In commercial HVAC, the warehouse manager answers for the stockroom and yard behind both service and installs. Rooftop units, air handlers, pipe and pallets of filters come in and get checked against the PO and the job. Then they wait, staged by project, until crews and cranes are ready.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, HVAC and plumbing contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for overseeing the efficient management of warehouse operations in a commercial HVAC setting. Ensures equipment, parts, and shipments are well-organized and inventory is maintained with exceptional accuracy. Acts as the central point of communication between the warehouse, procurement, and operations teams. Contributes to overall operational excellence through meticulous record-keeping and process improvements.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Manage the daily operations of the warehouse, ensuring efficient receipt, storage, and dispatch of HVAC equipment and parts.
Organize and maintain inventory records with a focus on achieving and sustaining high accuracy.
Coordinate shipment schedules and ensure timely processing of orders.
Oversee safety compliance and proper documentation for all warehouse activities.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support procurement and operations initiatives.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct daily inventory audits to ensure a minimum accuracy rate of 99%.
Supervise the loading and unloading of shipments and verify order contents against purchase orders.
Communicate with suppliers and internal teams to confirm order details and delivery schedules.
Maintain an organized warehouse layout, regularly updating inventory management systems.
Enforce safety protocols and assist team members with warehouse equipment when needed.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Inventory Accuracy Rate: Achieve at least 99% accuracy.
Shipment Turnaround Time: Complete processing within 24 hours.
Order Fulfillment Accuracy: Maintain a 98% or higher accuracy rate.
Equipment Downtime: Limit downtime due to inventory discrepancies to less than 2%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, or a related field.
Minimum of 3 years of experience in warehouse management or logistics.
Proficiency in inventory management software and Microsoft Office applications.
Strong organizational, leadership, and communication skills.
Ability to multitask effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience in the commercial HVAC industry.
Familiarity with ERP systems and advanced inventory tracking methods.
Background in process improvement initiatives within a warehouse or distribution setting.
Proven track record managing teams in high-volume warehouse operations.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and transport items up to 50 lbs consistently.
Extended periods of standing, walking, and manual handling required.
Comfortable working in environments with varying temperatures and occasional confined spaces.
Adept at operating standard warehouse equipment safely.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are from 8 AM to 5 PM, with occasional overtime as needed.
Fast-paced warehouse setting with variable temperature conditions.
Minimal travel for vendor meetings or training sessions may be required.
Occasional weekend support may be necessary to meet shipment deadlines.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary range of $55,000 - $75,000 per year, based on experience.
Eligibility for performance-based bonus programs.
Comprehensive health insurance including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
401k plan with company match along with vacation and paid time off benefits.
Additional perks include professional development opportunities and employee discounts.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a forward-thinking company committed to fostering innovation and excellence in the commercial HVAC industry.
Our team-centric culture emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and personal growth.
We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service by empowering our staff to make impactful decisions.
Join us to be part of a dynamic environment that values your contributions and supports your professional journey.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A commercial warehouse moves fewer pieces of equipment, but far bigger ones, plus a steady flow of project material. Much of it belongs to one job and has to wait, safe and complete, until that site is ready.
Check equipment against the submittal
On project work, the engineer signs off on a submittal that lists the exact model, voltage, options and add-ons. When an air handler or rooftop unit shows up, the warehouse checks the nameplate against that submittal and the purchase order. It photographs any freight damage before signing. If the voltage turns out wrong on crane day, you lose the lift, the crew's day and a spot on the schedule.
Material waits by job, sometimes for months
Equipment often arrives before the building is ready for it. The warehouse tags each piece by job, protects it from weather, theft and forklift damage, and keeps a record of what has gone to each site. Project managers use that record when they bill for stored material, and nothing gets used on the wrong job.
Refrigerant rules set install deadlines
EPA limits the global warming potential (GWP) of refrigerant in new equipment. Its table puts the limit at 700 for comfort-cooling chillers from January 1, 2025, and for VRF systems from January 1, 2027. Until then, a VRF system over the limit can go in if all its components were made or imported before 2026. Some buildings permitted before October 5, 2023 get until 2028. Parts used to repair systems already in place are exempt. So the warehouse logs when each new unit and its parts were made. Source: U.S. EPA: Technology Transitions HFC restrictions by sector.
Stacked pipe, duct and units must stay put
Commercial work fills racks with pipe, duct, fittings and boxed equipment. Under OSHA's general rule for handling materials, tiered storage has to be stable and secure, so stacks get blocked or interlocked and kept to a safe height. Where forklifts run, aisles need enough clearance and have to stay clear. The manager lays out racks and the yard to match, and walks the space on a regular round. Source: OSHA: Handling materials, general (29 CFR 1910.176).
Deliveries run on the site's clock
Job sites set delivery windows, and a downtown site may have one loading spot and no room to store anything. The warehouse schedules trucks around those windows and the crew's start, sends material in the order it will be installed, and makes sure someone on site signs for it. A delivery that shows up a day early can be in the way, or gone.
How much commercial HVAC warehouse managers make
The closest BLS group for commercial HVAC warehouse managers is transportation, storage, and distribution managers. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $74,660 a year ($35.89 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $107,230 median for transportation, storage, and distribution managers in all industries. About 960 of the 221,180 transportation, storage, and distribution managers in that survey work for HVAC and plumbing contractors.
A salaried job, as the template has it. Its bonus can hinge on count accuracy and on-time job deliveries.
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$74,660$74,660 median Middle half $58,090–$97,100 10th–90th $46,240–$128,000
All industries
$107,230$107,230 median Middle half $82,440–$146,770 10th–90th $65,120–$194,900
$25k$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
$46,240
$58,090
$74,660
$97,100
$128,000
All industries
$65,120
$82,440
$107,230
$146,770
$194,900
BLS reports HVAC and plumbing contractors together, residential and commercial. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Reads a submittal, packing list and nameplate and catches the mismatch
Keeps a stockroom and yard organized by job
Leads a small team of drivers and warehouse staff
Plans deliveries around crews, cranes and site rules
Spots a bad count fast and tracks down the reason
Teach these on the job
How commercial makers number their units and options
Your project, inventory and accounting software
Freight damage claims and supplier returns
Refrigerant restriction dates for the equipment you stock
Driving your forklift, once you have trained, evaluated and certified them
Commercial warehouses track stock and job material in an ERP or construction accounting system, such as Trimble Viewpoint or Sage, or in the inventory module of the field service software, with barcode or QR tags on equipment. The posting should mention whether the manager drives deliveries, runs a forklift or covers purchasing too.
The template's numbers make a fair first guess. Set real targets once your receiving and delivery logs build up some history. Track shelf stock and staged project material apart.
Inventory Accuracy Rate
Daily cycle counts of chosen bins and staged job material against the system, tracked by item and by value. Count staged project equipment too, since a missing coil hurts more than a missing filter.
Shipment Turnaround Time
Hours from a delivery arriving to being checked, put away and showing in the system, and from a pick request to the truck leaving. Take both from your receiving and delivery logs.
Order Fulfillment Accuracy
Picks and job deliveries that arrived complete and correct, out of all of them. Ask foremen to report shorts and wrong items the same day, and record the cause for each.
Equipment Downtime
Hours crews or customer equipment waited because the system showed stock that wasn't there, or material was mislabeled. Log each case with the hours lost and fix the cause.
Career path
Material handler or delivery driverUnloads freight, pulls job material and drives it out to sites.
They control what comes in, where it waits and when it leaves, from filter pallets to rooftop units. Each delivery gets checked against the order and the submittal, then staged by job until the site is ready. They lead the warehouse crew and drivers, keep counts honest and the space safe, and often handle freight claims and supplier returns.
How much does a commercial HVAC warehouse manager make?
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $74,660 a year ($35.89 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $58,090 and $97,100 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Should commercial HVAC equipment ship to the warehouse or straight to the job site?
Shipping straight to the site saves a second trip and a forklift move. It only works when someone who can check it is there and the site can store it safely. Sending it to the warehouse costs handling but lets you inspect every unit before crane day. A common middle path: big units go to the site on lift day, and everything else comes through the warehouse.
What experience should a commercial HVAC warehouse manager have?
The template's bar is a degree in supply chain or logistics, plus three years running a warehouse or in logistics. Look hardest at people from a trade supply house, a mechanical contractor or a building supply yard. They already move big equipment, stage by job and send trucks to sites. A retail or parcel warehouse teaches counting and pace, but not much about project material.
Who handles freight damage on HVAC equipment?
Whoever signs for the delivery, which is usually the warehouse. Inspect each unit first, note any damage on the carrier's paperwork before you sign, and take photos. Then report it to the carrier and the supplier right away. Each carrier and supplier sets its own claim deadlines, so know their terms before the first big delivery.
How should a commercial HVAC warehouse be laid out?
Give each active job its own marked area. Keep fast-moving service parts and filter kits near the loading door, and put heavy equipment where a forklift can reach it without moving other stock. Leave clear, marked aisles. Review the layout when a big project starts, since a few rooftop units can take up a lot of floor.
