HVAC Project Management: Five Secrets to Finding Success
March 28, 2023 | Read: 8 minutes
If you’re an HVAC Project Manager, or aspiring to become one, this post is tailored for you! We’ll delve into five essential strategies for achieving success in this field.
From understanding your core responsibilities to utilizing tools that can enhance your effectiveness, dive in and discover more about this rewarding role.
HVAC companies are one of the most needed maintenance providers in the United States, therefore, being an HVAC project manager is no easy task, not least of all because it requires an impressive educational and technical background.
The role of an HVAC project manager is important, and so the more you learn, the better chance you have to grow with the company and help your team find success.
For that reason, we’ve got five secrets to share with you for becoming a successful HVAC project manager. But before we dive into how to be the best HVAC business manager possible, let’s outline the role an HVAC project manager plays in an HVAC company.
What Does an HVAC Project Manager Do?
There are two main aspects to the job: managing projects and managing people.
Managing projects means:
- Organizing the timeline.
- Communicating with the customer (or business) about their needs.
- Keeping on top of the documentation.
- Facilitating communication between all stakeholders.
Managing people, on the other hand, involves:
- Setting working schedules.
- Guiding your team to deliver the highest standard of work.
- Providing the resources, technology, and tools they need.
- Dealing with any internal conflict on your team.
If you’re curious about the daily tasks of an HVAC project manager, look no further. The organization, Careers in Climate Control Technology states…
“HVAC Project Managers are involved in all aspects of designing, planning, coordinating, staffing, and executing HVAC installation projects. They work with a wide variety of other professionals, including building owners, developers, architects, engineers, and other contractors to ensure the HVAC systems are installed within the allotted budget and time schedule.
Having a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field can help in this position, but significant experience with HVAC installations is probably the most relevant qualification.
On rare occasions, you will find HVAC project managers who are exceptional at organization and team management and can bypass this requirement.
This being said, most will have a minimum of 5-10 years of experience in the installation of commercial HVAC systems. Project Managers must be able to multitask and stay positive while troubleshooting in stressful situations.”
That’s a lot of responsibility, but there’s plenty you can do to manage it.
Ultimately, when it comes to finding success as an HVAC manager, take the time to consider your personal and professional goals. Make sure they’re measurable and quantifiable, as this will help you clearly track your progress as you grow with the role.
What is an HVAC Project Manager’s Salary?
With all that responsibility, it’s no wonder you’ll think about Salaries. Of course, success will look different for every individual and company, but according to Glassdoor:
“The estimated total pay for a HVAC Project Manager is $137,406 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $96,246 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $41,160 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing.”
The Five Secrets to HVAC Management Success
If you’re getting ready to take on the role of HVAC project manager, consider using these five secrets to success…
- Be Understanding and Flexible
Take the time to get to know your employees (new and old) and make sure they have the resources they need to be mentally and physically healthy. Happy employees will respect your process and work hard for the company, bringing in more revenue (which reflects best on the manager).
As an HVAC manager, there will be a day when one of your technicians or employees is unable to make it to work. Don’t sweat it – being adaptable will help keep the rest of your team calm and figure out a schedule that works for everyone.
Rescheduling a job isn’t the end of the world and can be a good opportunity to demonstrate how seriously your company takes employee well-being. But always having a backup plan and rewarding other technicians for going above and beyond will help make sure you almost never miss a job.
- Build Industry Connections
We’re not here to tell you to become best friends with your enemies (direct competitors) – but there is a lot to be gained by building relative connections or beneficial relationships across the industry.
An article from the Harvard Business Review concludes, “They offset research & development costs, add expertise and flexibility, and help create new markets. They can also accelerate innovation and commercialization timelines!”
Finding opportunities to partner with local businesses is a great way to expand the type of services you offer, build your customer database, and give back to the community. If you can demonstrate to the local area that you care about the well-being of their property in more ways than HVAC work – they’ll be likely to choose your business over a competitor.
You could even team up with other local maintenance companies to find new clients and offer them discounts for using both of your businesses. The more connections you have, the faster you’ll see your business grow and revenue increase!
- Skill Development and Goal Setting
The best HVAC project managers are the ones who are willing to help their employees grow in their life and career.
Giving them a proper work-life balance while providing them with the resources they need to find success in their career will create a happy employee that’s excited to work with you.
Great managers are able to decipher a reasonable set of quantifiable goals for each of their employees. No two employees will be the same, so why should their goals be? Discuss with them how they want to grow and help them design a plan that gets them where they want to be.
If you need help setting your employees up for success, check out this Forbes article for 10 ways managers can support their employees career growth!
- Admit Your Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes – but not everyone owns up to them.
As an HVAC manager, you’ll have to admit when you make a mistake and help find a resolution. Being an HVAC project manager means you may have to take responsibility for mistakes that employees make under your watch (even if it’s not your fault).
Small mistakes will happen, they’re unavoidable. Successful HVAC project managers will have the know-how to quickly rectify the situation. It can be a great opportunity to teach a new or old employee a new skill or life lesson.
If you admit your mistakes and place blame where it doesn’t belong – you can create an environment that encourages discourse or lying (making more issues in the short and long term).
- Utilize Technology
One of the fastest ways to get left behind in business is by not utilizing the industry technology that’s available to you.
Physical documents may still be required in some instances – but with the right HVAC management software – managing your employees and the growth of your business is simple and organized. Being able to manage your business and team members from one screen will save you time throughout the day and improve communication!
Whether you’re taking advantage of real-time vehicle tracking to route a technician to an emergency job or using it to automate your scheduling and invoicing processes – field service management software is almost always worth the investment!
HVAC Management with Commusoft
If you’ve made it your goal to become an HVAC business manager or something similar – using HVAC management software will make sure you stay all-around organized and on top of your day-to-day operations.
More so, it can help you build winning proposals consistently and manage your commercial and residential clients while maximizing monthly recurring revenue.
To learn more about how you can streamline your business with Commusoft, click the banner below!
