HVAC Software

“HVAC software” means two different things. One half designs the system — load calculations, equipment selection, duct sizing. The other half runs the business — scheduling, dispatch, invoicing, customer records.

Most guides only cover the second. This page covers both, then points you at the right one.

HVAC software splits into design software and business software HVAC software Design software Sizes the system Manual J · S · D Load calcs, duct design Used before the sale Business software Runs the work CRM · dispatch · invoicing Equipment history, agreements Used every day after
They are not substitutes. Most contractors need the second; some need both.

Design software: sizing the system

Design software answers one question — what equipment and ductwork does this building actually need? Its output is a document a building department or rebate administrator reads.

It exists because of a code hook. IECC R403.7 requires equipment to be sized per ACCA Manual S using loads from Manual J, though enforcement varies by jurisdiction.

The design sequence: Manual J, then Manual S, then Manual D Manual J Calculate the load BTU/h, room by room Manual S Select the equipment Against OEM data Manual D Size the ducts Needs room-by-room J
Manual D depends on a room-by-room Manual J. It cannot run off a whole-house block load.

“ACCA approved” is narrower than vendors imply. ACCA publishes approved-software lists for Manual J and Manual D only.

There is no approval list for Manual S, N, T, Q or ZR. A vendor claiming to “do Manual S” may well be right — there is simply nothing to verify it against.

ToolUseLicence
Elite SoftwareLoad calcs, full engineering suitePerpetual licence
Wrightsoft Right-SuiteLoad, duct, commercial add-onsAnnual subscription
Cool CalcManual J, browser-basedFree tier plus paid
Conduit TechLiDAR scan to load calcAcquired by ServiceTitan, September 2025

Most service and replacement contractors never open this software. You need it for new construction, permit submission, rebate programmes, and any job where a building department asks for documented sizing.

Business software: running the work

A general CRM stores contacts and deals. HVAC software has to hold the equipment, the site and the agreement together as one record.

The HVAC record model: customer, site, equipment, job, invoice Customer One or many sites Service address A real property Equipment Make, model, serial Warranty, history Job / visit Skills, schedule Invoice Accounting sync The maintenance agreement covers the equipment, not the customer
A generic CRM has no object for the unit on the roof — which is the thing you service.

The sharpest test on any demo is simple. Ask to see the equipment record.

Residential and commercial are different businesses

Residential HVAC is jobs on a calendar. Commercial HVAC is crews against contracts, and the software reflects that.

ResidentialCommercial
Work arrives asHomeowner calls, replacementsContracts, planned maintenance
Organised aroundThe customerThe site and its assets
Revenue engineMemberships, replacementsService agreements, deficiency quotes
NeedsOnline booking, texting, reviewsAsset lists, PPM scheduling, quote-back
PlatformsHousecall Pro, JobberServiceTrade, BuildOps, Simpro

Mixed shops are where tools break. A residential-first platform handles the service calls fine, then has nowhere to put a multi-site agreement with a deficiency backlog.

The platforms, by fit

This is an orientation, not a ranking. For the ranked comparison with verified pricing, see our HVAC CRM comparison.

PlatformFitsPricing
Housecall ProSmall-to-mid residential serviceFrom $79/mo, 1 user
FieldCampConfigurable records and AI-assisted operationsFrom $249/mo, 3 users
ServiceTitanLarger residential and mixed operationsNot published; per technician
ServiceTradeCommercial service, PPM, asset-heavyNot published
SimproService plus projects and inventoryNot published
JobberSmall residential, simplest startFrom $29/mo, annual

FieldCamp is the most configurable platform of the group. The data model bends to your process — the assets you track, the fields on a job, the documents produced — with AI agents running dispatch and intake on top of it.

Three of these publish no pricing at all. That is a real cost in evaluation time, not a formality.

AI: what it actually does

The question in 2026 is not whether a platform has AI. It is whether the AI completes a task or drafts one for a human to finish.

AI that books a job compared with AI that drafts for a human COMPLETES THE TASK Call comes in Agent qualifies Booked to the board No human step DRAFTS FOR A HUMAN Call comes in Message captured Someone confirms it Still a person
Ask a vendor which line their AI sits on. The answer changes what it is worth.

Several platforms now book autonomously, including ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber and FieldCamp. What none of them does reliably yet is produce a priced, sendable quote from a photo without review.

Choosing

Shop shape decides this more than headcount does.

If you areStart with
Residential, under 10 techniciansHousecall Pro or Jobber
After configurable records and AI-run intakeFieldCamp
Larger residential or mixedServiceTitan
Commercial, asset and contract heavyServiceTrade or Simpro
Doing new construction or permit workDesign software as well

Book the demo and ask three things. Show me the equipment record, show me what lands after a job closes, and tell me the price at my headcount.

HVAC reviews and comparisons