THE ESTIMATING ANSWER
For one small dwelling ventilation unit, start with a defined scope and measurement basis. Count terminals, measure duct routes and available plant space, and record condensate and power needs. Separate unit, duct, terminals and controls from commissioning. Price the listed tasks separately and state the condition that would require a revision: Concealed route conflicts or inadequate plant space change layout and labor.
This guide uses one small dwelling ventilation unit as a worked, fictional job. Its matching itemized estimate and PDF let you trace the advice to actual document lines. The role considered here is mechanical contractor. Confirm the site conditions, product selections and your own costs before preparing a client quote.
HRV and ERV installation quotes: compare the full ventilation scope
An HRV or ERV quote should identify the proposed ventilation equipment, served spaces and the specialist's system design. These descriptions should not be reduced to the equipment name alone. Record whether the project replaces an existing unit or adds a new supply-and-extract arrangement. Existing routes may be reusable, require alteration or be unsuitable; each outcome produces a different installation scope and should be explained.
Separate the unit allowance, duct routes, supply and extract points, external terminals, controls, access and commissioning. Count the points and measure the proposed routes without treating those quantities as an airflow design. Ask who is responsible for selecting the system and for documenting the performance check. Ceiling repairs and decoration should be named when work will disturb finished rooms.
When comparing an energy recovery ventilator quote for Tulsa, request the same design brief and clearly specified equipment from each supplier. Keep HRV and ERV alternatives separately identified rather than silently swapping products in one allowance. Product details, controls and installation constraints belong alongside the price. A specialist review should resolve the proposed arrangement before the measured takeoff becomes an installation commitment.
A separate worked planning example
Illustrative estimating schedule: one selected unit, six specified room points and 80 ft of proposed duct route. Price fittings, terminals and commissioning separately. The quantities are hypothetical and do not set a ventilation rate or decide between HRV and ERV equipment.
Cost and scope questions
Is a ventilation unit price the installed cost?
No. Installation can also include ducts, room points, external terminals, controls, electrical work, access, commissioning and finish repairs. Compare those named inclusions.
Can an ERV and an HRV share the same estimate line?
Keep the selected equipment and design basis explicit. Ask the specialist to describe each alternative, any changed installation scope and the reason it is proposed.
1. Define the measured job
Install a selected heat-recovery ventilation unit with defined supply and extract points in an accessible area, subject to system design. Count terminals, measure duct routes and available plant space, and record condensate and power needs. Record the measurements and existing condition in the estimate before turning quantities into line items. The scope should make clear why this is a separate project from a broader renovation or maintenance quote.
Measurement basis: Count terminals, measure duct routes and available plant space, and record condensate and power needs.
2. Build a product and labor schedule
Separate unit, duct, terminals and controls from commissioning. This example has 7 distinct lines, including ventilation design allowance, hrv unit allowance, duct and insulation allowance. Use actual supplier prices and labor inputs for a customer job; the displayed amounts are fictional document inputs.
Selections to confirm: Separate unit, duct, terminals and controls from commissioning.
3. Sequence the work and handoffs
Confirm airflow design and duct routes before cutting openings. Show which task depends on access, a selected product or another trade. If that dependency is still open, label the price preliminary and identify the information needed before a firm quote.
Work sequence: Confirm airflow design and duct routes before cutting openings.
4. Set a change boundary
Concealed route conflicts or inadequate plant space change layout and labor. The example excludes whole-house retrofit, structural openings or unreviewed regulatory certification. Record the discovery, agree the revised work and update the estimate before adding it to the job.
If the job changes: Concealed route conflicts or inadequate plant space change layout and labor.
Worked project calculation
The example line for duct and insulation allowance is 180 linear ft. × $18.00 = $3,240.00. This line is one part of the complete 7-item estimate and uses a fictional unit rate.
The paired estimate has 7 separate lines. For this fictional job, multiply each quantity by its unit price and add the line amounts to get $11,430.00. The sample PDF uses these exact values, with tax and markup left at zero so the arithmetic is visible. This total is an illustration, not a regional price or an offer to perform the work.
| Cost line | Quantity | Unit price | Line amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ventilation design allowance | 1 job | $650.00 | $650.00 |
| HRV unit allowance | 1 each | $2,600.00 | $2,600.00 |
| Duct and insulation allowance | 180 linear ft. | $18.00 | $3,240.00 |
| Supply and extract terminals | 6 each | $135.00 | $810.00 |
| Duct installation labor | 30 hours | $95.00 | $2,850.00 |
| Power and control allowance | 1 job | $720.00 | $720.00 |
| Airflow balance and handoff | 1 job | $560.00 | $560.00 |
| Illustrative subtotal | $11,430.00 | ||
Scope and pricing boundaries
Install a selected heat-recovery ventilation unit with defined supply and extract points in an accessible area, subject to system design.
Outside this example: No whole-house retrofit, structural openings or unreviewed regulatory certification.
Separately identify supplier allowances, labor, subcontracted work and site-specific risk where they apply. Before giving a selling price, decide how your own overhead, profit and any applicable tax will be handled. Do not copy the fictional rates into a real quote without checking your own measurements and supplier or subcontractor figures.
Before you send the estimate
- Count terminals, measure duct routes and available plant space, and record condensate and power needs.
- Separate unit, duct, terminals and controls from commissioning.
- Confirm airflow design and duct routes before cutting openings.
- Concealed route conflicts or inadequate plant space change layout and labor.
Read the complete heat recovery ventilation installation PDF example to see how the scope, individual prices and exclusions appear in a client-facing document. If a condition is still unknown, write that boundary into your estimate and revise the affected line once it is resolved.
Questions about this estimate
Which quantity controls this heat recovery ventilation installation estimate?
Count terminals, measure duct routes and available plant space, and record condensate and power needs.
When should this heat recovery ventilation installation quote be revised?
Concealed route conflicts or inadequate plant space change layout and labor. No whole-house retrofit, structural openings or unreviewed regulatory certification.
TURN THIS EXAMPLE INTO YOUR OWN ESTIMATE
Build a heat recovery ventilation installation estimate for your project
Use Estimates on iPhone or Android to draft a scope with AI assistance or enter each line yourself. Review quantities, rates, exclusions, and client details before exporting a PDF. The example is free to inspect; some app features may require an in-app purchase.
