Field Tips
Apr 14, 2026 • 7 min read
How HVAC Shops Use Granular Job Costing to Protect Margins
Equipment surcharges keep climbing, and the labor market is tight enough that the old three-times-parts shortcut no longer holds for a lot of residential HVAC shops. Homeowners are still price sensitive, but refrigerant and coil costs are not standing still. Nationally, we are seeing double-digit year-over-year pressure in several line items. That is less a blip than a reminder that service departments need to account for every unbilled minute if they want to hold something near 20% net.
