DIRT · dirttrades.com
10 reasons most hvac shops stall — and one fix for each.
65–75% of HVAC revenue hits in 4 months. That's not a business model. That's a seasonal job with overhead year-round.
The fix: Build recurring revenue so shoulder seasons don't kill cash flow. Target 30%+ of revenue from maintenance plans before you add another install crew.
The average HVAC shop has 1,000+ past customers and $200K+ in dormant recurring revenue sitting in their contact list, untouched.
The fix: Reactivate your database with a simple annual tune-up offer this month. One text blast to past customers can fill two weeks of shoulder-season calls.
No CRM, no route logic, reactive scheduling. Every missed call in July costs $400–$800. You're returning voicemails at 9pm instead of checking a full calendar.
The fix: CRM plus missed-call text-back that books directly into your calendar. Every lead gets a response in 5 minutes — even when you're on a roof unit.
Underpricing by $185/job × 24 jobs/month = $53K missing per year. Owners think they have a lead problem. They have a pricing problem.
The fix: Calculate fully loaded labor rate — taxes, van, insurance, non-billable time — then price from that. Never quote below your floor on service calls.
Then October hits and payroll is a problem. Most shops have no cash reserve and no forecast for the slow months.
The fix: Run a 13-week rolling cash flow forecast and bank 60 days of fixed costs from peak season. Know your slow-month burn before October surprises you.
No SOPs = inconsistent customer experience = callbacks and bad reviews. You can't delegate what isn't written down.
The fix: Document your top 10 service procedures — same steps, every tech, every call. Start with diagnostics, tune-ups, and the callbacks that cost you margin.
More volume at thin margins means more losses, more overhead, more stress. Add the system before you add the truck.
The fix: Hit $300K+ per truck with proven pricing before adding truck #2. If margin per truck isn't there, another van just spreads the problem.
Warranty and rework visits are pure margin destruction. If you don't know your callback rate per tech, you don't know your real margins.
The fix: Track callbacks per tech per month and tie it to performance reviews. A tech at 8% callbacks is costing you thousands in free labor.
Plans priced on gut feel or competitor rates rather than true loaded cost often break even or lose money on every visit.
The fix: Price maintenance on your actual cost-to-serve — labor, drive, consumables, overhead. Raise the plan price before you sell another membership.
Past customers need maintenance. Most never schedule it proactively. A single reactivation campaign can fill your shoulder season calendar in a week.
The fix: Text or email your last 500 customers with a seasonal tune-up offer. Past customers convert 3–5× faster than cold leads — and cost nothing to reach.