Write the equipment down first
When a homeowner is comparing three changeout prices, the spread usually comes from equipment, not labor. A fourteen SEER builder unit and a high efficiency variable speed system aren’t the same job, and if your estimate doesn’t say which one you quoted, the customer has no way to tell why yours costs more.
Filling in the model number and the warranty at the top is thirty seconds that makes your price make sense.
Keep permit separate
Permit fees are set by the jurisdiction, not by you. Showing them on their own line keeps the rest of the estimate readable, and it keeps you from looking like you marked up a government fee.
No heat in January
Emergency replacement work is won on speed more than anything else. The customer is cold and they want the problem to stop. The company that leaves a written price behind is usually the one that gets the call back, even when they’re not the cheapest.
If handwriting it’s what slows you down, the HVAC side of BidRise prices the job from your own book while you’re still standing at the condenser, and the homeowner can sign it on their phone.
If you’re not ready for that, print this one. It’s free and there’s nothing to sign up for.
