A commercial HVAC project manager runs install and replacement jobs, from the first equipment order to owner training. They make sure rooftop units, boilers and chillers match the drawings. They plan crane picks and shutdowns with the building owner, manage the controls and balancing subs, and bill the work each month.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, HVAC and plumbing contractors · BLS, May 2025
You'll manage commercial HVAC installs and replacements, from equipment submittals to owner training. You coordinate ductwork shop drawings, crane picks for rooftop units, controls and test-and-balance subcontractors, startup with manufacturer reps, and commissioning. General contractors and building owners look to you for the schedule, changes and closeout.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Prepare equipment and ductwork submittals, and confirm units, curbs and electrical data match the drawings before releasing orders.
Plan rooftop unit replacements: crane picks, curb adapters, roof work with the roofer, and shutdown windows with the building owner.
Coordinate duct and piping routes with the other trades, and send RFIs when the drawings conflict.
Manage the controls, insulation and test-and-balance subcontractors from scope to schedule to payment.
Schedule mechanical inspections, equipment startup with the Lead HVAC Technician or manufacturer rep, and the commissioning agent's functional tests.
Price change orders for added equipment, duct changes and controls points, and bill them through the monthly pay application.
Deliver closeout: O&M manuals, the balance report, controls sequences, warranty start dates and owner training.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Check equipment ship dates and adjust crane and crew dates with the Operations Manager.
Walk a site with the Field Supervisor to check duct and piping progress against the coordination drawings.
Answer the general contractor's questions on ceiling heights, service clearances and power for equipment.
Check controls and balancing progress so startup isn't held up.
Log daily photos, hours and material use for job costing.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Equipment delivered on the scheduled set date: [your target].
Commissioning issues closed before turnover: [your target].
Installed cost against the job budget: [your target].
Pay applications approved without revision: [your target].
Warranty calls in the first heating and cooling season: [your target].
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
[3+] years managing commercial HVAC or mechanical projects, or [5+] years as a commercial HVAC technician or field lead.
Can read mechanical drawings, equipment schedules, specs and sequences of operation.
Has managed submittals, RFIs, change orders and pay applications on general contractor jobs.
Knows rooftop units, split systems, hydronic piping and building controls well enough to spot scope gaps.
Tracks equipment orders and job costs in [your project management software].
6. Preferred Experience
EPA Section 608 certification from prior field work.
Experience with commissioning agents and functional performance testing.
Has written or reviewed crane lift plans for rooftop equipment, and holds OSHA 30.
Familiar with the energy code rules for HVAC in your area.
7. Physical Requirements
Climb roof ladders and walk rooftops and mechanical rooms to check equipment.
Carry drawings, a laptop and small parts up to [25] pounds.
With or without reasonable accommodation.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Time split between the office and active mechanical jobs across [your service area].
Shift: [6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday], starting when the crews do.
Early-morning or weekend crane picks and shutdowns while the building is closed.
Rooftops and mechanical rooms in summer heat and winter cold.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Pay: [range and hourly or salary basis].
Additional pay: [overtime, bonus or incentive terms, or none].
Benefits: [health, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, and when they start].
10. Company Culture and Overview
[Two or three sentences on what your company does, the area you serve, and the support a new project manager gets in the first 90 days.]
11. How to Apply
[Apply link or email]. Our process: [phone interview, in-person interview, and next steps]. Contact [hiring contact] if you need an accommodation during the application process.
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What makes commercial HVAC project management different
Project managers in any trade juggle scope, schedule and money. On commercial HVAC jobs the equipment is heavy and slow to arrive, it goes on someone else's roof, and nothing is done until the building's systems prove they work together.
Submittals catch mistakes while they're cheap
Before anything ships, the project manager sends a submittal for each unit. It lists the model, curb, weight and electrical data, and the project manager checks each one against the drawings and the power on site. A unit with the wrong voltage, or a curb that doesn't fit, can cost weeks. Larger units are often built to order. The engineer approves first, then the order goes out.
Refrigerant limits for new installs
EPA limits the refrigerant in new systems by the date they're installed. Comfort cooling chillers installed since January 1, 2025 need a global warming potential of 700 or less. Variable refrigerant flow systems get the same limit on January 1, 2027, with some exceptions, so a VRF job that slips past that date may need different equipment. The project manager checks each submittal's refrigerant against the install date. Components used to repair existing systems aren't covered. Source: U.S. EPA: Technology Transitions HFC restrictions by sector.
Old curbs, new units, someone else's roof
A new unit often won't sit on the old curb. The project manager orders an adapter or a new curb and books a roofer to seal it in. Ask who holds the roof warranty before anyone cuts the roof, since the owner may require their own roofer. A heavier unit may also need an engineer to check the roof before the lift.
Who gives the signals on a rooftop pick
On many rooftop picks the crane operator can't see where the unit lands. OSHA's construction crane rules call for a signal person when the load's landing spot isn't in the operator's full view. That signal person must be qualified, with proof kept on site. Name the signal person on the crane order, so the pick doesn't wait for someone qualified to give signals. Source: OSHA: Signals, general requirements for cranes in construction (29 CFR 1926.1419).
New units running before turnover
General contractors sometimes want new rooftop units running for heat or cooling while drywall and floors go in. Dust clogs filters and coils. The warranty may also start at startup, not when the owner moves in. Agree in writing on who changes filters, who cleans coils before turnover, and when the warranty begins.
How much commercial HVAC project managers make
The closest BLS group for commercial HVAC project managers is construction managers. Construction managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $109,150 a year ($52.47 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $114,990 median for construction managers in all industries. About 21,680 of the 380,360 construction managers in that survey work for HVAC and plumbing contractors.
A salary is typical, with a bonus based on job profit against the estimate, the schedule and a clean closeout. Some contractors hold part of the bonus until the job's final payment comes in.
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$109,150$109,150 median Middle half $93,220–$137,820 10th–90th $75,490–$171,880
All industries
$114,990$114,990 median Middle half $88,550–$151,640 10th–90th $69,690–$189,440
$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$75,490
$93,220
$109,150
$137,820
$171,880
All industries
$69,690
$88,550
$114,990
$151,640
$189,440
BLS reports HVAC and plumbing contractors together, residential and commercial. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Reads mechanical drawings, equipment schedules, specs and sequences of operation
Has handled submittals, RFIs, change orders and pay applications on general contractor jobs
Knows rooftop units, split systems, hydronic piping and controls well enough to spot scope gaps
Keeps job cost reports current and acts when labor runs over
Writes clear, firm emails to general contractors and owners
Teach these on the job
Your project and job cost software
Your estimate format and change order pricing
The subcontractors you use for controls, insulation and balancing
Your commissioning prep and turnover checklists
Permit and inspection steps in the cities you work in
Expect project software for drawings, RFIs and submittals, a job cost or ERP system tied to payroll, and a schedule of values for each pay application. In the ad, give your typical job size and type, whether the role prices its own change orders, and how many jobs a project manager carries at once.
The template leaves each target blank. Fill them in from your last few closed jobs, and score each job at closeout as well as each month.
Equipment delivered on the scheduled set date
Units on site by the date set in the job schedule, out of all units ordered. Note whether each late one traces to a slow submittal, the factory or freight.
Commissioning issues closed before turnover
Items on the commissioning agent's issues log closed before the owner takes over the building, out of all items raised. Track how long each one stayed open.
Installed cost against the job budget
Actual labor, material, equipment and subcontract cost against the estimate, from job cost reports. Review it monthly while the job runs so overruns show up early.
Pay applications approved without revision
Monthly pay applications the general contractor or owner approved as first sent, out of all sent. Log why each returned one came back.
Warranty calls in the first heating and cooling season
Service calls on newly installed equipment during its first heating and cooling seasons, sorted by cause: install, controls, startup or factory defect. Share the list with the field team.
Career path
Lead HVAC technicianLearns the equipment, startups and what goes wrong on installs.
Assistant project manager or project engineerHandles submittals, RFIs and closeout papers under a senior project manager.
Project managerRuns install and replacement jobs from award to closeout.
Operations managerOversees project managers, service and the field crews.
Who does a commercial HVAC project manager work with on a job?
Outside the company, they work with the general contractor's project manager and superintendent, the engineer, the building owner and the commissioning agent. Inside, they work with the field supervisor, the crews, the lead tech, purchasing and billing. Then come the subs for controls, insulation, balancing, the crane and the roof. Much of the job is keeping everyone on the same dates.
How much does a commercial HVAC project manager make?
Construction managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $109,150 a year ($52.47 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $93,220 and $137,820 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
How does a project manager work with a commissioning agent?
The commissioning agent, often hired by the owner, tests whether each system runs the way the design says it should. The project manager makes sure the agent's checklists are filled in before the tests. They have the lead tech and the controls sub on site for the tests. Then they close each item on the agent's issues list. Open items at turnover can hold up the final payment.
Should you hire a project manager from the trade or from a construction degree?
Either path can work. BLS says construction managers typically need a bachelor's degree, though a high school diploma plus several years of related work may qualify someone. New managers often learn under an experienced one for up to a year. The template accepts years of running mechanical jobs, or more years as a commercial tech or field lead. Pair any new hire with a senior project manager at first.
How many jobs can one commercial HVAC project manager run?
Size matters more than count. One chiller plant or a new school can fill a project manager's week, while a run of small rooftop swaps lets one person carry many jobs. Watch open submittals, unanswered RFIs and late pay applications for each person. When those pile up, the load is too heavy, whatever the job count says.
Which signs mean you need your first commercial HVAC project manager?
Watch the owner or operations manager. If they write submittals at night and chase payments between service calls, it's time. Other signs are jobs that make money on paper and lose it in the field, closeouts that drag on for months, and change orders nobody priced. A project manager takes the paperwork and the customer off your field leaders.
