{"skill":{"slug":"afrexai-hvac","displayName":"HVAC Business Operations","summary":"Provides detailed HVAC contractor operations guidance including pricing, technician productivity, compliance, seasonal staffing, marketing, and growth strate...","description":"# HVAC Business Operations\n\nComplete operations reference for HVAC contractors and service companies. Covers residential and commercial pricing, technician productivity, seasonal planning, equipment margins, EPA compliance, and growth strategy.\n\n## What This Covers\n\n### Pricing & Revenue\n- **Service calls**: $89-150 diagnostic fee, $150-500 standard repair\n- **Installation**: Residential systems $5,000-15,000 (equipment + labor), commercial $15,000-100,000+\n- **Maintenance agreements**: $150-300/year residential, $500-2,000/year commercial\n- **Emergency/after-hours**: 1.5x-2x standard rates\n- **Target gross margins**: 50-55% service, 35-45% installation, 60%+ maintenance agreements\n\n### Labor & Technician Management\n- **Technician pay**: $22-35/hr (journeyman), $35-50/hr (senior/master), $18-22/hr (apprentice)\n- **Billable rate**: $95-175/hr residential, $125-225/hr commercial\n- **Revenue per tech**: Target $180,000-250,000/year\n- **Utilization target**: 75-85% billable hours\n- **Truck rolls per day**: 4-6 service calls, 1-2 installs\n- **Spiff programs**: $50-200 per maintenance agreement sold by tech, $100-500 per equipment upsell\n\n### Seasonal Planning\n- **Peak seasons**: Summer (cooling) Jun-Aug, Winter (heating) Nov-Feb\n- **Shoulder seasons**: Spring tune-ups Mar-May, Fall tune-ups Sep-Nov\n- **Revenue split**: 40% cooling, 35% heating, 25% maintenance/other\n- **Staffing**: Scale 20-30% temp labor for peak, cross-train for shoulder work\n- **Cash reserves**: 3 months operating expenses minimum for off-peak\n\n### Equipment & Inventory\n- **Top brands (residential)**: Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Daikin\n- **Markup**: 40-60% on equipment, 100-200% on parts\n- **Inventory turns**: Target 8-12x/year on common parts\n- **Must-stock parts**: capacitors, contactors, fan motors, thermostats, refrigerant, filters\n- **Vehicle inventory**: $3,000-5,000 per truck in common parts\n\n### Compliance & Licensing\n- **EPA Section 608**: Universal certification required for all techs handling refrigerant\n- **EPA 2025 AIM Act**: HFC phasedown — R-410A production cuts, R-454B transition underway\n- **State contractor license**: Required in most states, continuing education 8-24 hrs/year\n- **NATE certification**: Industry standard, higher close rates for certified techs\n- **OSHA**: Confined space, electrical safety, refrigerant handling, fall protection for rooftop units\n- **Building permits**: Required for new installations and major replacements in most jurisdictions\n\n### KPIs & Metrics\n| Metric | Target |\n|--------|--------|\n| Revenue per technician | $180K-250K/year |\n| Service agreement retention | 80%+ |\n| First-call fix rate | 85%+ |\n| Average ticket | $350-500 (service), $8,000-12,000 (install) |\n| Maintenance agreement attachment | 40%+ of service calls |\n| Customer acquisition cost | $150-300 |\n| Google review rating | 4.5+ stars |\n| Callback rate | <5% |\n\n### Marketing & Lead Generation\n- **Google Local Services Ads**: $25-75 per lead, highest intent\n- **Google Ads**: $15-40 per click for HVAC keywords\n- **Cost per lead target**: $50-150\n- **Conversion rate**: 60-70% for inbound service calls\n- **Review generation**: Ask after every completed job, target 5+ new reviews/week\n- **Referral program**: $50-100 credit per referred customer\n- **Maintenance agreement database**: Your most valuable asset — recurring revenue + replacement pipeline\n\n### Growth Playbook\n1. **$0-500K**: Owner-operator + 1-2 techs, residential service focus, build review base\n2. **$500K-1.5M**: 3-5 techs, add installations, hire dispatcher, maintenance agreement push\n3. **$1.5M-3M**: Dedicated install crews, commercial entry, service manager, fleet 5-8 trucks\n4. **$3M-5M**: Commercial contracts, energy efficiency audits, building automation, 10-15 techs\n5. **$5M+**: Multiple locations or territories, new construction partnerships, property management contracts\n\n### Technology Stack\n- **Field service management**: ServiceTitan ($250-500/mo), Housecall Pro ($65-200/mo), Jobber ($70-200/mo)\n- **Dispatch**: GPS fleet tracking ($25-40/truck/mo), route optimization\n- **Flat rate pricing book**: Required — eliminates technician pricing inconsistency\n- **Customer communication**: Automated appointment reminders, on-my-way texts, review requests\n- **Proposal software**: Digital quotes with good-better-best options increase average ticket 25-35%\n\n## Usage\n\nAsk your agent about HVAC business operations, pricing, compliance, seasonal planning, or growth strategy. Works with any AI agent platform.\n\nFor complete industry context packs with deeper operational playbooks, visit the [AfrexAI Context Pack Store](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/context-packs/).\n","topics":["Business Operations"],"tags":{"business":"1.0.0","contractor":"1.0.0","hvac":"1.0.0","latest":"1.0.0","operations":"1.0.0","pricing":"1.0.0"},"stats":{"comments":0,"downloads":692,"installsAllTime":26,"installsCurrent":0,"stars":0,"versions":1},"createdAt":1772315000726,"updatedAt":1778491674555},"latestVersion":{"version":"1.0.0","createdAt":1772315000726,"changelog":"afrexai-hvac 1.0.0\n\n- Initial release providing a comprehensive operations reference for HVAC contractors and service companies.\n- Covers essential topics including pricing & revenue, technician management, seasonal planning, equipment margins, compliance, KPIs, marketing, and growth strategies.\n- Offers detailed benchmarks: labor rates, margins, revenue per technician, and customer acquisition costs.\n- Includes practical tools for marketing, technology stack recommendations, and a staged growth playbook.\n- Designed for quick consultation on HVAC business operations and strategic planning.","license":null},"metadata":null,"owner":{"handle":"1kalin","userId":"s17e1q0nx23qnh4n429zzqc05x83hvsw","displayName":"1kalin","image":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/15705344?v=4"},"moderation":null}