An HVAC contractor past 300 installs a year already knows where the stack cracks. Equipment pricing in a Carrier spreadsheet. Rebate capture through PDF form fills. Finance options as a GreenSky referral. Strkr pulls those three onto a shared quote shape with every line item structured.
Any HVAC contractor past the first-year grind carries operational weight that a generic quote tool was never written to hold. Residential installs run 2.5 to 5 ton condensers, variable-speed air handlers, matched coils, and copper-and-line-set configurations with hundreds of SKUs per manufacturer across Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Mitsubishi, Daikin, and the private-label distributors. Load calculations ship as ACCA Manual J documents that nobody attaches to the proposal. Rebates come from utility companies, manufacturer promotions, state incentives, federal tax credits, and the Inflation Reduction Act Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Credit, each with different capture requirements and timelines. Finance options run through GreenSky, FTL, Synchrony, Service Finance, and manufacturer-backed programs. Six specific failure patterns show up at the growing HVAC contractor on the quoting shape alone, each one bleeding either close rate or margin or both.
An HVAC contractor carrying three brand lines (Carrier, Trane, and a value brand like Goodman) typically runs three parallel price spreadsheets. Each one updates on a different quarterly cadence. The quoter grabs whichever sheet they had open and sends an outdated quote. Signed deals land at a different margin than quoted because the price list moved.
ACCA Manual J load calculations drive proper equipment sizing. On a patched stack, the Manual J ships as a separate PDF generated in Wrightsoft or Elite that nobody attaches to the proposal. Buyers who compare quotes see wildly different equipment sizes without knowing why. Contractors who attach Manual J plus the proposal win significantly more head-to-head bids on technical ground.
Utility rebates, manufacturer rebates, state incentives, federal tax credits, and IRA Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Credit can stack to $2,000 to $8,000 per residential install. On a patched stack, each rebate requires a separate PDF form fill after the install. Contractors who capture rebate paperwork at quote time close significantly more deals because the net price looks dramatically different.
Residential HVAC installs run $8,000 to $25,000 and are typically financed. GreenSky, FTL, Synchrony, and Service Finance each ship their own offer rates and terms. On a patched stack, the finance conversation happens after the buyer signs or walks. Contractors who present monthly-payment options at quote time close 25 to 40 percent more deals.
Commercial HVAC quotes often reference engineering drawings for rooftop units, VAV systems, ductwork design, and refrigerant piping. On a patched stack, the quote lives as a text document that references the drawings. Structured line items with equipment specs, drawing references, and load-balancing calculations collapse the commercial-quote-dispute window.
The industry close rate on residential HVAC quotes runs 25 to 40 percent. Contractors who ship a structured follow-up cadence (Thursday nudge after Tuesday quote, 7-day financing reminder, 14-day final touch) typically lift close rate 10 to 15 points. Without a CRM behind the quote tool, the follow-up never fires.
Every capability below ships on each paid tier with no admin certification required and no contact-tier add-on in the invoice. The design brief is blunt: a comfort advisor between in-home consultations needs to build a professional quote in 20 minutes carrying equipment, load calc, rebate stack, finance options, and e-sign-ready signature block.
Every HVAC SKU lives in the Products module with versioned pricing, AHRI rating, SEER2, EER2, HSPF2, Energy Star qualification, and manufacturer-rebate eligibility. Quotes draft off the live catalog so Carrier price changes and Trane promotional pricing flow directly into every new quote.
Manual J load calculations from Wrightsoft, Elite, and other load-calc tools attach directly to the quote via file upload or open REST integration. The buyer sees the engineering rationale for the proposed equipment size, which closes the "why is their quote smaller" question.
Each rebate (utility rebate, manufacturer promotion, state incentive, federal 25C tax credit, Inflation Reduction Act Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Credit) lives as a structured record with eligibility criteria, dollar amount, application timeline, and required documentation. Quotes auto-attach eligible rebates based on equipment selection and location.
Each finance partner lives as a structured integration with rate cards, term options, and approval status. Quotes present monthly-payment options at the point of signature. For contractors using manufacturer-backed finance programs (Carrier Infinity Rewards, Trane Comfort+), those integrate alongside the third-party options.
Quotes ship as e-sign-ready documents via DocuSign or PandaDoc integration. Buyer details, equipment lines, rebate stack, and finance monthly payment all pre-fill. Signatures capture on mobile, which closes the Tuesday-quote-to-Friday-signed delta.
Each quote can carry two or three equipment tiers (good-better-best) with per-tier pricing, rebate stacking, and finance options. The buyer picks the tier at signature. Close rate climbs on multi-option proposals because the buyer frames their decision as "which tier" instead of "yes or no".
A quote-sent event kicks off a drafted cadence: Thursday nudge, 7-day financing reminder, 14-day final touch, 30-day re-engagement. The follow-up motion that most contractors never systematize becomes a scheduled motion.
Commercial quotes carry structured line items for rooftop units, variable air volume boxes, ductwork design, refrigerant piping, controls, and startup commissioning. Line items link to equipment specs, drawing references, and load-balancing calculations.
Strkr AI reads the equipment selection and rebate stack, drafts the quote narrative (why this equipment, what the Manual J confirmed, how the rebates stack), and writes the buyer email with the attached proposal. Fifteen minutes of quoter admin collapses to three.
A residential HVAC install involves comfort advisor, install crew, warehouse, finance partner, utility rebate submitter, and the homeowner. The Projects module gives the contractor the delivery view that a quote-tool-plus-QuickBooks stack has never produced.
Each signed install is a project row carrying equipment ordered, install scheduled, crew assigned, rebate paperwork, and warranty activation as milestones.
A signed quote triggers a distributor PO draft with equipment line items pulled from the live catalog. The warehouse pulls equipment on install day; the quoter never retypes equipment specs.
ServiceTitan continues to own dispatch and the technician mobile experience. Housecall Pro continues to own the smaller-shop workflow. Strkr integrates via open REST calls to pull dispatch and completion data back to the install file.
Each eligible rebate carries a submission task with required documentation (AHRI certificate, serial numbers, invoice, Manual J, utility bill). The admin opens the rebate queue and submits in batch instead of one-at-a-time.
Finance paperwork pre-fills from the Strkr file: buyer details, equipment lines, approved amount, monthly payment. Buyers sign on mobile at the kitchen table instead of a day-two follow-up appointment.
The install-day coordinator opens one view carrying crew assignment, equipment staged, parts pulled, permit status, and homeowner contact. The 6am Friday scramble to track down missing refrigerant copper stops happening.
Each install carries a structured startup commissioning checklist: refrigerant charge, airflow measurement, static pressure, superheat and subcooling verification, thermostat programming, filter installation, and homeowner walkthrough.
An install-complete event fires manufacturer warranty registration (Carrier Infinity Rewards, Trane Comfort+, Lennox) through API where available or structured task where not. The 10-year parts warranty that only activates on registration actually activates every time.
The sales manager for an HVAC contractor asks three questions every quarter. Which quotes are stalling. How many installs land inside the next 30 days. What next-quarter revenue looks like against pipeline.
Days-since-sent, buyer-response latency, financing-status, and competitor-quote-presence feed a composite score. Stalling quotes surface two weeks before they go cold.
A sortable row set shows every scheduled install with date, crew, equipment status, permit status, and homeowner contact.
The forecast rolls three motions onto one view: scheduled installs, open-quote pipeline with weighted close probability, and service-contract renewals.
A load report shows active quote count, weekly in-home consult hours booked, and open slot count per comfort advisor.
Each signed install attributes back to the channel that originated the lead: Google LSA, past-customer referral, warranty call, dealer directory, or website.
A ranking surface shows signed-install mix by brand and tier so the contractor plans distributor inventory against actual demand.
The standard comparison puts a quote-only tool (CRM-less) next to a general field-service CRM (quote-light). For a contractor past the point where equipment pricing is the whole need, the actual evaluation hinges on four or five axes.
Strkr: roughly one to two weeks for a 10-advisor contractor. Equipment catalog imports from Carrier, Trane, and distributor price lists. Finance partner integrations ship pre-built.
Most quote tools model residential well and treat commercial as a bolt-on. Strkr ships both shapes on the same tenant with structured line items for residential split systems plus commercial rooftop and VAV configurations.
Most quote tools treat rebates as a free-text note. Strkr ships rebates as a structured catalog with eligibility rules, auto-attach to eligible quotes, and submission workflow.
A patched stack opens cheap and gets ugly inside two years. By month 36, a 10-advisor contractor typically pays for a quote tool, a CRM, a load-calc tool, a rebate submission tool, a finance referral, and QuickBooks. Strkr folds the quote plus CRM plus rebate plus finance layer into a single per-seat invoice.
A comfort advisor running six in-home consults a day builds quotes on the phone or tablet at the kitchen table. Strkr mobile ships as a first-class surface with offline queue for the basement Wi-Fi dead zone.
Clean exports to CSV plus JSON on day one. Portability keeps the vendor honest.
An HVAC contractor holds data that generic CRMs do not scope correctly: homeowner finance applications, Social Security numbers for credit pulls, utility account numbers for rebates. The default should be privacy.
The comfort advisor opens the quote shape. The install coordinator opens the dispatch board. Technicians open their own install file. Admin opens dashboards. Role-based access is live on day one.
Social Security numbers, credit-pull results, and finance application data land on the deal file with scoped access that only extends to the finance team.
Utility account numbers for rebate submission and homeowner tax info for 25C credit scope to the rebate submission team only.
Each change written to a quote or install file logs the acting user. GDPR and CCPA compliant on day one.
The optional portal lets homeowners open their own quote, install progress, rebate status, warranty certificate, and finance paperwork.
When a job wraps, homeowners can request a full export. SOC 2 Type II in progress through 2026-Q4.
A growing HVAC contractor typically carries four or five parallel subscriptions. Field service through ServiceTitan or Housecall Pro. Finance through GreenSky, FTL, or Synchrony. Load calc through Wrightsoft or Elite. QuickBooks for accounting. Strkr folds the quote plus CRM plus rebate plus finance layer into one file.
| Feature | Strkr | ServiceTitan plus GreenSky plus Wrightsoft |
|---|---|---|
| How the bill scales | Flat per-seat invoice with every module live on every paid tier | Four or five parallel subscriptions |
| Equipment catalog | Structured Products module with versioned pricing across all brands | Three parallel price spreadsheets |
| Manual J integration | Native attachment with buyer-facing engineering rationale | Separate PDF nobody attaches |
| Rebate catalog | Utility, manufacturer, state, federal, and IRA structured | Free-text notes, missed rebates |
| Finance options | GreenSky, FTL, Synchrony, Service Finance structured at quote time | Post-signature finance conversation |
| Multi-option proposals | Good-better-best shipped as one document | Separate quotes per tier |
| E-sign ready | DocuSign and PandaDoc with pre-filled fields | Separate DocuSign line item |
| Follow-up cadence | Automated nudges on quote-sent event | Comfort-advisor memory |
| Field service | Open REST plus webhook integration with ServiceTitan | ServiceTitan handles this well, stays in place |
| Install-day coordination | Projects module with crew, equipment, parts, permit view | ServiceTitan dispatch or spreadsheet |
| Warranty activation | Manufacturer registration on install-complete trigger | Manual registration, often missed |
| Marketing automation | Live on every paid tier with no contact-tier meter | Mailchimp on a contact tier |
The common pattern across HVAC customers lands on four moments: in-home-consult-to-signed-quote handoff, equipment-order-to-install cycle, rebate submission motion, and post-install warranty activation.
A comfort advisor builds a good-better-best quote at the kitchen table with equipment specs, Manual J, utility rebate stack, and GreenSky monthly-payment options all on one page. The homeowner picks the tier and signs on tablet. Close rate climbs 25 to 40 percent on this one workflow.
A commercial HVAC contractor quotes a 20-unit rooftop retrofit with structured line items for RTUs, controls, refrigerant piping, ductwork design, and startup commissioning. Engineering drawings attach natively. The commercial dispute window on quote-vs-install closes.
A residential HVAC contractor working the rebate motion stacks utility rebate ($1,200), manufacturer promotion ($800), state incentive ($600), 25C federal tax credit ($2,000), and IRA Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Credit ($600) per residential install. Average rebate stack lands at $4,200.
A quote-sent event fires a drafted cadence: Thursday nudge, 7-day financing reminder, 14-day final touch, 30-day re-engagement. The follow-up motion lifts close rate 10 to 15 points across the first quarter.
An install-complete event fires manufacturer warranty registration via API where available. The 10-year parts warranty that only activates on registration actually activates every time, which closes the warranty-dispute risk that occasionally kills online reviews.
Start a 14-day trial with CRM, Marketing, Projects, Strkr Messaging, and Products on from day one. Move over from QuoteSoft, MeasureQuick, or a spreadsheet with a guided setup.
No. ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro do field service well: dispatch, technician mobile, service tickets, the field-service motion. Those stay. Strkr runs the quote-plus-CRM-plus-rebate-plus-finance layer around them. Equipment catalog, Manual J attachment, rebate structuring, finance options, follow-up cadence, warranty activation. Strkr talks to both via open REST calls so dispatch and completion data flow back to the install file.
Yes. Strkr ships residential and commercial quote shapes on the same tenant. Residential quotes carry equipment lines for split-system condensers, air handlers, matched coils, and copper-plus-line-set configurations with multi-tier good-better-best framing, Manual J attachment, utility and federal rebate stacking, and finance options at the point of signature. Commercial quotes carry structured line items for rooftop units, variable air volume systems, ductwork design, refrigerant piping, controls, and startup commissioning with engineering drawing attachment and load-balancing references. The sweet spot sits with contractors doing 100 to 2,000 installs per year across any residential-to-commercial mix.
Each rebate (utility rebate, manufacturer promotion, state incentive, federal 25C tax credit, Inflation Reduction Act Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Credit) lives as a structured record with eligibility criteria, dollar amount, application timeline, and required documentation. Quotes auto-attach eligible rebates based on equipment selection, equipment efficiency rating, and homeowner location. The rebate stack renders on the quote so homeowners see the net price alongside the gross price. Post-install, each rebate carries a submission task with required documentation (AHRI certificate, serial numbers, invoice, Manual J, utility bill). Average residential rebate stack lands at $2,500 to $5,500 across utility, manufacturer, state, and federal programs. Rebate capture rate climbs from the 40-percent baseline into the 90-percent range on the structured workflow alone.
Strkr integrates with GreenSky, FTL (Foundation Finance), Synchrony, and Service Finance via structured API or form integration. Each finance partner lives as a structured record with rate cards, term options, approval status, and buyer eligibility. Quotes present monthly-payment options at the point of signature across approved partners. For contractors using manufacturer-backed finance programs (Carrier Infinity Rewards, Trane Comfort+), those integrate alongside the third-party options. Monthly-payment visibility at quote time typically lifts close rate 25 to 40 percent.
Strkr has migration tooling that lifts equipment catalogs, historical quotes, and buyer contacts from the common starting tools. QuoteSoft, MeasureQuick, and the various built-in quote modules inside field-service tools all export cleanly. The equipment catalog imports from distributor price lists (Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Mitsubishi, Daikin) with versioned pricing. Finance partner integrations ship pre-built. Automations get rebuilt on the Flow canvas: follow-up cadences, rebate submission reminders, warranty activation triggers. Most contractors finish inside one to two weeks of parallel running before the cutover. GDPR and CCPA compliant on day one.
Service contracts and maintenance plans live in the Products module alongside equipment. Each plan carries a tier (silver, gold, platinum), visit frequency (annual, semi-annual, quarterly), covered equipment list, and auto-renewal cadence. Signed quotes can bundle equipment plus service contract as one line. The install-complete event triggers the first service visit scheduling. The service-contract renewal event fires 60 days ahead of renewal date for a scheduled upsell conversation. Service-contract attach rate on new installs typically climbs from the 30-percent baseline into the 55-percent range on the structured workflow.
A one-truck solo HVAC contractor doing 50 installs a year does not need a dedicated quote tool yet; a spreadsheet plus email covers the opening half-year. Strkr starts paying back near the 100-installs-a-year window where equipment-catalog drift, missed rebates, and follow-up gaps already drag the business. At the other end, massive multi-state franchises carrying franchising requirements plus payer-contract complexity sometimes stay on ServiceTitan Enterprise for the broader operations layer. The sweet spot sits with independent and regional HVAC contractors between 100 and 5,000 installs a year across residential replacement, residential new construction, and commercial retrofit shapes.
No sales call, no migration consultant, no four-month implementation. Enter your card, get 14 days of the full Pro tier, cancel any time before day 14 with zero charge. Spin up a workspace, import your CSV, and have something useful before lunch.
