreement ‘protects the investment’ | Agreement conversion improves when customer committed via financing |
Financing introduction (tech or CSR presents on replacement estimate):
Before we go through the options, I want to mention that we offer financing through [provider] — most customers on a system like this are looking at $149–$199/month with approved credit. I can give you the full details along with the estimate, and you can decide which works better for you — pay-in-full or monthly.
Financing follow-up SMS (fires 24h after replacement estimate with no response):
Hi [Name] — [Business] here, following up on the replacement estimate. One thing I wanted to clarify: we do have financing available through [provider] — most customers in your system size range at $149–$199/month with approved credit. Happy to send the application link or answer any questions: [PHONE].
REVENUE MATHS: Financing as pricing strategy — annual revenue impact
30 replacement estimates/year at $13,500 avg, 40% close rate without financing: 12 jobs × $13,500 = $162,000
Same 30 estimates with financing offered, 55% close rate: 16.5 jobs × $14,800 avg = $244,200
Annual revenue improvement from financing strategy: +$82,200 from the same estimate volume
This is the pricing strategy lever nobody on page 1 connects to actual revenue maths.
→ Try GoHighLevel Free for 14 Days — Build the Financing Follow-Up Automation
8. GoHighLevel vs QuoteIQ: Which Tool Handles Which Part of Your HVAC Pricing Strategy
An HVAC pricing strategy has two implementation layers: the tool that builds and presents the prices (estimate software, price book management) and the tool that follows up on every estimate automatically (CRM automation). These are distinct functions that map to distinct tools.
| Pricing function | GoHighLevel Starter ($97/mo) | QuoteIQ Pro ($149.99/mo) |
| Flat-rate price book | No native price book — uses Opportunities/Pipelines for lead tracking | Native flat-rate price book on all plans — single source of pricing truth for all techs |
| Good/Better/Best options estimates | No native options estimate builder | Options Estimates feature on Pro — presents 3 tiers on one customer-facing view |
| Estimate delivery to customer | Estimate can be sent via GoHighLevel email/SMS as a link | QuoteIQ ClientHub — customer-facing portal where they review and approve estimates |
| Estimate follow-up automation | Full 4-touch follow-up sequence with stopping condition — strongest tool for this | Native 2-touch follow-up on Pro; GHL stronger for multi-touch sequences |
| Price increase broadcast to customer list | Smart List broadcast — 10 min to send to all opted-in contacts | No mass broadcast capability — GoHighLevel only |
| Financing integration | Pipeline tracking for financing-qualified leads; follow-up automation | InstaQuote can trigger financing offer; financing partners integrated on Elite plan |
| Annual price book update | Not applicable | Update once in QuoteIQ — pushes to all estimates and all tech devices instantly |
| Per-service job costing / margin tracking | Revenue attribution by lead source (pipeline) | Per-job costing on Pro — shows actual margin per service type |
Related guides: QuoteIQ review HVAC | best HVAC CRM for small business | HVAC estimate follow-up best practices.
9. Frequently Asked Questions — HVAC Pricing Strategy
What is the best pricing strategy for HVAC?
For residential HVAC, flat-rate pricing with Good/Better/Best options presentation is the highest-performing pricing strategy by both margin and average ticket. Flat-rate eliminates price disputes (the customer agrees to the price before work begins), rewards efficient technicians, and supports consistent presentation across all team members. Adding a three-tier options system on top of flat-rate typically increases average ticket by 18–32% within the first 60 days — with no change to the underlying price book. The flat-rate price for the same job is still the same; the options presentation adds revenue by giving customers a higher-value choice to select.
The critical requirement for flat-rate to work correctly in 2026 is that prices are calculated from your actual current cost structure — not from what competitors charge or from a price book set in 2022–2023. Equipment costs have roughly doubled since 2019 and tariffs added 15–30% more in 2025–2026. A flat-rate book built on 2022 inputs is underpriced.
How do I calculate HVAC pricing?
The correct HVAC pricing formula is: Flat Rate Price = (Labour Cost + Labour Burden + Parts Cost + Parts Markup + Overhead Allocation) ÷ (1 − Target Margin). Labour burden is 35–50% on top of the hourly wage and covers payroll taxes, workers’ comp, insurance, and benefits. Overhead allocation is your total annual overhead (rent, vehicles, insurance, admin, marketing, tools) divided by your annual billable hours. Target margin for a healthy HVAC business is 15–20%.
The most commonly missed component is overhead allocation — most shops do not calculate what their overhead costs per billable hour, which means they are structurally undercharging on every job. The overhead rate for a typical 2-tech residential shop is $38–$55 per billable hour. This cost must be recovered on every service call, not just on large installation jobs.
Should HVAC companies use flat-rate or time-and-materials pricing?
For residential repair and maintenance work: flat-rate. For commercial or custom installation work with unpredictable scope: time-and-materials or a hybrid. The decision comes down to job predictability and customer expectations. Residential homeowners strongly prefer flat-rate — they do not want a bill that grows with how long the job takes. Commercial property managers often prefer T&M because they want an itemised breakdown. A shop doing primarily residential service and replacement work should be on flat-rate. A shop doing significant commercial maintenance or new construction should use a hybrid model.
What profit margin should an HVAC company target?
Net profit margin target for a well-managed HVAC business is 15–20%. The industry average is 2–5%, primarily because most shops are undercharging on labour burden and overhead allocation. BDR-coached companies consistently achieve 15–25% net margins — not because they charge dramatically more than competitors, but because they have calculated their prices correctly and stopped leaving overhead recovery on the table.
Gross margin (revenue minus direct costs only, before overhead) should be 40–55% for residential service work. If your gross margin is consistently below 40%, the first thing to audit is your flat-rate prices versus your actual parts costs — particularly for refrigerants and equipment that have seen the sharpest price increases in 2025–2026.
How do I raise HVAC prices without losing customers?
Four principles: give advance notice (30 days for agreement holders), be specific about why (tariffs, refrigerant costs, equipment price increases — concrete reasons are credible), lead with the value you provide before mentioning the price change, and offer a path to offset the increase (maintenance agreement with repair discount, multi-year lock-in, financing for larger jobs). The copy-paste communication templates in Section 6 of this guide give you the exact language for each scenario — direct customer notification, in-person technician explanation, and handling objections when a customer pushes back on the new pricing.
Customers who trust your company accept price increases far more readily than customers who feel they have no relationship with you. This is why customer retention strategy and pricing strategy are connected — the agreement holders who hear from you regularly and feel valued are the least price-sensitive customers in your database.
10. Build Your 2026 HVAC Price Book Before the Next Job — The Action Steps
The shops that will maintain profitability through 2026 and beyond are not the ones spending the most on marketing or the ones with the lowest prices. They are the ones who did the math — calculated their actual overhead per billable hour, built a flat-rate price book from those real numbers, added a Good/Better/Best options system to every estimate, and communicated price changes to customers with honesty and specificity.
Every day operating from a 2022 price book costs money. The formula in Section 1 tells you exactly what each job should cost. Section 3 tells you what your overhead rate actually is. Section 4 gives you the build sequence. Section 5 gives you the options system that increases average ticket. Section 6 gives you the templates to tell customers.
Price from your costs. Not from your competitors. Not from what feels right. From the actual numbers.
Related: HVAC business growth strategies | how to make more money as an HVAC contractor | HVAC flat-rate pricing software | HVAC business systems | how to reduce HVAC no-shows.
→ Try GoHighLevel Free for 14 Days — Automate Follow-Up on Every Estimate
→ Try QuoteIQ Free for 14 Days — Build Your Flat-Rate Price Book + Options Estimates
About the Author
Ihor Hnatewicz is the founder of Hnatewicz Media, an independent software review and AI automation resource for trades businesses. He specialises in helping HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors evaluate CRM, field service, and marketing automation software. All recommendations are based on independent research, real pricing data, and hands-on product testing.
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