Know what an hour of your crew really costs, price every job to the margin you need, and see whether it is making money while it is still running.
A crew member's wage is not what their hour costs you. Payroll taxes, workers' comp and benefits sit on top of it. Price on the wage and the difference comes out of your profit on every job.
The kit comes with a filled-in example: Furnace + AC replacement. These are the estimate lines from that file.
| Cost code | Line | Line cost |
|---|---|---|
| General conditions | Load calc, site visit, scheduling | $202 |
| Permits & fees | Mechanical permit | $185 |
| Removal & disposal | Remove old furnace and condenser, recover refrigerant | $228 |
| Equipment | 96% AFUE furnace, 80k BTU | $2,744 |
| Equipment | 3-ton condenser + matched coil | $4,383 |
| Equipment | Condenser pad | $95 |
| Refrigerant & line sets | Line set 25 ft, brazing, evacuation | $735 |
| Gas piping | Reconnect gas, new shutoff and drip leg | $163 |
| Venting & flue | PVC intake and exhaust | $277 |
| Ductwork | New plenum and transitions | $591 |
| Electrical | Disconnect, whip, new circuit | $650 |
| Controls & thermostats | Smart thermostat | $249 |
| Startup & testing | Startup, charge check, combustion test | $147 |
| Total job cost incl. 5% contingency | $11,180 | |
| Markup from the company's overhead and profit target | 38.3% | |
| Price to client | $15,465 | |
| Gross margin, needed 27.7% | 27.7% ✓ |
Fictional example numbers. Your wages, overhead and supplier prices set your real price.
Turns your yearly overhead and profit target into the markup you need. Explains margin vs. markup.
True loaded cost per hour for every crew role.
Material, labor hours, subs and equipment per line. Warns you before a price below your margin goes out.
A clean price summary for the customer. Never shows your costs or markup.
Priced with your markup, with approval and signature tracking.
Budget vs. actual by cost code, projected final cost, margin fade, and what needs attention.
Residential HVAC contractors running 1 to 3 install crews who price changeouts and new installs. If you price by gut feel and find out at the end whether a job made money, this is for you.
Built by Wrench & Ledger, a two-partner team that has owned and run a 13-person trades company and managed commercial and residential construction projects.
Microsoft Excel (2016 or newer, Windows or Mac). We test every file in Excel. It has no macros and no locked sheets.
Yes. Set up your company numbers and labor rates once, then save a copy of the blank workbook for each job you price.
They are fictional numbers for a sample job so you can see every tab working. Replace them with your own wages, workers' comp rates and costs.
No. It is a pricing and job-tracking tool. Keep using your bookkeeping software and your accountant for taxes.
Email us within 14 days of purchase and we will fix it or refund you.