Contractor Proposal Example: An AC Replacement, Annotated
A complete sample contractor proposal for a 3.5-ton AC replacement — with notes on why each section is written the way it is. Fictional business, real structure.
Below is the structure of a real QuoteMango sample proposal (the business is fictional and the prices are placeholders — your prices are yours). Read it the way a homeowner would.
Header
Cool Breeze Air LLC (Sample) — logo, phone, email, license line exactly as the contractor entered it. The client can call from the proposal itself.
Scope
'Your current system has a failed compressor and is beyond economical repair. We will replace the condenser and air handler with a 3.5-ton, 16 SEER2 system, install a new Wi-Fi thermostat, and remove the old equipment.' Three sentences. Problem, plan, cleanup.
Equipment group
- 3.5-ton 16 SEER2 condenser and air handler — priced per each
- Wi-Fi thermostat — priced per each
Installation group
- Installation labor, permits, and inspection — one flat line
- Haul-away and disposal of the old equipment — one flat line
Optional upgrades group
- UV air purification light — optional, excluded from the base total until the client selects it
- 12-month maintenance plan — optional
Totals and terms
Base total, then 'total with selected options' if the client toggles the upgrades. Validity: 21 days. Deposit requested: shown as a line, paid outside the platform. Warranty: the contractor's own wording.
Why this example works
The client never has to ask what is included, what the upgrades cost, or how to say yes. Every question a proposal leaves open becomes a delay — and delays are where jobs go to die. Open this exact structure as a live template from the HVAC template page and make it yours.