HVAC Ductwork, Air Handling & Mechanical Products worked example

Quote Price at 147% overhead and margin factor: a worked example in hvac ductwork, air handling & mechanical products

This scenario runs the quote price calculation on the strong side: 147% overhead and margin factor, with every other input held at its documented default. Use this when preparing a bid for a ductwork fabrication and installation contract, an air handler supply contract, or a mechanical room package. Enter the number of units or sections in scope, your cost per unit including material and labor, an overhead and margin percentage, and fixed project costs such as engineering, submittals, and project management. The result is your quoted total price and the sell price per unit that you can check against competitive targets.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Duct sections, fittings, or AHU units in scope: 80 units (unchanged)
  • Direct cost per unit (material plus labor): 58 $ / unit (unchanged)
  • Overhead and margin factor: 147 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 128)
  • Fixed project costs (engineering, submittals, PM): 1,800 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable quoted cost = units × direct cost per unit × overhead and margin factor) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 8,630 $ for weighted cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 108 $ / piece for per piece value.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6,830 $ for captured value.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,800 $ for fixed adjustment.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where overhead and margin factor sits at 128% and the headline result is 7,739 $, this scenario comes in 11.51% above the baseline at 8,630 $.
  • Use it when converting a duct and AHU takeoff into a customer-facing bid, or when checking whether a per-piece price covers loaded cost plus markup. Treat this as a target state: the delta against the baseline quantifies what the improvement is worth before you commit to chasing it.

Results at a glance

  • Weighted cost: 8,630 $ (headline result)
  • Per piece value: 108 $ / piece
  • Captured value: 6,830 $
  • Fixed adjustment: 1,800 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Quote Price calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.