Williams Air Solutions

Bid Calculator

What should you bid on this install or project? Build the number from actual costs, not guesswork.

Labor

hrs
Total hours per installer. Standard residential: 8-16 hrs. Complex/attic: 16-24 hrs.
Typically 2 for residential, 3-4 for commercial.
$ /hr
True cost per hour including taxes and benefits. Calculate it if unknown.

Equipment & Materials

$
What you pay for condenser, air handler, thermostat, accessories.
%
Major equipment: 15-35%. Lower than parts because the dollar amount is large.
$
Ductwork, fittings, refrigerant, electrical, pad, and supplies.
%
Materials: 50-100%. Higher than equipment because individual items are small.

Subcontractors & Permits

$
Electrical disconnect, crane, duct fabrication. $0 if no subs needed.
$
Building permit, mechanical permit, inspection fees. Varies by jurisdiction.

Overhead & Profit

$ /hr
Annual overhead divided by annual billable hours. Break-Even Calculator can find this.
%
Industry target for installs: 10-20%. Service work targets higher (40-50%).
%
Budget for unknowns — attic surprises, duct modifications, electrical work. 0% means no safety margin.

System Info (Optional)

tons
Enter to see cost-per-ton benchmark. Leave blank to skip.

Enter labor hours and equipment cost to build a bid.

What to do with this number
  1. Add 5–10% contingency for unknowns. Attic access issues, code surprises, rotted platforms, and electrical upgrades eat profit if not budgeted. The contingency is not padding — it is protection against the things you cannot see until the job starts.
  2. Use the loaded rate, not the hourly wage. The labor cost in your bid must use the Loaded Labor Rate from Calculator 1, not the tech's pay rate. The difference is $10–$20/hour of unrecovered cost per tech.
  3. Compare but do not race to the bottom. Know what competitors charge, but competing on price alone guarantees thin margins. Compete on value, speed, warranty, and trust. The cheapest bid wins the job and loses the profit.
  4. Track actual vs bid costs. After every job, compare what you bid to what you actually spent. If you consistently run over on labor hours or material costs, adjust your estimates. The bid calculator is only as good as the inputs you give it.

These calculations use construction bidding methodology and HVAC-specific bid structure from ACCA and industry benchmarks. Adjust for your market, complexity, and customer expectations.

Related Topics

Price Book Builder Loaded Labor Rate Calculator Break-Even Calculator
Sources (4)
  • ACCA — installation guidelines and bid structure
  • Oryx-Horn — 2026 install benchmarks
  • FieldCamp — 2026 residential install pricing
  • CSI UniFormat — construction bidding standards