HVAC and MEP Estimating and Takeoff Services

We quantify CSI Division 23 from your mechanical drawings and equipment schedules — ductwork by gauge and weight, air devices, terminal units, hydronic piping, controls points and every scheduled unit — and deliver an itemized Excel workbook with a marked-up plan set. Flat-quoted from your plan set before we start.

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What We Take Off

Ductwork is the part of an HVAC takeoff that most estimates get structurally wrong, because duct is bought by weight and drawn by dimension. A run of 24x12 and a run of 48x24 at the same linear footage are not remotely the same purchase, and the gauge that decides the weight comes from SMACNA pressure class, not from the plan.

Ductworkpounds and square feet of sheet metal by gauge, derived from duct dimensions and SMACNA pressure class, separating rectangular, round and flat-oval, and galvanized from stainless and aluminum

Duct fittingselbows, transitions, offsets, takeoffs, tees and end caps counted individually, because fitting fabrication and installation labor is not proportional to straight duct footage

Duct accessoriesvolume dampers, fire and smoke dampers, backdraft dampers, access doors, turning vanes and flexible connections, by size and type

Duct insulation and liningexternal wrap by SF and R-value, internal acoustic lining by SF and thickness, and the double-wall duct that sometimes replaces both

Flexible ductLF by diameter and insulation rating, kept separate from rigid duct because the permitted length is usually capped by code

Air devicessupply diffusers, return and exhaust grilles, registers, linear slot diffusers and louvres, counted by schedule type mark with neck size and finish

Terminal unitsVAV and CAV boxes, fan-powered boxes, induction and chilled-beam units, by tag with reheat coil, controller and inlet size

Air-handling equipmentAHUs, rooftop units, energy recovery ventilators, make-up air units, fan coils, unit heaters, cabinet heaters and split systems, by schedule tag and capacity

Fanssupply, return, exhaust, kitchen hood, stairwell pressurization and smoke-control fans, by tag, with the drive and starter interface noted

Hydronic pipingchilled water, heating hot water, condenser water and glycol systems by LF, size and material, with fittings, valves and hangers quantified against them

Refrigerant pipingLF by line size for split and VRF systems, with line-set configuration, insulation and the leak-test requirement noted

Steam and condensatewhere present, by LF and size with traps, PRV stations and expansion provisions counted separately

Coils, heat exchangers and pumpsby tag and capacity, with the isolation, balancing and strainer assembly around each pump quantified as an assembly

Piping insulationLF by pipe size, service and thickness, separating chilled water requiring a vapor barrier from heating hot water that does not

Controls and BASpoint counts by type, control valves and dampers, sensors, thermostats, actuators, panels and the network and low-voltage interface, quantified as points rather than as a lump allowance

Testing, adjusting and balancingthe TAB scope with the number of air and water terminals to be balanced, since TAB is priced per terminal

Louvres, roof curbs and penetrationscurb counts by unit, roof and wall penetration counts, flashing interface and structural support boundary

Firestopping and rated penetrationsduct and pipe penetration counts at rated assemblies, with damper requirements checked against the life-safety plan

How HVAC & MEP Quantities Are Measured

Every quantity below is reported in the unit the scope is actually bought and bid in — not converted into a single convenient unit that hides where the cost sits.

Rectangular ductworkLBS and SFPounds of sheet metal is how duct is bought and priced. It comes from dimensions plus SMACNA gauge, so linear feet alone cannot produce it.

Round and spiral ductLF by diameterBy diameter and gauge, with fittings counted individually rather than allowed as a percentage.

Duct fittingsEA by typeCounted individually. Fabrication and install labor per fitting is high relative to straight duct, so a fitting-light and fitting-heavy layout differ sharply.

Duct insulation and liningSFExternal wrap by R-value and internal lining by thickness, measured on duct surface area rather than duct length.

Air devicesEA by type markAgainst the schedule, carrying neck size and finish. A linear slot diffuser and a lay-in diffuser are not comparable items.

Terminal unitsEA by tagBy tag with inlet size and reheat coil, because the coil and controller are frequently a larger share of cost than the box.

EquipmentEA by tagBy schedule tag and capacity, so a proposed substitution can be priced against the specified unit.

Hydronic and refrigerant pipingLF by sizeWith material and service carried, since chilled water, heating water and refrigerant have different fittings, insulation and test requirements.

Piping insulationLF by size and thicknessChilled-water insulation needs a vapor barrier that heating-water insulation does not — same footage, different assembly.

ControlsPoints EAPoint count by type is how a BAS is actually priced. A lump-sum controls allowance is the least reliable line in most mechanical estimates.

Testing and balancingEA terminalPriced per air and water terminal balanced, so the terminal count is the quantity that matters.

Roof curbs and penetrationsEAOne per unit and per penetration, with the structural support and flashing boundary stated.

Who This Is For

General contractors carrying this trade directly, or checking a subcontractor's number before it goes into the bid.

Subcontractors pricing their own scope in this division.

Developers and owners validating a number they've already been given.

Material suppliers and distributors verifying a customer's order.

What You Receive

An itemized Excel takeoff, organized by division
A marked-up plan set — every quantity traces back to a location on the drawings
Labor, material and equipment split out separately
Waste and overage factors shown as visible line items
An assumptions and exclusions schedule

Marked-up hvac & mep plan crop

What Moves the Number on HVAC & MEP

Duct gauge and pressure class. SMACNA sets gauge and reinforcement from the duct's dimensions and its pressure class. A high-pressure system in heavier gauge with more reinforcement weighs considerably more than a low-pressure system of the same geometry — and since duct is bought by the pound, weight is the cost. Taking duct off in linear feet cannot see this at all.

Fitting density. Two systems with identical duct footage can differ substantially in cost if one runs straight and the other threads around structure with constant offsets and transitions. Fittings carry disproportionate fabrication and installation labor, which is why they are counted individually rather than allowed for.

Equipment specification and substitution. Scheduled equipment is often the largest material item in Division 23. Capacity, efficiency, sound rating, casing construction and factory-installed options all sit in the schedule and specification, and an approved-equal substitution can change the price, the curb, the electrical connection and the structural support together.

Controls scope and point count. A building automation system priced as a percentage of the mechanical cost is a guess. Priced by point — sensors, actuators, control valves and dampers, panels and network devices — it becomes checkable. Whether the controls contractor or the mechanical contractor carries the low-voltage wiring is a boundary worth confirming before bid.

Insulation, lining and acoustic requirements. Whether duct is externally wrapped, internally lined, double-wall, or all three in different areas is set by the specification and the acoustic design. Chilled-water piping insulation with a continuous vapor barrier is a different assembly from heating-water insulation at the same diameter.

Access, rigging and roof work. Setting a rooftop unit needs a crane, a curb, a structural opening and roofing interface. Replacing equipment in an occupied building may need rigging through a shaft, after hours. None of that appears on a mechanical plan, and all of it is real cost.

What We Need From You

A complete set is ideal, but rarely what exists. Send what you have — we will tell you at quote stage what can be quantified firm and what has to be an allowance.

Mechanical floor plans — supply, return, exhaust and piping
Equipment schedules with tags and capacities — the governing document for this trade
Air device and terminal unit schedules with type marks and neck sizes
Specification sections for Division 23, especially duct pressure class, insulation and controls
Controls drawings, points list or sequence-of-operations narrative
Reflected ceiling plans, for air device layout and above-ceiling routing space
Roof plan and structural drawings, for curbs, openings, support and rigging access
Life-safety plans, for fire and smoke damper locations at rated assemblies

How It Works

1 Send your plans — PDF, DWG, DOC, images or ZIP, up to 100MB per file.
2 Get your quote — a flat price for the scope with a delivery date, confirmed in writing.
3 Approve — nothing starts until you confirm.
4 We take it off — quantities from the drawings and schedules.
5 Delivery — workbook, marked-up set, assumptions schedule.

How Pricing and Turnaround Work

Every project is priced individually from your drawings. Send the plan set and you get a flat quote for the scope before any work starts — no hourly billing, no open-ended engagement.

Turnaround depends on the size of the package and how many trades are in scope — which is why you get a firm delivery date with your quote rather than a generic promise.

Tools and Standards

Takeoffs are produced in Bluebeam, PlanSwift, Trimble, STACK, organized against CSI MasterFormat divisions — this scope is specified under Division 23 — Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning.

Quantities and assemblies are read against the published standards that govern this trade, because the standard is what decides whether two apparently identical items are actually the same line item:

SMACNA HVAC Duct Construction Standards — gauge and reinforcement by pressure class
SMACNA labor units for duct, fittings, equipment and accessories
MCAA labor units for mechanical piping systems
ASHRAE 90.1 and 62.1 — energy and ventilation requirements as specified
ACCA Manual J / D / S — residential load, duct design and equipment selection
AHRI certification ratings for equipment capacity
NFPA 90A and 96 — air distribution and commercial kitchen ventilation
AABC or NEBB procedures for testing, adjusting and balancing

Pricing is built on RSMeans cost data localized to your project's market, then reconciled against current supplier quotes and our own completed project costs. Every estimate states its pricing basis and the date it was priced.

Why HVAC & MEP Is Estimated Wrong

Ductwork taken off in linear feet. Duct is fabricated and purchased by weight. Linear footage cannot distinguish a small branch from a large trunk, and it cannot see the gauge that SMACNA assigns from dimensions and pressure class. This single measurement choice is the most common structural error in HVAC estimating.

Fittings allowed for as a percentage of duct. Fitting count depends on how congested the route is, not on how much duct there is. A percentage allowance is systematically low on a tight mechanical room or a coordinated ceiling and systematically high on a long straight run.

Controls carried as a lump allowance. Controls are frequently a substantial share of a mechanical package, and an unpriced allowance either hides a shortfall or pads the bid. Point counts come off the same drawings as everything else and make the line checkable.

Fire and smoke dampers missed at rated crossings. Every duct crossing a rated assembly generally needs a damper, an access door and firestopping. The requirement is on the life-safety plan, not the mechanical plan, so a takeoff that never opens those sheets will miss dampers, doors and penetrations together.

Balancing priced as a lump sum. Testing, adjusting and balancing is priced per terminal. Without an air and water terminal count it is a number with nothing behind it — and TAB scope is exactly where an underbid gets discovered at closeout.

Related Estimating Services

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take ductwork off by weight or by linear foot?

By weight, in pounds of sheet metal, derived from duct dimensions and the SMACNA gauge for the specified pressure class. Linear feet are reported alongside it for reference, but weight is what a fabricator prices and what belongs in the estimate.

Does this cover MEP as a whole, or only HVAC?

We quantify all three — mechanical, electrical and plumbing — but as separate packages under their own divisions, so each can go to the right subcontractor. This page covers Division 23; plumbing and electrical have their own scope and their own deliverables.

How do you price controls?

By point count — sensors, actuators, control valves and dampers, panels and network devices — taken from the controls drawings or the sequence of operations. Where no controls documentation exists, we say so rather than substituting a percentage allowance.

Are duct fittings counted individually?

Yes. Every elbow, transition, offset, takeoff and tee is counted, because fitting labor does not scale with duct footage and a percentage allowance misreads congested layouts in both directions.

Do you include fire and smoke dampers?

Yes, quantified against the life-safety plan at every rated wall, floor and shaft crossing, with the access door and firestopping that go with each one.

Can you quantify hydronic and refrigerant piping too?

Yes — chilled water, heating hot water, condenser water, glycol and refrigerant by linear foot and size, with fittings, valves, hangers and insulation quantified against them and the test requirements noted.

Is testing and balancing included?

The TAB scope is quantified by the number of air and water terminals to be balanced, because that is the basis it is actually priced on. If your contract excludes TAB, the line comes out cleanly.

What if the equipment schedule is incomplete?

We quantify what is scheduled and list every unit we could not verify in the assumptions schedule. Equipment is usually the largest material item in this division, so an assumed capacity is flagged rather than absorbed.

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