How the range is built

The short version: we add up what a job costs a contractor, then apply a range of contractor margins.

Where this stands today. The numbers behind the range are estimates. They have not yet been checked against real Atlanta quotes or supplier prices. Until that is done, treat every result as a rough guide.

What goes into the number

• Equipment. A wholesale cost for the system type, size, brand tier, efficiency and compressor type you describe.
• Labor. Crew hours for that kind of job, adjusted for where the indoor unit sits (an attic or crawlspace takes longer).
• Materials. The pad, disconnect, drain, wiring and other parts a normal install uses.
• Ductwork. Nothing, modifications, or a full replacement priced by home size.
• Extras and permit. Any add-ons in the quote, plus the county permit.

Those add up to the contractor's direct cost. Dividing by one minus a gross margin gives a price. We do that at a low, a typical and a high margin, which produces the low, typical and high price.

What the result means

We tell you whether your quote is below, inside or above that range, and how far it is from the typical price. That is a comparison with a model. It is not a percentile, because a percentile needs a large set of real quotes, which we are still collecting.

It is also never a judgment about the contractor who wrote the quote. A price above the range is often a higher equipment tier, a longer warranty or more work than you entered.

What it does not cover yet

• Differences between neighborhoods or zip codes.
• Warranty length and terms.
• Rebates and tax credits.
• Zoning systems and multi-zone ductless systems beyond a rough size adjustment.

How far it has been checked

So far the model has been compared with only a few real quotes. They came in below its range, so on November 11, 2026 we lowered our equipment cost estimates by 15%, which brings the range down by about 10%. That is a judgment from thin evidence, and the range will move again as more quotes are checked.

Your document

When you choose a PDF, your own browser opens it. The text of the quote, with addresses, phone numbers and emails removed, is sent to an AI service to pick out the job details. We keep that text and the job details to improve our ranges, and we keep the document itself only if you leave the "give us the PDF" box ticked. See the privacy page.

Overhead and profit

The result shows gross profit, which is the price minus the job's own costs, and then takes overhead out of it to leave net profit. Overhead is our estimate of what it costs to run an HVAC business per job. We show it in three parts: general overhead, marketing and lead generation, and a sales commission, using ranges that industry software vendors publish for HVAC companies. Every one of these is an estimate from our model, not a figure from any contractor.