HVAC Pricing Calculator
Price every HVAC job to actually hit your margin. Add materials, labour, and overhead, set the margin you want, and get the number to quote.
Built for HVAC owners who'd rather know than guess. Your numbers stay in your browser.
| Materials | $560 |
| Labour | $500 |
| Other direct | $0 |
| Total cost | $1,060 |
| Profit at this price | $867 |
Pricing to margin (cost ÷ (1 − margin)) hits your number. Adding a flat percentage on top of cost quietly undershoots it.
What you get
Three reasons this earns its place on your desk
Quote to a margin, not a hunch
Enter your real costs and the margin you want, and the calculator returns the price that delivers it.
See where the profit goes
A clean breakdown of materials, labour, overhead, and profit on every job, so nothing hides.
Catch the jobs that lose money
Run a job before you quote it and you will spot the HVAC work that is priced to lose before you sign it.
How it works
The math behind the number
Total your direct costs — materials, labour at its true hourly cost, and other direct items — then divide by one minus your target margin. That markup is what actually hits the margin; adding a flat percentage on top of cost undershoots it.
The defaults
HVAC benchmarks (2026)
The calculator starts from the 2026 figures sourced below, so the first number you see is realistic, then you replace them with your own.
| Benchmark | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Average job value | $1,600 |
| Gross margin | 45% |
| Net profit margin | 8% |
| Median field-tech wage | $28.75/hr |
| Payroll burden | 32% |
| Billable utilization | 65% |
| Billed labour rate | $125/hr |
| Close rate | 43% |
| Marketing % of revenue | 7% |
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS, Heating/AC/Refrigeration Mechanics & Installers (49-9021), May 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Outlook Handbook: HVAC Mechanics & Installers (median wage May 2024)
- Built on Tenth — Average HVAC Ticket Size by Job Type (2025-2026 market intelligence)
- CEO Finance Academy — HVAC Business Profit Margins at $1M-$5M (cites 2024 ACCA Financial Benchmarking Study)
- ACHR News — Report: Only 65% of HVAC Technician Time is Billable Hours
- ACHR News — Survey Reveals Strategies to Boost HVAC Close Rates by Double Digits
- WebFX — 2026 HVAC Marketing Benchmarks (~7% of revenue, CPL data)
- BDR — How Much Should HVAC Contractors Spend on Marketing (7-12% of revenue)
- Rippling — How to Calculate Labor Burden: 2025 Guide (25-40% burden range)
- ServiceTitan — HVAC Labor Rate Calculator & Field Service Metrics (billed rates, utilization)
Get the download
Email me the editable pricing sheet
Get the spreadsheet so you can price every job to margin and keep your defaults current.
FAQ
Common questions
- How should a HVAC contractor price a job?
- Total your direct costs — materials, job labour at its true cost, and any direct overhead — then divide by one minus your target margin. That markup is what hits the margin; adding a flat percentage on top of cost usually undershoots it.
- What is the difference between markup and margin?
- Margin is profit as a share of the price; markup is profit as a share of cost. A 25 percent margin needs about a 33 percent markup. The calculator handles the conversion so you quote the right number.
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