About Service
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About Service
Most mechanical contractors face a dilemma when outsourcing estimates: hire one generalist estimator who knows a little about HVAC, a little about plumbing, and a little about piping — or hire three separate services and try to coordinate them. Neither works well. The generalist misses trade-specific details. The fragmented approach creates coordination gaps where systems overlap (chilled water piping that serves both HVAC and process cooling, for example). Phoenix Estimations solves this by assigning discipline-specific specialists who work under a single project coordinator. Your ductwork specialist and your piping specialist communicate directly — so when a chilled water pipe runs through the same ceiling plenum as supply ductwork, both estimates reflect the actual installation conditions. This coordinated approach eliminates the scope gaps and double-counts that plague fragmented estimating. For more on this approach, read our guide on value engineering in construction and how long a construction estimate takes.
Need a single-discipline estimate? Visit our dedicated trade pages for deeper detail on each mechanical specialty:
Ductwork by segment using FastDUCT, equipment schedules, refrigerant piping, controls, and all Division 23 scope. Fabrication-weight pricing for sheet metal shops.
View HVAC Estimating →Pipe-by-pipe takeoffs using FastPIPE, fitting counts at every connection, fixture units, above/below-grade separation, and all Division 22 scope.
View Plumbing Estimating →Combined mechanical + electrical estimating for GCs who need integrated MEP scope in a single deliverable covering Divisions 22, 23, 25, 26, and 28.
View MEP Estimating →Ductwork Systems
Piping Systems
HVAC Equipment
Plumbing Fixtures
Fire Sprinklers
Pumps & Motors
Valves & Fittings
Mechanical Insulation
BAS Controls
Refrigeration Systems
Boilers & Water Heaters
Hangers & Supports
Diffusers & Grilles
Exhaust Systems
Medical Gas Systems
Sheet Metal Fittings
For projects that combine HVAC, plumbing, piping, and fire protection, our coordinated multi-specialist approach ensures no scope falls through the cracks:
Scope Division & Assignment
Project coordinator reviews all mechanical drawings and assigns HVAC scope to the duct specialist, plumbing scope to the pipe specialist, and fire protection to the sprinkler specialist.
Parallel Discipline Takeoffs
Each specialist works simultaneously using discipline-specific tools: FastDUCT for HVAC ductwork, FastPIPE for plumbing and piping, Planswift for equipment and accessories.
Coordination Check
Project coordinator verifies no scope gaps or overlaps between disciplines — shared piping, shared insulation, shared hangers are assigned to the correct system.
Equipment & Controls Integration
Equipment that serves multiple systems (boilers serving both HVAC and domestic hot water, for example) is accounted for once and allocated correctly.
RSMeans Pricing & Assembly
All discipline estimates are assembled into a single workbook organized by system (HVAC, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Controls) with RSMeans zip-code pricing.
Senior Review & Delivery
Senior mechanical estimator reviews the complete package. Deliver Excel workbook with system-coded marked-up plans for each discipline.
Multi-Specialist Team
HVAC specialist + plumbing specialist + piping specialist working under one coordinator. Not one generalist trying to estimate everything.
Zero Scope Gaps
Our coordination check eliminates the gaps between disciplines that plague fragmented estimating — shared piping, shared insulation, shared equipment.
Discipline-Specific Software
FastDUCT for duct, FastPIPE for piping, McCormick for estimating, RSMeans for pricing — purpose-built tools for each mechanical trade.
System-Organized Deliverables
One Excel workbook organized by system (HVAC, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Controls) with separate marked-up plans for each discipline.
60% Cost Savings
Replacing 2-3 in-house estimators ($150K-$270K/year) with our monthly package ($2,000/month) saves mechanical contractors 60%+ on estimating expenses.
Shop Drawing Support
Ductwork fabrication drawings, piping isometrics, and equipment placement layouts — giving fabricators and installers coordinated documents.
"We're a full-service mechanical contractor doing HVAC and plumbing. Phoenix assigned separate specialists for each and coordinated between them. The result: zero scope gaps and estimates that are tighter than what our in-house team produced."
"We replaced two in-house estimators with Phoenix's monthly package. Same accuracy, half the cost, and they handle 30+ bids per month without breaking a sweat. Best business decision we made last year."
"The coordination between their HVAC and plumbing estimators is seamless. On a recent hospital project, they caught a chilled water piping overlap that would have been a $40K change order. That alone paid for a year of service."
The Problem
A mechanical contractor in Chicago self-performed HVAC and plumbing on commercial projects. They had two estimators — one HVAC, one plumbing — costing $170,000/year combined. Despite the cost, scope gaps between the two estimators caused coordination problems: shared piping was sometimes double-counted (inflating bids) or missed entirely (causing change orders). They bid 20 projects/month but won only 18% because of inconsistent pricing.
The Solution
Phoenix Estimations provided coordinated mechanical estimating with an HVAC specialist, plumbing specialist, and project coordinator working as a team. The coordinator ensured shared scope (chilled water piping, boiler connections, insulation) was assigned correctly — eliminating both double-counts and gaps. All estimates were delivered in a single Excel workbook organized by system with coordinated marked-up plans.
The Outcomes
Scope gaps and double-counts were eliminated entirely. Estimating costs dropped from $170K/year to $24K/year (our monthly package) — an 86% reduction. The contractor scaled from 20 to 35 bids per month. Win rate jumped from 18% to 41% because coordinated estimates produced consistent, competitive pricing. Revenue grew 55% in the first year. They now use Phoenix for all mechanical estimating.
What Is Included in MEP Estimating?
Blog guide covering mechanical, electrical, and plumbing scope in MEP estimates.
What Is Value Engineering in Construction?
How value engineering optimizes mechanical system costs without sacrificing performance.
How Long Does a Construction Estimate Take?
Timeline expectations for mechanical and multi-trade estimating projects.
