In residential HVAC, the production manager runs the install side of the business. They take each sold job from the equipment order and permit to a finished system that passes inspection, on time and on budget.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, HVAC and plumbing contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for managing HVAC installation operations with a focus on enforcing safety standards and ensuring quality workmanship. Plays a pivotal role in streamlining installation processes while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Works collaboratively with cross-functional teams to meet project deadlines and quality benchmarks.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee daily HVAC installation projects from planning to completion.
Enforce stringent safety protocols and compliance with industry standards.
Ensure quality workmanship through regular inspections and adherence to technical specifications.
Manage project timelines, budgets, and resource allocation effectively.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct site inspections and quality control checks on ongoing HVAC installations.
Coordinate and communicate with installation teams, subcontractors, and suppliers.
Review and update project documentation to ensure compliance with safety and quality standards.
Address and resolve installation issues, including customer concerns and equipment discrepancies.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Achieve an HVAC installation completion rate of at least 95% on schedule.
Maintain a safety compliance rating of 100% across all projects.
Attain a quality workmanship pass rate of greater than 98% during inspections.
Secure a customer satisfaction rating of over 4.8 stars consistently.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field.
Minimum of 3 years’ experience in HVAC installation or production management roles.
Proven leadership abilities with excellent communication and conflict resolution skills.
Proficient in project management software and familiar with industry-specific tools.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience managing HVAC installations in residential or commercial settings.
In-depth knowledge of local building codes, safety regulations, and industry standards.
Experience leading diverse teams and managing multi-site projects.
Familiarity with troubleshooting, quality assurance, and process optimization in HVAC operations.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to regularly lift up to 50 lbs.
Willingness to work outdoors and in varying weather conditions.
Capability to stand, walk, and perform physical tasks for extended periods.
Must be comfortable with climbing ladders and working in confined spaces when necessary.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typically works a 40-hour week with occasional overtime during peak project periods.
Required to work on-site during installations and project reviews.
May involve occasional weekend or evening shifts based on project demands.
Minimal travel between job sites is expected as part of the role.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $65,000 - $85,000 per year.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage.
401k plan, paid time off, and additional fringe benefits as applicable.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and innovative work environment.
Emphasizes professional growth, continuous learning, and career advancement.
Dedicated to exceptional customer service and operational excellence.
Provides a collaborative culture where employees are empowered to drive positive change.
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
Production managers in any trade turn sold work into finished work. In residential HVAC, that work is mostly system replacements that take a day or two. Each one has to fit the house, pass inspection and run right through its first season.
Production means the install side
At many residential HVAC companies, service techs repair and maintain equipment, and the production team replaces it. The production manager runs that side: furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps and air handlers, plus the duct work that comes with them. Sales hands over a signed job. Production hands back a system that's installed, inspected and ready to close out.
Sizing and permits come before install day
The model code for homes, the International Residential Code, says heating and cooling equipment must be sized with ACCA Manual S. The sizing is based on a Manual J load calculation or another approved method. Some building departments won't review plans without these numbers. Find out what yours asks for on a replacement. The production manager makes sure the sizing and the permit are done before the crew shows up. Source: ICC-NTA: New York requirements for sizing HVAC systems (IRC M1401.3 and IECC R403.7).
New refrigerants changed the equipment
Under EPA rules, new home AC and heat pump systems installed since 2025 must use a lower-impact refrigerant, such as R-454B or R-32. The exception is equipment made or imported before 2025, which can still go in. The new refrigerants are rated A2L, which means mildly flammable. Crews need training and tools made for them, and must follow each maker's install manual. EPA has changed these rules more than once, so check its current guidance. Source: U.S. EPA: Technology transitions HFC restrictions by sector.
Quality gets checked before the inspector comes
A city inspection checks the job against code. It won't always tell you if the system runs well. ACCA's Quality Installation standard lists the steps for a good install. It covers design, setting the equipment, the ducts, and the paperwork and owner walkthrough at the end. Build your install checklist and photo rules from it, so your own people catch problems before the homeowner does. Source: ACCA: 2015 HVAC Quality Installation Specification recognized by ANSI.
Every extra hour comes out of the margin
Replacements are usually sold at a set price before the crew arrives. If a job runs a day long, needs a second trip for a missing part, or fails inspection, the extra labor comes out of the profit. The production manager compares real hours and materials with the estimate on every job. Then they tell sales what to change on the next one.
Residential vs. commercial HVAC production
Both jobs turn sold work into installed systems. The size and pace of the work are very different.
Topic
Residential
Commercial
Typical job
Replacing a furnace, AC or heat pump in a home, usually in a day or two
Rooftop units, ductwork and controls for a building, over weeks or months
Who you answer to
The homeowner, and what your salesperson promised
The general contractor, building owner and engineer
Paperwork
Load calculation, permit, inspection and warranty registration
Drawings, submittals, change orders, permits and closeout documents
Scheduling
Many short jobs a week, moved by weather and new sales
A few long projects tied to the construction schedule
The closest BLS group for HVAC production 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.
Usually a salary plus a bonus tied to installs completed, install profit or callback rates.
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. 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
Has installed residential HVAC systems or led install crews
Plans a week of installs and rebuilds it when the weather or a supplier changes it
Reads a load calculation and an equipment spec sheet
Holds crews to a written quality standard
Tracks labor hours and materials against the estimate
Teach these on the job
Your permit process and local inspectors
Your equipment brands, matched systems and warranty registration
Your field service software and job costing reports
Your install checklist and photo rules
How your sales team scopes and hands off jobs
Production managers schedule and cost installs in field service software such as ServiceTitan or FieldEdge, run load calculations in Manual J software, and check installs with gauges, airflow tools and combustion analyzers. Name your software and equipment brands in the ad, and say how many install crews the role runs.
HVAC production manager interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Track these by crew and by month. The targets in the template are examples, so set yours from your own past results.
Achieve an HVAC installation completion rate of at least 95% on schedule
Installs finished on the day or days you promised the customer, without a return trip for the same work, divided by all installs. Pull it from your schedule monthly and compare crews.
Maintain a safety compliance rating of 100% across all projects
Job site safety checks passed with no findings, out of all checks done, plus any injuries or near misses. Track it by crew each month from your safety records.
Attain a quality workmanship pass rate of greater than 98% during inspections
Installs that pass your own quality check and the city inspection on the first try, out of all installs inspected. Track the two separately, by crew, from your inspection records.
Secure a customer satisfaction rating of over 4.8 stars consistently
Average post-install survey or review score by crew each month. Compare it with your own past results, and read the comments for problems that keep coming back.
Career path
Lead installerRuns an install crew on site.
Field supervisorChecks install quality and safety across several crews.
What does a production manager do at an HVAC company?
The production manager runs the install department. They book the replacement jobs and order the equipment. They make sure each job has its load calculation and permit, lead the install crews, and check the work before the city inspector comes. They also compare each job's hours and materials with the sales estimate.
How much does an HVAC production 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.
Is a production manager the same as an install manager?
Often, yes. Many residential HVAC companies use the two titles for the same job. Some use production manager for a wider role that also covers the warehouse, or both install and service crews. Spell out the scope in your ad so candidates know which job you mean.
What's the difference between a production manager and a field supervisor?
The production manager plans and runs the whole install department: the schedule, equipment, permits, budgets and crews. A field supervisor spends the day on job sites. They check the crews' work and safety, and fix problems on the spot. In many companies the field supervisor reports to the production manager.
Does an HVAC production manager need a license?
It depends on your state and city. Some states license HVAC contractors, and permits are often pulled under the company's license. Ask your state board and your local building office what applies. If the production manager will handle refrigerant, federal rules also require EPA Section 608 certification.
Should an HVAC production manager have installed systems?
It's a big plus. Someone who has set equipment, brazed line sets and worked in attics knows how long a job really takes. They can also spot a shortcut. A strong production manager from another building trade can learn HVAC, but should pair with your best lead installer for the first season.
What should an HVAC production manager job ad include?
Say how many install crews the role runs and who it reports to. List the kinds of jobs you do, such as replacements, new homes or both. Name your software and equipment brands, explain the bonus plan, and be clear about Saturday and summer hours.
