“HVAC estimating software” means two completely different products depending on which half of the trade you work. If you quote furnace swaps and AC replacements at the kitchen table, you need a flat-rate quoting tool inside your field service app. But if you bid plan-and-spec commercial work against other mechanical contractors, you need duct takeoff software. No field service app will save you there. This guide covers both lanes so you buy the right one the first time.
If commercial mechanical work is most of your book, start with our mechanical contractor software comparison.
It’s the estimating deep-dive companion to our best software for HVAC contractors guide. It also follows the same split we mapped for plumbers in our plumbing estimating software guide.
The split: flat-rate quoting vs. duct takeoff
Service estimating is about speed and consistency. In practice, that means a price book your techs quote from without calling the office. It also means options the homeowner can approve on a tablet, and a quote that flows straight into the invoice. Takeoff estimating, by contrast, is about measuring drawings: counting duct footage off a PDF plan, applying labor units, and producing a competitive bid. We grouped the tools below by that split.
HVAC estimating software compared (prices as of October 19, 2026)
| Tool | Lane | What it estimates | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housecall Pro Essentials | Service quoting | Flat-rate pricing, sales proposals, equipment tracking | $229/mo (1 user) · $299/mo (team of 5)1 |
| ServiceTitan | Service quoting | Pricebook and mobile estimates in all three packages | Quote-only, per technician |
| Jobber | Service quoting | Professional quotes (Core); optional line items for upsells (Grow) | $49/mo Core · $199/mo Grow (1 user)2 |
| FieldEdge | Service quoting | Flat-rate pricebook (Select); multi-option quotes (Premier) | Quote-only |
| FastDUCT | Commercial duct takeoff | On-screen takeoff from PDF/CAD plans, 250,000+ item catalog, Excel bid export | $250/mo lease or $4,995 one-time3 |
| STACK | Cloud takeoff + estimating | Quantity, labor and material takeoff; worksheet estimating on Pro | $349–$399 per user/mo · free tier4 |
| PlanSwift | Takeoff + estimating (desktop) | Ductwork, equipment and fitting quantities priced with reusable assemblies | $2,000–$3,000 per seat/yr5 |
| QuoteSoft | Duct and pipe estimating | Labor hours and material costs for ductwork and piping | Not published (demo) |
All prices from each vendor’s own pricing page, read October 19, 2026. Monthly list prices unless noted; introductory promotions excluded. 1 Housecall Pro HVAC pricing path; Basic is $79/mo but lacks flat-rate pricing. 2 Monthly billing; annual billing is $29 (Core) and $149 (Grow) per month. 3 Lease owned after 36 payments; one-time purchase includes the first year of maintenance, then $1,250/yr. 4 Premium $349, Pro $399, billed monthly; 15% off with annual billing; free plan limited to 1 active project/month. 5 Billed annually only (Essential $2,000, Core $3,000); 14-day free trial.
Service-side: quoting tools for replacement and repair work
Housecall Pro is the strongest fit for flat-rate HVAC quoting at small-shop prices. Its Essentials plan costs $299/mo for a 5-user team or $229/mo for one user, on its HVAC pricing path. That plan includes a flat-rate price book plus customer equipment tracking. As a result, the quote references the actual unit’s history. In addition, on the HVAC pricing path its Sales Proposal Tool is included from Essentials up (checked October 19, 2026), so you do not need Max ($649/mo for an 8-user team, $349/mo for one user) to get it. That tool builds visual proposals with side-by-side good/better/best comparisons.
ServiceTitan includes a pricebook and mobile estimates in all three packages. It is also the standard choice once you’re running comfort advisors with performance pay, because commission tracking comes built in. Pricing is per-technician and quote-only.
Jobber sends professional quotes from its Core plan ($49/mo, 1 user, monthly billing). Optional line items, its good/better/best upsell mechanism, start on Grow ($199/mo). That makes Core the lightest way to professionalize replacement quotes, although Jobber lacks a true flat-rate book. For its AI Quoting Assist features, see our AI estimating for HVAC contractors guide.
FieldEdge (not an affiliate partner) is another service-side option. Its Select plan includes a flat-rate pricebook and basic quotes, Premier adds multi-option quotes, and Elite adds Proposal Pro. Pricing is by request.
Commercial side: duct takeoff for plan-and-spec bidding
For mechanical bid work, the reference tool is FastDUCT (FastEST, Inc.) — takeoff software built for commercial and industrial sheet metal contractors. It does on-screen digitizer takeoff directly on PDF and CAD plans. It also draws from a catalog the company puts at 250,000+ items and ships with FastEST’s own labor rates (SMACNA, MCAA and PHCC labor rates are an extra-cost add-on, per its pricing page). Finally, it exports the finished bid to an Excel workbook. It integrates with sibling product FastPIPE for combined mechanical bids, and the company backs it with a 60-day money-back guarantee. FastEST is not an affiliate partner — we name it editorially because it’s the serious tool in this lane. FastEST publishes its price: $4,995 one-time or a $250/mo lease that you own after 36 payments. It runs on Windows with Microsoft Excel.
FastDUCT isn’t the only option. STACK is the cloud alternative: browser-based takeoff with a free tier for occasional bids, and paid plans at $349–$399 per user/month (billed monthly). PlanSwift is desktop takeoff that ties duct, equipment and fitting counts to assemblies you build once, at $2,000–$3,000 per seat per year. QuoteSoft is built specifically for duct and pipe estimating and sells through a demo. None of the three is an affiliate partner. If you bid plan-and-spec work weekly, demo two of these against FastDUCT on a set of drawings you’ve already bid; the one your estimator finishes faster wins.
One honest warning: do not buy takeoff software to quote residential replacements. Likewise, do not try to bid commercial plan-and-spec work from a flat-rate price book. Shops that straddle both markets genuinely need one of each, because they solve different problems.
Where AI fits in HVAC estimating today
For now, AI is useful at the edges. For example, it drafts quote language, assembles good/better/best options, and speeds up repeat quotes on standard jobs. However, it is not yet doing reliable duct takeoff from drawings. We keep a running DIY-prompts-vs-software breakdown in our AI estimating for HVAC guide.
How to choose without overbuying
- Mostly residential service and replacement: Housecall Pro Essentials is the direct fit, with a flat-rate book and equipment history at $299/mo for a 5-user team.
- Replacement-heavy shop with comfort advisors: ServiceTitan (proposals, commissions, memberships) — get the per-tech quote.
- Solo or two-truck shop: Jobber — quote professionally for $49/mo and upgrade when the volume justifies it.
- Commercial/mechanical bidding: FastDUCT ($250/mo lease or $4,995 to buy, with a 60-day money-back guarantee), or STACK or PlanSwift if you also bid other scopes.
For full plan-by-plan breakdowns, see our Housecall Pro pricing, ServiceTitan pricing and Jobber pricing guides, or compare 23 vendors on our contractor software pricing hub.
HVAC estimating software: common questions
What does HVAC estimating software cost?
Service-side quoting comes bundled in field service platforms: Jobber runs $49–$199/mo (1 user, monthly billing), Housecall Pro runs $79–$349/mo for one user on its HVAC pricing path ($299–$649/mo for teams), and ServiceTitan and FieldEdge are quote-only. Commercial takeoff is priced separately: STACK $349–$399 per user/month, PlanSwift $2,000–$3,000 per seat per year, and FastDUCT $250/mo leased or $4,995 to buy. All figures from vendor pricing pages, October 19, 2026.
What’s the best HVAC estimating software for commercial work?
For plan-and-spec sheet metal bidding, FastDUCT is the dedicated duct tool: on-screen takeoff from PDF/CAD plans, a 250,000+ item catalog and Excel bid export. STACK and PlanSwift are general takeoff tools with HVAC workflows, and they’re worth demoing if you also bid other scopes.
Can I use ChatGPT or AI to estimate HVAC jobs?
For quote language and option-building, yes — and it’s free. For takeoff or pricing accuracy, however, no. Our AI estimating for HVAC contractors guide covers exactly where the line sits in 2026.
Is HVAC quoting software the same as HVAC estimating software?
For residential service and replacement work, yes. “Quoting software” usually means the price book and proposal tools inside a field service app like Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan or Jobber. For commercial work, no: estimating there means takeoff from drawings, which needs a takeoff tool like FastDUCT, STACK or PlanSwift.
What is the best HVAC takeoff software for ductwork?
For sheet metal and ductwork specifically, FastDUCT and QuoteSoft are built for duct and pipe estimating. STACK and PlanSwift are general takeoff tools that handle ductwork alongside other trades. The deciding factors are desktop vs. cloud and whether you want to buy, lease or subscribe; see the comparison table above.
Is there free HVAC estimating software?
Not a full one. STACK has a free plan limited to one active project per month, and PlanSwift offers a 14-day free trial. On the service side, Jobber and Housecall Pro offer free trials before a paid plan. For quote wording and good/better/best options, a general AI assistant is free; see our AI estimating for HVAC contractors guide.
Sources
- Housecall Pro pricing page (HVAC path) — housecallpro.com/pricing (accessed October 19, 2026)
- ServiceTitan pricing page — servicetitan.com/pricing (accessed October 19, 2026)
- Jobber pricing page — getjobber.com/pricing (accessed October 19, 2026)
- FieldEdge pricing page — fieldedge.com/pricing (accessed October 19, 2026)
- FastDUCT product page — fastest-inc.com/fastduct, and FastEST pricing — fastest-inc.com/Pricing (accessed October 19, 2026)
- STACK Takeoff & Estimate pricing — stackct.com/takeoff-and-estimate-pricing (accessed October 19, 2026)
- PlanSwift pricing — planswift.com/pricing, and HVAC page — planswift.com/estimating/hvac (accessed October 19, 2026)
- QuoteSoft — quotesoft.com (accessed October 19, 2026)
More estimating guides for the trades: AI estimating for electricians · AI estimating for plumbers · AI estimating for landscapers · AI estimating for remodelers
Augmented Trades participates in affiliate programs and may earn commissions from some links in this article at no cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure. Vendors do not influence our rankings.
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Michael is the founder of Augmented Trades, an independent site that compares AI and software tools for trade contractors on published pricing, contracts, and real feature limits. Tools are recommended on fit for your shop — affiliate partnerships never decide coverage.