Originally published in May 2021. Last updated on March 14, 2025.
Good-better-best proposals give customers three or more options for HVAC systems at different price points. But why offer three when you can just sell the best one?
It’s simple—proposals with multiple options put your customers in control. They let homeowners choose from different levels of efficiency, cost savings, and service.
Plus, when you show your best HVAC systems next to lower-quality solutions, customers are more likely to go for your recommendation. This helps you increase both your close rate and your average HVAC job value.
We’ll show how to build good-better-best proposals—even for your most basic services. Then, see real examples of these proposals and how to save time making them.
Learn how (and why) to make good-better-best HVAC proposals:
Benefits of service proposals with good-better-best options
As a technician, sales rep, or business owner, you’re always focused on competitive HVAC pricing. When you start using good-better-best pricing, you can:
- Make more revenue per sale. Your higher-priced HVAC systems usually offer more value to customers. If your business proposal describes why those systems are better, you can make more revenue from every new customer.
- Sell maintenance agreements. Customers who need emergency repairs and replacements should get regular maintenance. In your proposal, you can bundle a maintenance contract with your repair as an upgrade.
- Get faster approvals on your proposals. Single-option proposals can make customers feel like their choices are limited. When you give multiple options, your customer is more likely to choose your services instead of shopping around for another HVAC contractor.
Your customers benefit from good-better-best proposals, too. These proposals give them:
- Higher-value services. You’re giving a customer more value when your “Better” and “Best” options offer add-ons or bundles. For example, a customer will pay less for a repair bundled with routine maintenance than if they purchased those separately.
- Long-term cost savings. Powerful HVAC systems with high energy savings will also save customers more money long-term. These systems are less prone to issues and will need fewer repairs.
- The power to choose what they want. Some customers have specific HVAC requirements for budget, unit size, and configurations. Your proposal can include the system they requested—even if it’s not the best option—as well as your own recommendation.
Why good-better-best HVAC proposals work
Good-better-best proposals aren’t just for HVAC equipment sales. Adding upgrade options to your service quotes gives customers long-term HVAC solutions.
Let’s run through two scenarios. A customer, Joe, calls you to fix his capacitor.
Scenario #1: You only quote Joe for a capacitor replacement
- Joe approves your service quote.
- Weeks later, something else breaks in Joe’s HVAC system.
- Joe is unhappy—he feels the service he paid for didn’t address a larger problem in his A/C system.
- Joe talks you into going back for a free repair.
Scenario #2: You send Joe a good-better-best proposal
- Joe gets a proposal that offers him an upgrade: a repair plus an HVAC maintenance plan.
- Weeks later, something else breaks in Joe’s HVAC system.
- If Joe chooses the upgrade, he can call you to diagnose and fix it at a waived or reduced cost.
- If he didn’t choose the upgrade, Joe knows he could’ve had your help—and you already spotted the issue. Now he trusts you to complete the work and solve his problem.
READ MORE: HVAC business profit margins: 8 ways to improve profitability
How to choose your good-better-best options
After the first site visit, you or your technician should have a list of HVAC systems that’ll work for your customer. Now, it’s a matter of choosing what to put on your good-better-best proposal.
Options for equipment proposals
Create a list of the systems that fit your customer’s needs, load calculations, duct sizes, and the configurations they want.
The “Best” option on your proposal should be your system with the highest efficiency and best performance. That usually means the HVAC system with:
- The highest SEER (e.g., SEER2 18)
- The highest efficiency (at least 95%)
- A variable-speed blower
- Two-stage heating or cooling
- The longest warranty (10-year or lifetime warranty)
Your “Good” and “Better” options should still be solid options that you feel confident selling to the customer.
Options for service proposals
A routine HVAC maintenance plan is usually the best upgrade you can add to a service proposal.
HVAC maintenance agreements are a great way to make consistent revenue. They also help technicians find more opportunities to improve customer systems.
In your HVAC maintenance proposal, you could also bundle a repair or replacement with:
- A/C coil cleaning service
- Duct cleaning service
- Custom ductwork modifications (to improve air flow)
- Discounted air quality products like air purifiers, carbon monoxide detectors, or UV air cleaners
- Energy efficiency audits
READ MORE: How to price HVAC services
“Customer’s choice” proposals
Some customers are firm about the systems they want. If your customer has specific requests, put them in your proposal.
Many customers don’t want the highest-efficiency HVAC system because they have other priorities. They could be trying to save money up-front, or they’re looking for a specific feature.
So, how should you handle a customer who doesn’t want the best system?
Picture this scenario with Andrew, a potential customer:
- Andrew tells you he wants an 80% efficiency furnace. He has a tight budget and plans to move out in three or four years. He figures he doesn’t need the fanciest system.
- You explain to him that a 96% efficiency furnace will save him on gas and improve his home’s resale value.
- Andrew insists he wants an 80% efficiency furnace.
You can still include the 96% efficiency option on your proposal—and even add details about Andrew’s potential cost savings right below it.
Still, label Andrew’s choice as the “Recommended” line item. This shows Andrew that his satisfaction matters, even though you recommend a higher efficiency system. You can tag your own recommendation with “Popular Choice” or something similar.
If your proposal is detailed, professional, and educational, Andrew might be swayed in the right direction.
Good-better-best HVAC proposal examples
A good-better-best HVAC proposal should give your customer three or more options for HVAC systems or services. (Just keep in mind that too many options could confuse your customers!)
These options should include details about your products, pricing, service terms, and warranties for customers to make an informed decision.
Let’s look at a few HVAC proposal examples, all built with Jobber’s HVAC business software.
Good-better-best furnace options
Take a look at this furnace proposal with good, better, and best options. It includes product names, descriptions, and photos, along with tiered pricing for each option:
You can see each furnace’s efficiency ratings, blower speed, emissions, and warranty. The proposal is also clean and easy to read.
Once you create your line items, Jobber lets you select which option you recommend. That option will be pre-selected when your customer views the proposal.
The customer can still choose a different option, but pre-selecting your best HVAC system can help them make a faster decision.
A/C proposal with an optional heating system
This proposal for an A/C unit has three options for the customer to choose from. At the top, the contractor includes an optional furnace install.
The furnace line item describes the benefits of this—like lower heating bills and reduced gas emissions.
This HVAC proposal example puts no pressure on the customer to buy a furnace. To the customer, it’s more like a package they can customize however they want.
Good-better-best options for add-on products
Your proposals can upsell products like dehumidifiers, ventilators, and smart thermostats to offer even more improvements to your customer’s home.
In this proposal sample, the customer has already chosen their AC and furnace. Now, they can choose between three thermostat options:
Proposal with an optional service contract
This HVAC installation proposal has an optional add-on for a one-year HVAC service contract. It also tells the customer exactly which options are good, better, and best.
Parts replacement proposal
A good-better-best service proposal should include the service your customer requested as your “Good” option.
The “Better” and “Best” options should be upgrades that offer longer-term solutions for your customer’s HVAC systems.
Take the proposal example below. It lets the customer upgrade their contactor replacement to get an A/C cleaning and regular maintenance:
How to write an HVAC proposal
To ensure your potential customer has all the information they need to make an educated decision, write an HVAC sales proposal that includes the elements below:
- A cover letter that provides an overview of the entire proposal (typically only needed for commercial proposals)
- Customer information like their name, address, and contact details
- Company overview describing your services, experience, HVAC licensing, and other qualifications
- Project summary outlining the high-level work you’ll be doing (e.g., furnace repair, AC installation), why you recommend it, and what benefits it’ll provide for the customer
- Scope of work that describes the proposed work in great detail with good-better-best options
- Project timeline for each of the good-better-best options presented
- Pricing for each option listed, including materials, labor, and overhead
- Maintenance schedule so the client knows what upkeep will be needed and when
- Terms and conditions for the work (e.g., billing terms, warranty terms)
- Space for a signature so the customer can sign off on the work
How to save time using HVAC proposal software
There’s one thing that stops many HVAC professionals from creating good-better-best proposals: time. Building a proposal with three separate options can sound like a lot of work—and a lot of math.
It’s true that these proposals do take a bit more time than single-option proposals. But it’s only a hassle if you use spreadsheets, Word docs, or pen and paper to create your HVAC proposals.
You can use an HVAC proposal template, or speed up the process by using the right HVAC proposal software to make a professional proposal. This gives you an edge in today’s competitive HVAC industry and helps you stand out from other businesses.
We’ve shown you examples of proposals and quotes made in Jobber. Here’s how easy it is to make one yourself using the best HVAC proposal software:
1. Open Jobber and hit Quote. You’ll start customizing a proposal that already has your HVAC company information, logo, and branding.
2. Add an Optional Line Item for each of your good, better, and best products or services. Put a description, an image, and your cost estimate for each. Save the line item so you can sell it again later.
3. Click the Recommended check box beneath your “Best” option. This line item will be pre-selected when your customer sees the proposal.
4. Add financing options so your customer can pay over time. Your customer will see their lowest monthly payment option right below your proposal. (Jobber connects with Wisetack to make this happen.)
5. Add any extra details to the bottom of your proposal, like a thank-you note or terms and conditions. In one click, you can send the proposal to your customer by text or email.
Once your proposal has been sent, Jobber sends automatic follow-up texts and emails until your customer approves it. You can even customize the schedule to send reminders at different intervals.
Your customer will see your good-better-best options in an online client portal. There, they can pick the option that’s best for them—right from the proposal.
READ MORE: The best HVAC CRM software for your business
Good-better-best proposals are a no-brainer way to improve your HVAC sales process. Make better proposals with an easy tool like Jobber, send them faster, and free up time to get more HVAC leads.
With your new proposals, you’re ready to run your HVAC business more efficiently and start scaling the company.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A potential customer is more likely to accept your proposal if you can show the value of your services. Here’s how to do that:
• Identify the customer’s needs (like a lower energy bill), not just their wants (like a new furnace)
• Recommend the best options for the customer’s needs at different pricing tiers
• Describe the HVAC equipment you’ll be using in detail, including brand, model, technical specs, and cost
• Show the benefits of using your services and working with your business (e.g., fast job completion, competitive pricing, clear communication)
• Prove your expertise by sharing your credentials and showing you’ve completed similar work before -
Even if you have a professional-looking proposal, you still need to convince the client they can trust your business. Do that by following these best practices during your pitch:
• Pay attention to the customer and ask questions to understand their needs
• Use simple terms they can understand (they aren’t an HVAC expert like you!)
• Be confident when talking about your HVAC industry experience
• Offer good-better-best options that are tailored to their specific needs and budget
• Listen and positively respond to their concerns
Remember to follow up with the prospective client to answer questions and communicate the next steps. That’s easy to do when you’re using automated follow-ups as part of Jobber’s quoting feature. -
A potential client could be receiving proposals from multiple HVAC companies. Use these tips to stand out from your competitors and increase your chances of winning the bid:
• Make sure your service business branding is eye-catching and unique
• Provide good-better-best options with tiered pricing, including innovative and environmentally friendly options wherever possible
• Offer small discounts for buying upgrades and bundled services
• Make it easy for the customer to view and approve your proposal in Jobber’s client hub -
During the proposal creation process, make sure to avoid common mistakes that could affect your customer relationships and bottom line. These mistakes include:
• Not tailoring the proposal to the client’s specific needs
• Incorrect or unclear pricing
• Too-short or too-long project timelines
• Not including terms and conditions (e.g., billing requirements, warranty terms)
• Not providing enough detail when explaining how the HVAC system will solve the customer’s problem
• Using overly technical language that the average customer doesn’t understand
• Giving the client a proposal that doesn’t look professional