How a plumber can make money doing HVAC work - Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning

Описание: How a Plumber Can Make Serious Money Doing HVAC Work

1️⃣ Leverage Your Existing Skills

Plumbers already understand:

Piping systems

Water heaters (traditional & tankless)

Gas lines

Boilers

Mechanical rooms

Code & permitting

Low-voltage for controls (in many provinces)


HVAC overlaps heavily with these areas.

Meaning: A plumber doesn’t start from zero—40–60% of the skill set is already there.


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💰 2️⃣ High-Profit HVAC Services a Plumber Can Offer

Below are the easiest HVAC add-on services for plumbers to step into, ranked from easiest → most advanced.


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✅ A. Furnace Replacement & Installation

Profit per job: $1,500 – $4,000+

Time: 4–8 hours

Equipment is modular and standardized

Little ductwork modification required in many cases


Why plumbers win: Gas lines, venting, condensate—plumbing territory.


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✅ B. Hot Water Tanks, Tankless Heaters & Combi Units

(Plumbing + HVAC hybrid)

Profit per job: $800 – $3,500

Heavy overlap with plumbing skills

Minimal new training required


Tankless + combi systems (Navien, Rinnai, Viessmann) are essentially small boilers.


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✅ C. Boilers & Hydronic Heating

This is where the REAL money is.

Profit: $2,000 – $10,000+ per job

Ideal for homes, apartment buildings, commercial sites

Radiant in-floor + fan coil + manifold work = high-margin tradecraft


Plumbers already understand:

PEX, copper, pumps, valves

Distribution loops

Pressure regulation

Thermostatic control basics



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✅ D. Gas Lines & Venting for HVAC

Easy add-on money.

Gas line supply & tie-in: $300 – $1,200

Venting upgrades: $350 – $1,500

Condensate drainage: $150 – $400


When HVAC companies have to call a plumber for these things, they lose margin.
When plumbers do everything in-house, they keep that margin.