How To Work Up An Estimate On Changeouts And Repairs

This video is for those just starting a business, and needing tips on how to do estimates. I try to show exactly how to create a residential changeout estimate in a way that prevents any loss of money. Prices may differ from place to place, but the process should be the same. The software I use is QuickBooks Online. #hvac #hvactech #hvactechnician #hvaclife #hvacguy #estimates #hvacboss #entrepreneur #quickbooks #quickbooksonline
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[@ReliableHVACR]

Good one. Even tho I do it a little different we get almost the same number 🤙🏽

[@automatedcomment]

Shut up your daddy does it for you

[@ReliableHVACR]

@@automatedcomment you again 😂 you 🤡

[@Bigsteve123]

Thanks for being honest, no one else online speaks about pricing. Like they want us to watch their videos but don’t want to tell us what or how they charge.

[@ronchambers9762]

Mr. Curtis, I have watched this one before and should have commented then. I am 67 years old and still working as a service technician for a large company. You are doing a great service for this industry. Service is one of the greatest industries on earth when it is done right. You Sir are doing it right. Thank You.

[@tedhicks5431]

Ya keep goin im 61 work for school system its a joke i do service and replacement equipment after 3 30 and weekends

[@RefrigerationDevil]

Curt you are absolutely not human! Thanks this helps me a lot!

[@biblebloopers946]

We love you Curtis. You are the reason why i started my hvac company. So much respect for you bro.

[@davestjohn6687]

Great video ,I am going into business in June after working for a family business for over 30 years this helps out a lot thanks so much

[@RRpaniaguajrHVAC]

That gives me a good idea what I need to do with my quickbooks instead of just manually entering in everything

[@PlowenYourMom]

Thanks for the advice. Your company must be wildly successful. How many millions of dollars in sales does your company do a year? How many employees do you have?

[@roberthoovan4130]

This was fun and I enjoyed watching and learning about it

[@seroxide]

It's interesting to see pricing from around the county. Here in north Texas the system would be about $8500.00 for an American Standard or Trane, and the motor would be about $535.00. Keep up the good work.

[@tonyrhoton6613]

7000 do job in ky. Alittle cheap down ga.

[@Chainsaw600]

About $7k in small town Arkansas as well.

[@billcactus1526]

Thanks! Curtis your videos will leave a large footprint

[@HVACGUY]

Thanks. That’s much appreciated

[@jericosha2842]

Great video thanks for the transparency. It's conflicting because bigger companies a lot of us work for have way more overhead and will charge triple what someone like you can do.

[@justinpennington7682]

Because you work for a company and you have no intensity when you go on a job . Your like a snail without enthusiasm

[@jitomingo2000]

Thats awesome that you show how you do your pricing. Not a lot of people will show that. There are many ways to bill ,its whatever works best for you. Where are you? Do you need to be a hvac licensed contractor in your state? Im in texas its different here and prices are a lot higher than that

[@HVACGUY]

Yes, we need to have a state license.

[@dmvhvactech]

Thanks for sharing, crazy to see how the price of stuff has gone up since I got into the field. I used to work at re michel, so I learned all types of stuff on how much they get their stuff for when I would have to create the stock replenishment order. I'm just getting my feet wet in commercial now, but worked with 2 residential companies and they have to charge high in the city.

[@stevencarrillo3615]

Thanks for showing me how to do estimates that was a big help.

[@jenko701]

Your best video yet

[@kennethnapier131]

Thank you. I use a different app that allows me to create an estimate, email the estimate to a customer, or have them approve, by signature, the estimate while I am onsite. Like your system, I preload items, labor, materials, parts. As parts are are purchased for the truck, they get added to the app database so I know what I have on hand. Also, unlike my competitors, I charge for refrigerant by the ounce. Everything I do has a fixed 45% margin added to parts and materials.

[@docdevin]

I had no idea that HVAC parts were so high & the price of Freon blew my mind! I put in a new window AC unit last year & I'm glad I brought the 5 years extended warranty!

[@houptee]

Window units are normally thrown away nobody will come repair them. Did you read the warranty it probably says you have to carry it in to a service provider if one exists near you.

[@docdevin]

@@houptee Mine said it is an in-home warranty & if they can't find someone to fix it they would replace it with a new one of equal value. I had the same company for my washer & drier combo & after it was 10 years old no one would work on it so they sent me a new one. That is why I bought Frigidaire.

[@sergiodjf]

Window units are consumer products & generally don't require specialized equipment or qualified technicians to install unlike residential central hvac units.

[@climatecontrolmechanics]

I just replaced 4 windows unit for on split unit , because the costumer can’t live with the noise..

[@JSATI]

Great video. I was burned on warranty for a condensor unit change out. I received the 5yr standard parts warranty on a Goodman 2.5ton R410-A unit installed August '17 however the contractor failed to register it and DID NOT tell me to register the product within 60days for the extended warranty coverage. Lesson learned on my part.

[@markchandler5095]

They lied to you 2 times. I always get a warranty for parts, even without registering it. I"m a Goodman dealer and have customers call for warranty.

[@CMN843HVAC]

Yeah been doing service for about 2 years now mainly with A big company doing pricing on a platform they built from scratch and now with another company using payzerware but have priced out afew systems but half the price of the big company your price is correct to me I think a lot of mark up is due to company acquisitions and bulk supply purchases also great video and keep up the great work

[@jorgebonilla6017]

Liked 👍 and subscribed, no one out there will share this value information, thanks

[@guybonin8050]

Great video. I am looking into starting my hvac business and trying to figure out how much I Should be charging customers. Are you using flat rate. What software do you use. How are you coming up with the hourly base rate. Again great videos.

[@Ageehvac]

Thanks Curtis, I needed this one too...

[@shaunmuhammad5968]

Thanks a lot. Very helpful. Do you use anything like Jobber, service Titian etc?

[@DS-fb9te]

I wish all the HVAC companies be like you Sir.

[@johnwalker890]

Thanks for the advice, Curtis.

[@martinheatingcoolingmartin4693]

Also, I notice the way you did the mark up on the swap out. Great idea! But as for mark up on repairs, any thoughts?

[@jasonerwin7726]

I am a hvac comfort advisor in metro Atlanta, your price for your 3 ton heat pump is exactly what I charge for that job (w/line set, plenum, tstat), $5500... Some people think you can charge more in metropolitan areas, truth be known the competition is for real, some people-companies will do this job for $4,000-$4500, many companies charge $8,000, it's very competive... Good video's... Thanks

[@jima3129]

That was really informative, thank you!

[@adubcollectibles3201]

Thanks this was real helpful, I’ve started my on business and been using your advice on stuff like this

[@chancecooper9246]

I like this man...I really want to get into HVAC when I retire from the army in four years. The only issue, its an emergency based business...Meaning, when they call, you better go. Weekends/Holidays etc. What are your thoughts?

[@bluebeastgamer3005]

Excellent video, where can I get something like your?????? Thanks so much, Barry

[@HVACGUY]

Thanks, Not sure what you’re asking.

[@Climaster]

What app do you use for pricing and customer history

[@Chainsaw600]

The difficult thing for me to swallow is the vast difference in what you pay for a system vs. what I pay. I had a hard time convincing my wife that pricing varies greatly among contractors. That same condenser costs me $2388. I’m getting retail vs. wholesale despite being licensed and in business for 20+ years. I can’t do the volume of other big companies so I get horrible pricing. It’s frustrating.

[@DevinHVACInc]

Thanks for those Info. I do hvac on the side and so far The customer buys all the materials. I just charge labor. I need to do these mark ups. Here in NY, some of them even complained that labor is too much. That’s y I rather they pats for all the materials What program are u using for these mark ups

[@HVACGUY]

That’s QuickBooks Online

[@LX-cg1oi]

Here in CA all units get there max warranty straight from the supplier

[@abdulhvac2395]

Thank you for sharing that was very helpful are you using a QuickBooks I think

[@HVACGUY]

Yes

[@drewmassey7296]

I appreciate the content man!

[@chriscermak3188]

Great video Curtiss

[@traceyblais8961]

What is the estimating software you use and how long did it take to populate the items list in it with current pricing

[@michaelbuxton9368]

Great video! What software program is that? Do you have to enter all the line items?

[@HVACGUY]

QuickBooks Online

[@HVACGUY]

Not all. The price for equipment covered heat strip, pad, and float switches

[@hvaclifeatx7012]

Keep those videos coming 😁👍🏻

[@Weezy824]

This is awesome. Thank you

[@channelcatchaser9426]

Interesting take

[@TheWilber09]

EXCELLENT video.

[@deennguyen2656]

Hello there, I have a question about installs. What is your normal charge rate when you contract out a duct replacement or system install?

[@AnwarKhan-dw8cj]

guy do you charge labour from when you leave your shop time material

[@HVACGUY]

Time driving to the job up until job is complete.

[@houptee]

What about the markup on the other line items? I only saw you do the system. You didn't markup the pad lineset and cover or was your price already calculated with markup for those items?

[@HVACGUY]

That markup is on the pre markup total. So, markup covers everything.

[@FreeAmericans]

Confused me too, first time I watched it. He does the math on the grand total. Then adds it (27% of current total) to the spreadsheet. Instead of adding the markup to the cost of equipment.. he could just make another line item titled "markup" and it would end up the same.

[@denverjbaker]

What's your typical gross profit margin end up coming in at on that install? I always strive for 50% but always seem to fluctuate. I know everyone's overhead is different, but I didn't know if you always had a target gross profit you shoot for.

[@HVACGUY]

My markup fluctuates during the heat of summer, it can get as high as 40%, and that may be with a 10 day wait. So, that profit changes a good bit. I don’t really shoot for a %, that markup I showed is my slow season number.

[@denverjbaker]

@@HVACGUY understandable. I appreciate all your videos, I really enjoy watching them. You do good honest work. Thank you sir.

[@rc51price]

65% gp

[@meeka2856]

Do you use a separate dispatching software?

[@HVACGUY]

Google Calendar is all I use

[@billp7070]

Thank you every much I work for a company that won’t let us know how to bid jobs it has to go through comfort advisors it drives me nuts.

[@rodgraff1782]

They don’t want you to do side jobs.

[@chuckferraris8489]

The 10 year warranty applies to the ORIGINAL purchaser. If the customer sells the house, the warranty reverts to a 5 year warranty.

[@mingo1142]

Nice video! What kind of app do you use to do your estimates.

[@HVACGUY]

That’s QuickBooks Online

[@davidlopan6649]

If you are repairing a furnace, do you type the invoice in your van and give it to them or just send them by mail or email? example - the motor replacement you used on this video

[@HVACGUY]

95% of all my paperwork is via email. Sometimes I take a screenshot and send via text. I rarely have to use paper

[@joecrowe3681]

I wish you were here in Mn. Some companies charge 400.00 per hr plus parts

[@bryansimon4072]

Strangely enough, your invoice looks pretty much like mine. Great minds think alike? Lol

[@phillipjoy8191]

Great videos 😊

[@thesilentonevictor]

Interesting great advice 👌

[@josetirado4546]

great information

[@andrewpierce2213]

I am in the Central Georgia area, sell Rheem/Ruud equipment, and you are buying said equipment way cheaper than I am. I assume you are on a quantity discount program with your supplier (which seems to be the same supplier I use based on your ticket you showed). There is no way we could compete with your pricing.

[@Chainsaw600]

Same here. That exact condenser costs me about $1000 more. I can’t do a professional install and begin to compete with his price. As it is now, I’m turning a profit of about 30% of gross receipts. That makes for a nice hobby but won’t pay the bills.

[@pvantran82]

Thank you brother.

[@tstatech]

Are you dropping R422B on top of R22? Topping off R22 with R422B?

[@hectormendoza993]

Thanks for sharing!

[@alekskos5072]

Hi. which one app do you use on this video?

[@galigalindo6839]

Hello I need help i have a goodman condenser Low side has 120 psgi and 27 super heat but on high side has 180 pressure head. Is not cooling the apartment . What should i do. Thanks

[@jenko701]

Are you having trouble getting 6 inch flex

[@HVACGUY]

I’m having trouble getting all flex

[@jenko701]

@@HVACGUY I’m in North Carolina and we are to.

[@rodgraff1782]

Good, maybe they’ll outlaw that crap.

[@rudy8361]

But what program, software or app do you use? Thanks

[@bradilles4034]

That’s really a great price but very low for nor cal are average price 8000.00 t 18000.00

[@ag-wh8mo]

What program are you using

[@HVACGUY]

QuickBooks online

[@ying0129]

Thank you

[@billp7070]

What program are you using for invoicing thank you

[@Garth2011]

Isn't there a credit given for the old precious system metals and a fee for removal of old system or recover refrigerants? Any hazardus waste b.s. to charge for?

[@bonexsher]

my quick book is different how did you set it up for prices

[@joelmelendez5916]

Good video. Tio ..

[@briandurussel1377]

Hello! Did you go through and set these prices up yourself or did a 3rd party set these up for you? Thank you

[@HVACGUY]

myself

[@davidskaggs9914]

Very helpful

[@CWHIT38]

What is the software you use?

[@kevinbasye4566]

Did you make the spreadsheet yourself?

[@darrenaugustine6508]

I'm curious what is the name of the the program you are using?

[@HVACGUY]

QuickBooks Online

[@darrenaugustine6508]

Thank you

[@biblebloopers946]

Excellent💥💥💥💥💥💥

[@80660018]

What software are you using to do the estimates?

[@HVACGUY]

QuickBooks Online

[@tedhicks5431]

I keep forgetting the price of motors goin up i think now average price on 1/3 hp blower motor 208/230 bout 110 or 120 try to buy ball bearing motors only

[@Garth2011]

How do HVAC compute the mark up values? Overhead, cost to be in business etc. How to charge enough but not charge so much you are expensive and not competitivee.

[@Icy-E]

Here in Atlanta 3 ton would be 8-9k

[@timharrison3561]

What’s the name of the software your using?

[@BigJohnson1566]

Good intel

[@OnePointLander]

Does that include furnace, coil and condenser?

[@Lammar871]

Dam it better work for the next 40 years

[@romanwrobel2770]

That seems off to me,800 for a motor and 5k for system? I don’t know how old that video is but 2300 for 3 ton HP ?

[@sergiodjf]

Including small wire terminals in the estimate is probably too much. Unless they are more expensive🤔. Good to see the estimating process live

[@panamacitybeachbum]

Solid.

[@stephwaylonwells3218]

👍

[@metromanhvac]

Hello, Can you do a video on paying taxes ?

[@HVACGUY]

I have a good accountant, and I use the add-on payroll part to QuickBooks, which handles all fed and state payroll taxes. So, I do very little of the hard work on that.

[@FranciscoGarcia-sd2xf]

What town of ny you working

[@rc51price]

Wow...i use a .5 divider and $3.000 for labor on attic system heat pump. 8500 for this job.

[@Swoliosis1]

Didn't you mark up the labor as well?

[@sprockkets]

Why would you mark up labor???

[@edp9743]

Did I not see a disposal fee for the spent equipment removed from the job?

[@HVACGUY]

There are situations when that is needed, that may be another video.

[@mattbilodeau2433]

I just paid 1200 for a jug of R-22 we charge 180 a pound yeeeessh

[@PenaR85]

Damn we charge $300 pee pound

[@johnnysosa4460]

Been in business for 31 years and there's no freaking way iam able charge what you charge here in s.tx. depends on geographic areas. Not complaining though.

[@HVACGUY]

I know. Prices can vary wildly. I was hoping to show the process more than anything. There was no one to show me. And there’s no reason for me not to share.

[@jaymz0074]

@@HVACGUY thank you for your free knowledge.

[@donaldpainter956]

I look at every job and see how difacult it will be to do what they want done and give a price like that but a new tstat or a smoke detector something like that I have a standard price I always try to sell the T8000 tstat but install is a different ball game because adding 2 six inch supply runs under a house that's 40 inches off the ground won't take as long as if the house was 18 inches high off the ground so I keep my prices fair but I make money I'm not like alot of companies that are money hungry I've had people tell me to raise my prices because it's not fair to be that much cheaper than other companies I tell them I charge accordingly as long I'm happy and the customer is happy then my company is winning