Trades and field services
Three equipment options is the easy part. Justifying them is the job.
A homeowner comparing three replacement bids is not reading SEER2 ratings. They are reading whichever proposal explains why the return is undersized, what the Manual J actually said, and which rebate they lose if they wait until spring. That explanation is what wins the job, and it is the part no pricebook writes for you. The Proposal Maker drafts it from the changeouts you have already sold.
Where this fits
You already run ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, BuildOps or ServiceTrade. This is not that.
The gap
These platforms own the pricebook, the dispatch board and the option-builder, and an HVAC business of any size should be running one. Their weakness is that every proposal they produce is visibly the same proposal. The customer who has collected three bids can tell which two came out of the same template, and the narrative that would differentiate yours is still something a comfort advisor types after hours.
What this does not do
This is not a replacement for ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro or BuildOps. It does not hold a pricebook, size equipment, run Manual J, dispatch technicians, or manage maintenance agreements. It writes the proposal document, using the numbers your existing system already produced.
Scope
What a HVAC contractor's proposal actually has to itemise
- System replacement: existing and proposed equipment, tonnage, SEER2 and HSPF, and why the size changed
- Manual J load calculation result and what it means for the equipment selection
- Ductwork modification or replacement: static pressure findings, return sizing, and sealing
- Line set replacement or flush, and the refrigerant type transition where it applies
- Zoning, dampers and controls, including the thermostat the customer actually ends up touching
- Indoor air quality additions: filtration, ventilation, humidification, and what each one is solving
- Rooftop unit changeout on commercial work, with crane, curb adapter and roof penetration responsibility
Pricing
How HVAC contractors price the work
Good, better, best
Three equipment tiers on one page, each with its own efficiency, warranty and rebate consequence spelled out, so the decision is between your options.
Installed price by system
A single installed number per system, with the equipment schedule and the included accessories listed so it is comparable to other bids on the same basis.
Maintenance agreement attached
The annual agreement presented alongside the install, with the warranty condition it protects stated rather than assumed.
Commercial time and materials
Service and retrofit work at a labour rate with a not-to-exceed, plus after-hours and overtime rates named up front.
The document
What comes out the other end
- 01Findings from the load calculation and the static pressure readings you took
- 02Why the existing system is failing, in terms the homeowner can repeat to a spouse
- 03Equipment schedule: manufacturer, model, tonnage, efficiency rating, and matched components
- 04Ductwork scope and what is being left alone, which is where most disputes start
- 05Rebates and tax credits identified, with who files what and by when
- 06Exclusions: electrical service upgrades, gas line resizing, structural framing, asbestos or mould remediation
- 07Warranty broken into parts, labour, and manufacturer registration requirements
- 08Payment schedule and the deposit that reserves the equipment
Compliance
The details that belong on the document, not in a follow-up email
- Contractor licence and, where required, EPA Section 608 certification referenced for refrigerant handling
- Manual J, S and D basis stated where the sizing is likely to be challenged by another bidder
- Mechanical permit responsibility and inspection scheduling written into the proposal
- Refrigerant transition obligations named where an older system is being replaced, including recovery and disposal
- Utility rebate and tax credit eligibility conditions stated as conditions, not promises, since they turn on the customer's own tax position
General guidance, not legal advice. Requirements vary by state and jurisdiction — confirm yours with counsel or your licensing board.
Straight answers
The three things you are probably thinking
“My software already builds good-better-best options.”
It builds the price columns. What it does not build is the paragraph explaining why the middle option is the one you would put in your own house. That paragraph is why one of the three bids gets signed.
“Rebate rules change constantly. I do not want AI guessing.”
It does not source rebate rules. It reproduces what you tell it, in the structure your past proposals use, and flags eligibility as conditional. You verify the programme; it writes the section.
“We run 40 changeouts a month. This sounds slow.”
Setup is one upload of past proposals. After that a proposal is an intake and a review, and the drafting time is where the saving is. If your 40 are identical repeat installs, the honest answer is that this matters less to you.
FAQ
HVAC proposals: common questions
Does it replace ServiceTitan?
No. Dispatch, pricebook, invoicing, memberships and reporting all stay where they are. This produces the customer-facing proposal, which is the one thing those platforms template rather than write.
Can it size equipment or run Manual J?
No. Sizing stays with you and your load calculation software. It writes up the result so the homeowner understands why the tonnage changed.
Does it know about current tax credits and utility rebates?
It reproduces what you provide and what appears in your past proposals, and frames eligibility as conditional. Do not rely on it as a source of programme rules — those change by state and by year.
How long does setup take?
Upload three or four past proposals and confirm the firm profile it drafts from them. Most contractors are sending their first generated proposal the same day.
Can I still edit before it goes out?
Every section is editable inline, and the PDF, Word file and share link all reflect exactly what you approved.
Related
Other trades we have written this up for
See what it writes from your last hvac proposal.
Upload three or four you were happy to send. The next one drafts in the same voice.