23 - HVAC
HVAC bid estimating, without the grind.
The mechanical number is set less by the duct tonnage than by who owns the controls/BAS scope, whether test-and-balance is priced in, and how the equipment schedule lines up with the design loads. Drop in your package and get back a cited first-pass: equipment by schedule, duct by sheet-metal weight (SMACNA gauge/reinforcement), piping by LF, and the controls, TAB, and rigging flags that most often split a mechanical bid.
✓ PE-reviewable✓ Cited to source✓ Your hvac / mechanical workflow
✓
REVIEWED
REVIEWED
Equipment — RTUs/AHUs/chillers/boilers/pumps/VAV (by schedule)measure EA (by tag/schedule)— cite
Ductwork — supply/return/exhaust (by weight + fittings)measure LB (by gauge) or SF of sheet metal— cite
Duct + pipe insulationmeasure SF / LF— cite
Hydronic / refrigerant / steam pipingmeasure LF (by size + material)— cite
Grilles, registers, diffusers (GRD)measure EA (by tag/schedule)— cite
7
governing codes
10
line-item groups
7
units of measure
6
risk flags
What it surfaces for hvac / mechanical
Priced for the way hvac / mechanical is actually bid.
The engine reads your package and flags exactly what bites hvac / mechanical estimators — before it costs you.
Governing codes named: ASHRAE 90.1 (energy standard — equipment efficiency, economizers, controls), ASHRAE 62.1 (ventilation/OA rates), IMC (install), SMACNA (duct construction), NFPA 90A/96 (air-handling + kitchen exhaust), AHRI (equipment ratings), IECC/local energy code (commissioning).
Line-item groups your bid breaks into: equipment (RTUs/AHUs/chillers/boilers/pumps/VAV by schedule); ductwork supply/return/exhaust by weight+fittings; duct+pipe insulation; hydronic/refrigerant/steam piping; grilles/registers/diffusers; kitchen/lab/special exhaust (NFPA 96); controls/DDC/BAS; rigging/crane; TAB+commissioning; startup+warranty.
The HVAC risks ranked: controls/BAS scope split (DDC in the mechanical bid or a separate contractor — a major cost line); equipment lead time + escalation (RTUs/chillers); rigging/roof access (crane picks + structural curbs); test-and-balance/commissioning assumed out; kitchen/special exhaust (NFPA 96); ventilation/energy-code compliance (ASHRAE 62.1 + 90.1 economizer/DCV).
The RFIs drafted (verbatim): "Controls / BAS scope: temperature controls and DDC by us or a separate controls contractor, and what integration/points list?" "Test-and-balance (TAB) and commissioning — in our scope, and by an independent agency?" "Duct construction: SMACNA pressure class, seal/leakage class, and liner vs. external insulation?"
The trade's anatomy
Everything hvac / mechanical needs, structured.
Line-item groups
Equipment — RTUs/AHUs/chillers/boilers/pumps/VAV (by schedule)Ductwork — supply/return/exhaust (by weight + fittings)Duct + pipe insulationHydronic / refrigerant / steam pipingGrilles, registers, diffusers (GRD)Kitchen / lab / special exhaust (NFPA 96)Controls / DDC / BAS (often a separate contractor)Rigging / crane for equipment setTest + balance (TAB) + commissioningStartup + warranty
Governing codes
ASHRAE 90.1 · energy standard — equipment efficiency, economizers, controlsASHRAE 62.1 · ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality (OA rates)IMC · International Mechanical Code (install requirements)SMACNA · duct construction standards (gauge, reinforcement, leakage class)NFPA 90A/96 · air-handling systems + commercial kitchen exhaustAHRI · equipment performance certification/ratingsIECC / local energy code · commissioning + envelope-mechanical interaction
Units of measure
equipment (RTUs, AHUs, chillers, boilers, pumps, VAVs) → EA (by tag/schedule)cooling capacity → TON (12,000 BTU/h) — sanity-check equipment sizingairflow → CFM — for air balance + equipment selectionductwork → LB (by gauge) or SF of sheet metalpiping (hydronic/refrigerant) → LF (by size + material)insulation (duct + pipe) → SF / LFcontrols points / DDC → EA (points) — often a separate controls contractor
The risks that usually bite
Controls / BAS scope splitEquipment lead time + escalationRigging / roof accessTest-and-balance / commissioningKitchen / special exhaustVentilation / energy-code compliance
“"Mechanical's a big-equipment + duct bid; my estimator already knows the equipment schedule."”
Equipment pricing is the easy half — the money is in the splits and the schedule. The analysis surfaces the four questions that decide whether a mechanical bid wins at a number you'd sign: who owns DDC/BAS, is TAB/Cx in the number, what rigging/roof access costs, and whether the energy-code (62.1 OA rates, 90.1 economizer/DCV) actually matches the equipment schedule. Cited hands to the mechanical PE for review clean.
Run this on your own HVAC package.
30 minutes. Bring a real set — a mechanical core-and-shell, a lab, or a kitchen-exhaust job — and watch the cited line items, the controls/TAB flags, and the equipment-schedule RFIs on your actual drawings.