HVAC estimating apps for contractors, compared for 2026

By Zeke Galland, Staxen. Updated 2026-10-15.

HVAC software splits two ways: service platforms that book and dispatch calls, and estimating tools that get a changeout priced and signed. ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro and Workiz are built for dispatch, while Staxen is built for the owner who quotes the replacement at the kitchen table and has no one in the office to chase it, at $59 a month. Every price below was checked on the vendor's own site on October 15, 2026.

How this list was chosen

We make Staxen, which is on this list. For HVAC we judged two jobs separately, getting a changeout priced, signed and deposited, and keeping a service board full of booked and dispatched calls, because no app here is equally strong at both. Facts come from each vendor's own pricing and feature pages, read on October 15, 2026, with links under each app. Apps are listed by lowest published starting price with quote-only platforms last, not by rank.

Pick by what you need

Estimating apps for HVAC contractors, compared

Listed by lowest published starting price, quote-only apps last. This is not a ranking.

Jobber

Best for: HVAC shops with a steady calendar of maintenance and service visits

Price: Core is $49 a month month to month, $39 on a one-year commitment, or $29 billed annually, for 1 user, and extra users are $29 a month each. Connect, which adds QuickBooks sync and automated quote follow-ups, starts at $139 a month month to month.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Jobber pricing, Jobber quotes, Jobber automations help, Jobber AI Voice help.

Pros:

• Online booking and scheduling, with route planning across the day
• Online quote approval and a deposit collected right after
• Wisetack financing on the quote, which matters on a full system
• Jobber AI on every plan, with hands-free voice quoting in beta on mobile

Cons:

• We found no HVAC tools such as load calculations on its pricing or quotes pages
• QuickBooks sync and automated quote follow-ups start on Connect
• Each user past the plan's included seats is $29 a month

Contractor Foreman

Best for: HVAC contractors doing light commercial work with submittals and daily logs

Price: From $49 a month billed annually for 1 user (Basic is annual only). Monthly billing starts at Standard, $139 a month for up to 3 users. 30-day free trial.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Contractor Foreman plans.

Pros:

• Bid management, change orders, daily logs and submittals in one place
• Plan takeoff and line-item estimates with bulk markups
• Dispatching, scheduling and time cards together
• QuickBooks Online integration and Stripe card and ACH payments

Cons:

• Basic is annual only, and monthly billing starts at $139 for 3 users
• We found no deposit collection on estimates on its plans page
• Users come in fixed tiers of 1, 3, 8 and 15

Staxen (our app)

Best for: Owner-operators who quote changeouts at the kitchen table and have nobody in the office

Price: $59 a month per AI employee, or $149 a month for all three. The first 7 days are free in the app.

Pros:

• Say the equipment and the scope out loud and get a priced, line-item estimate to check
• The homeowner signs from a text link and can pay the deposit on the same page when you take cards through Stripe
• Invoices the service call from the truck with card and ACH, then chases what is overdue
• Scheduling with SMS appointment reminders for booked visits

Cons:

• No dispatch board, GPS tracking or call booking for a service team
• No consumer financing on the estimate
• No load calculations

Housecall Pro

Best for: Residential HVAC service companies that book online and dispatch a few techs

Price: Basic is $79 a month, or $59 billed annually, for 1 user. Essentials is $189 ($149 annually) for 5 users and Max is $329 ($299 annually) for 8. 14-day free trial.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Housecall Pro pricing, Housecall Pro estimating, e-signatures help, deposits help, consumer financing, card on file help, customer notifications help.

Pros:

• Scheduling and dispatch, online booking and a price book from Basic
• Required deposits and e-signatures on estimates sent by text or email
• Good, better, best options and Wisetack financing for system replacements
• Employee GPS tracking and QuickBooks Online sync from Essentials

Cons:

• Basic is 1 user, so a second tech means Essentials at $189 a month
• Automated estimate follow-ups need the Pipeline add-on
• Route optimization and recurring service plans are on Max at $329 a month

ServiceTitan

Best for: HVAC companies with a dispatcher, call takers and ten or more techs

Price: Quote only. Starter, Essentials and The Works are priced per technician, and ServiceTitan publishes no prices.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on ServiceTitan pricing, ServiceTitan estimating.

Pros:

• Dispatch board, call booking and GPS tracking for techs en route
• A pricebook with good, better, best proposals and financing options
• Mobile estimates and payroll from Essentials, memberships on The Works

Cons:

• No published prices: every plan is a per-technician sales quote
• We found no free trial, only a demo
• More system than a one or two van shop will use

Workiz

Best for: Service shops that want phones, texting and dispatch in one system

Price: No published prices. Standard, Pro and Ultimate each say Request pricing, and every plan has unlimited jobs. 7-day free trial.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Workiz pricing.

Pros:

• A built-in phone system and two-way texting on every plan
• Team location tracking, fleet tracking and online booking
• Estimate deposits, Sunbit or Wisetack financing, and QuickBooks Online sync

Cons:

• No published prices: every plan says Request pricing
• Sales proposals are only on the Ultimate plan
• We found no client e-signature on estimates on its pricing page

If replacements are your money and you sell them yourself, put the next changeout through Staxen. If the phone and the dispatch board run your day, compare Housecall Pro and Workiz, and look at ServiceTitan once you have a dispatcher and ten or more techs. Jobber sits in between for a maintenance-heavy calendar.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best estimating app for HVAC contractors?

Pick by what fills your day. For an owner who sells replacements at the kitchen table, Staxen is built for that. For booked and dispatched service calls, Housecall Pro, Workiz and ServiceTitan are built for the board. Jobber fits a calendar full of maintenance visits. Prices here were checked on October 15, 2026.

Which HVAC apps offer financing on the estimate?

Jobber and Housecall Pro offer Wisetack financing, Workiz lists Sunbit and Wisetack, ServiceTitan lists integrated financing, and Contractor Foreman works with SweetPay. Staxen does not offer consumer financing, so a homeowner who needs it would arrange it separately.

How much does Staxen cost for an HVAC company?

Staxen is $59 per month per AI employee, or $149 per month for all three. Eddie the Estimator covers the changeout quote, the signature and the deposit, and Ivy the Invoicer handles service call invoices and overdue reminders. It is month to month, and the first 7 days are free in the app.

How should an HVAC changeout estimate be built?

Equipment at your distributor cost, accessories and line set by the foot, refrigerant by the pound, crew hours at a loaded rate and the mechanical permit, then divide the total by one minus your margin. In 2026 a 3 ton condensing unit runs $1,600 to $2,500 at the distributor and insulated line set $5.70 to $8.80 a foot.

Can the homeowner pay a deposit when they sign the HVAC estimate?

In several of these apps, yes. Staxen takes the deposit on the same link the homeowner signs, when you take cards through Stripe. Housecall Pro can require a deposit on the estimate, Jobber collects one right after quote approval, and Workiz lists estimate deposits on every plan.

Get the Staxen app: the first 7 days are free.