Home / Guides
Field notes on RTU replacement
No fluff, no SEO word-salad. These are the things I'd tell a younger estimator before they bid their first commercial rooftop swap — written from jobs that went sideways and jobs that went clean.
5 things that blow up an RTU swap budget
The line items that turn a clean $18k swap into a $32k headache — and how to catch them before you sign the proposal.
CurbsCurb adapters: when you need one, when you don't
The dimensional rules, the duct gotchas, and why a "close enough" curb decision costs you a return trip with a crane.
PermitsRTU permits by state: MD / PA / DE / VA reality check
Who pulls it, who inspects it, and where a like-for-like swap still trips a mechanical permit. The mid-Atlantic, jurisdiction by jurisdiction.
SizingHow to size a commercial rooftop replacement fast
A repeatable field method to get tonnage and heat right in ten minutes — and the three places rules of thumb will burn you.
DecisionsReplace vs. repair: the honest math
The "$5,000 rule" is lazy. Here's how I actually frame the replace-or-repair decision for a commercial owner — age, refrigerant, parts, energy, and the number that ends the conversation.
New guides, in your inbox
A couple emails a month — a real swap, a tool update, one money-saver. No spam.