HVAC estimate template for repairs and new systems

One page that shows what's there now, what you'd put in and what it takes. Copy it, fill in the equipment, and send it while the house is still too hot or too cold.

2 min read

The short answer

A good HVAC estimate template lists the equipment that's there now, with its age, then the new equipment by make, model and size, plus removal, the coil, line set, thermostat, any duct or electrical changes, permits and haul away, each as its own line. On a replacement, show two or three options side by side. One to copy is below.

On this page

An HVAC estimate template you can copy
Giving options on a replacement estimate
HVAC repair estimate for a service call
Size it before you price it
Following up before they pick someone else

An HVAC estimate template you can copy

Start with what's in the house now. A homeowner who sees their old unit's age and condition on the page understands why you're quoting a new one.

HVAC estimate

From: [Your business name], [phone], [license number if your state needs one]
For: [Customer name], [address]
Estimate number: [H-118]
Date: [Today]. This price holds for [30 days].
There now: [Make, model, age, size of the furnace and AC or heat pump], [what's wrong]
Home: [Square feet, floors, where the equipment sits]

Work	Qty	Amount
[Remove and haul away the old equipment]	1	[amount]
[New outdoor unit: make, model, size, efficiency rating]	1	[amount]
[New furnace or air handler and matching coil]	1	[amount]
[Line set, pad, disconnect and wiring]	1	[amount]
[Thermostat]	1	[amount]
[Duct changes, if any]	[feet or fittings]	[amount]
[Permit and inspection]	1	[amount]
Total		[total]

Not included: [duct cleaning, new ductwork past what's listed, electrical panel work, drywall].

Rebates: [any utility or tax rebates the customer may be able to claim, and who files them].

Warranty: [labor warranty]. Equipment: per the manufacturer, once it's registered.

To go ahead: sign below or reply yes with the option you want. [Deposit terms]

Giving options on a replacement estimate

A homeowner replacing a system is often choosing between you and two other shops. Two or three options on the same page keep them choosing between your options instead.

Same layout for each. One column per option, the same lines in the same order.
Say what changes. Efficiency, noise, warranty length, and how even the temperature stays.
Mark the one you'd pick. Say why in a sentence, for this house.
Keep it to three. More than that and nobody decides.

HVAC repair estimate for a service call

A repair doesn't need a page of lines. It needs what's wrong, what you'll do, and when the air comes back on. If the system is old enough that the repair is a hard sell, say so, and offer to price a replacement too.

Repair estimate by text

Hi [name], it's [your name] from [shop]. Your AC's blower motor is failing, which is why it's running but not cooling much. We'd replace the motor and the capacitor and test the system. [Amount], about [hours] hours. The unit is [age] years old, so if you'd like a price on a new one too, I'll send it. Want us on [day]?

Size it before you price it

Many contractors put in the same size the house already had. If the old system was the wrong size, the new one will be too. A load calculation, done room by room, tells you what the house needs. Put the result on the estimate, so the homeowner can see why your size differs from the other quotes.

Following up before they pick someone else

Replacement estimates go quiet while the homeowner thinks about it, and the shop that checks in first often gets the job. The hard part is remembering which estimates are still open on a busy week. Keep a list, or have a friendly check-in drafted for each one that's gone quiet.

By hand5 steps

Look through last week's estimates
Check which ones never got an answer
Write a check-in for each
Text or email each customer
Try to remember who to call next week

For every open estimate, when you remember.

Set up onceWaiting on you

The new system estimate for the Okafor home has been quiet 5 days. Want me to send this?

Hi Mrs. Okafor, it's Sam from Northside Heating. Just checking in on the estimate for the new system. Happy to answer any questions or walk through the options again.

Every open estimate checked, with a check-in drafted. You tap yes.

See the quote follow-up job →

NextA check-in ready for every quiet quoteSee how the quote follow-up job keeps open estimates from going cold.

Questions about HVAC estimates

Something else on your mind? Ask us on the fit call. No pitch, and we'll say if it isn't a fit.

Book a fit call

The equipment there now and its age, the new equipment by make, model and size, removal, the coil, line set, thermostat, any duct or electrical work, permits and haul away. Add what's not included, the warranty, how long the price holds and how to say yes.

On a replacement, yes. Two or three options in the same layout let the homeowner compare your choices instead of comparing you with another shop. Mark the one you'd pick for their house and say why.

Thirty days is common, since equipment prices change. Write the end date on the estimate. If the price changes after that, send a new one rather than a note.

Check in a few days after you send it, then again a week later, in a friendly way that offers to answer questions. In a Commonhouse setup, AI drafts the check-in for each quiet estimate and a person on your team reads it and sends it.