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What's inside
A proposal that starts with the inspection
Page 1: Inspection
Every major component marked green, yellow or red, with room for the readings that matter: CFM, static pressure, amps and refrigerant charge for HVAC; PSI, water temperature and hardness for plumbing; voltage and thermal scans for electrical.
Page 2: Options & approval
The homeowner's goals, your notes and safety concerns, then three or five priced options with what's included, warranty and monthly payment. The signature and deposit fields sit on the same page.
Page 3: How to use it
A one-page guide for your techs on walking the homeowner through the findings and building options from them. Leave it out with one click.
How to
How to create a good-better-best proposal
Inspect everything and mark every line
Green is good. Yellow is working, but aging or worth watching. Red needs attention now or is a safety concern. Write down real readings. Numbers build more trust than "looks fine."
Show the findings before you price
Walk the homeowner through the reds first, then the yellows. Let them see the dirty coil, the burnt wire or the pressure gauge.
Ask what matters to them
Lowest cost today, fewer breakdowns, comfort, efficiency, or how long they plan to stay in the home. Their answer tells you which options to build.
Build the options from the findings
The first option fixes the reds. Each step up adds the yellows, upgrades and protection like a maintenance agreement. The top option is everything they'd do if budget weren't a concern, and on a replacement it can be new equipment.
Present every option, then let them choose
Walk through what each option does for the homeowner, not just what it costs. Then let them choose, and respect the choice they make.
Template or software?
When a proposal template stops being enough
A template is a good start for one technician. As you add trucks, every tech builds options a little differently, prices drift, and the office can't tell which proposals turned into jobs. That's usually when contractors start looking at HVAC proposal software.
| Free proposal template | The New Flat Rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Options | Your tech writes them on every call | Pre-built menus your techs present the same way every time |
| Pricing | Filled in by hand | Flat rate pricing built around your costs and margins |
| Training | The one-page guide | Ongoing in-home sales training for techs and managers |
| Cost | Free | Membership, see it in a demo |
FAQ
Proposal template questions
How do I create an effective HVAC proposal template?
Start with the inspection, not the price. An effective HVAC proposal records what you found (airflow, static pressure, amps, coil condition, safety concerns), explains it in plain language, and then offers options built from those findings. The builder above creates that structure for you as a fillable PDF.
What is a good-better-best HVAC proposal?
It's a proposal that presents three options instead of one price. Good fixes the urgent problems, Better adds the items that are aging and some protection, and Best covers everything, often including new equipment or a maintenance agreement. Homeowners choose which option fits them instead of saying yes or no to a single number.
Should I use three options or five?
Three options (good, better, best) are quicker to present and easy for homeowners to compare. Five options give more room between the minimum repair and full replacement. The builder lets you pick either and rename every option.
Is a bid template the same as a proposal template?
They overlap. A bid usually lists the scope and one price, often for a replacement or new construction. A proposal adds the reasons behind the work and gives the customer choices. This template works for both repair calls and replacements.
Are these proposal templates free?
Yes. Build and download as many as you need for HVAC, plumbing and electrical.
Can my techs fill it out on a tablet?
Yes. Every field and checkbox is fillable in free PDF apps like Adobe Acrobat Reader, on a tablet, phone or computer. You can also print it and fill it in by hand.
Is there a free HVAC proposal app?
This builder runs in your browser with nothing to install, and the PDF it creates works in any free PDF app. If you want options and pricing built into a system your whole team uses, that's what proposal and menu pricing software like The New Flat Rate is for.