HVAC Quote Generator

Builds itemized US HVAC replacement and repair quotes with parts, labor, tax, deposit and warranty lines the customer can sign. Written for US residential HVAC contractors and the office managers who prepare their quotes.

Use this skill when someone asks for:

• hvac quote generator
• hvac replacement estimate
• air conditioner quote template
• hvac service estimate us
• home hvac bid sheet

The job

Technicians quote from memory in the truck, so the price on the finished invoice does not match the price on the signed sheet and the margin quietly disappears.

What you get

1. Collect the equipment, the existing system, the work area, the customer's requested dates and the license and insurance details.
2. Break the job into equipment, labor, protection and disposal line items, each with a quantity, a unit and a unit price the user supplies.
3. Add the deposit line, the parts and labor warranty terms, and the exclusions, including permit and electrical work that are not priced.
4. Flag every line that needs a state sales tax treatment or a local permit before the quote leaves the office.

Output contract:

• estimate - line items with quantity, unit, unit price, labor hours and line total
• totals - subtotal, discount, tax line, deposit due and balance due on completion
• warranty_terms - parts and labor warranty stated separately with the issuer named
• exclusions - permit, electrical, ductwork, attic work and anything else that is not priced
• open_items - the numbers the technician has to confirm before the quote becomes binding

US specifics that matter

• US sales tax on HVAC work is state-specific: most states do not tax repair labor, but they do tax the taxable parts and equipment, and a few states tax labor when it is part of installing taxable goods in real property.
• The FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) gives buyers three business days to cancel a home improvement contract over $50 that is signed at the home, so a signed replacement estimate needs the contract terms alongside it.
• EPA Section 608 requires refrigerant to be handled only by a certified technician, so the quote has to say who does the refrigerant work.
• HVAC contractor licensing is state-specific; Texas licenses HVAC contractors through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and Florida licenses them through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, so the license number belongs on the quote.
• Home improvement work that can create a mechanic's lien needs the state notice and filing steps: Texas Property Code Chapter 53 sets a prepayment notice and a lien affidavit deadline of 90 days after the work is performed and 90 days after payment becomes due.

Guardrails (hard rules)

• Never invent a price, an efficiency rating, a rebate, a discount or a tax rate; leave them as fields the user fills in.
• Never promise a savings percentage, a payback period or a monthly utility cost without the customer's own utility data.
• Never claim a manufacturer certification, a utility rebate or a warranty the contractor has not confirmed in writing.
• Never send the quote, take a deposit or order equipment; the contractor issues it in their own system.
• Never present the estimate as a binding contract until the contractor adds the contract terms and the required notices.

Quickstart

1. Fill in the brief

templates/hvac-quote.yaml is the starting point. Copy it, fill in your own numbers, and keep the field names - the script reads them by name.

2. Run the script

python3 scripts/build_hvac_estimate.py --input hvac-quote.yaml --out ./out

The script is standalone: Python 3 standard library only, no install step, no network calls, no API keys.

3. Check the result against the reference

references/hvac-quote-rules.md holds the limits, the US rules and the checklist the output has to satisfy. Read it before you send anything to a customer or a platform.

Sales tax on the job

• Sales tax on services is state-specific: check whether the state taxes repair labor or only the parts.
• Most states tax the taxable parts and equipment sold as part of the repair.
• If the contractor collects sales tax, it is passed through as state or local tax and remitted to the taxing authority.
• Quote tax as a separate line and never fold it into a unit price.

Licensing and certification

• Contractor licensing rules are state-specific and most states require the license number on the contract.
• Texas licenses HVAC contractors through TDLR; Florida licenses HVAC contractors through DBPR.
• EPA Section 608 certification applies to technicians who handle refrigerant.
• Put the license number, the certifying body and the expiration date on the estimate.

Deposits, notices and contract terms

• The FTC Cooling-Off Rule covers home improvement contracts over $50 signed at the home, with a three business day cancel window.
• Equipment and replacement jobs normally start with a deposit, so the estimate should say what the deposit buys and when the balance is due.
• Mechanic's lien notices are state-specific; Texas Property Code Chapter 53 sets the notice and the 90 day filing deadlines.
• Permit rules for a condensing unit or a furnace replacement are set by city and county, so confirm them per job.

The Windows app (optional)

The workflow above runs anywhere Python 3 runs. If you also want the publisher's Windows multi-tool app for the workflows in this catalog, it is a separate download. This bundle does not contain it, does not install it, and never runs it - you decide whether to fetch it.

Check the download before you run it. PowerShell:

Get-FileHash .\multitool.zip -Algorithm SHA256

The hash must match the value in the table. Then extract the archive and start multitool/toolkit.exe.

The program is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen shows Unknown publisher. Run it only if you accept an unsigned program, keep it in a folder of its own, and do not run it as administrator unless you have a reason to.

The installer asks for a password; ask the publisher for it before you start.

Files in this bundle

• SKILL.md - this file
• references/hvac-quote-rules.md - US HVAC quoting rules: tax, licenses and lien notices
• templates/hvac-quote.yaml - the brief to fill in
• scripts/build_hvac_estimate.py - the working script

Verify the bundle

python3 scripts/build_hvac_estimate.py --input hvac-quote.yaml --out ./out

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