How we work
A long-form look at what actually happens between your first phone call and the final commissioning report.
Ventilation work goes wrong in predictable places: a scope that was never written down, equipment ordered before anyone measured, and a hand-off where nobody explains the controls. Our process exists to close those three gaps. It hasn't changed much since 2011, because it works.
The phone call
Whoever picks up is a technician or the owner. We'll ask what the building is, what's wrong, how old the system is and whether there's a deadline — an inspection, an opening date, a tenant moving in. Five minutes on the phone tells us whether this is a same-week fix or a design job.
Typical response: same business day, usually within two hours.
The site visit
Free inside our service area. We measure the space, check existing equipment nameplates, take static pressure and airflow readings where there's something running, photograph roof and ceiling access, and look at the things people forget: where the condensate goes, whether the electrical panel has capacity, how a lift gets to the roof.
Allow 45–90 minutes. Bigger commercial sites, half a day.
The proposal
You get a written document: scope of work, equipment makes and model numbers, what we're removing, what we're reusing, permit responsibilities, a schedule window and a fixed price. Where there's genuine unknown — asbestos-era ceiling voids, for example — we name the contingency and its trigger up front rather than issuing a change order later.
Turnaround: 2 business days residential, up to 5 for commercial design.
Fabrication
Shop drawings are produced and duct is cut on Fairway Drive. Sections are numbered against the drawing, sealed, and loaded in install order. Anything we can pre-assemble in the shop gets pre-assembled — a joint made at a bench is better than one made overhead on a ladder, every time.
Most fabrication runs 3–10 working days.
Installation
Our own crew, no subcontracted labour. Floors get protected, work areas swept at the end of each day, and we agree noisy-work windows with restaurants and clinics in advance. If your building stays open, we'll phase the work so it can.
You get a named lead technician and their direct number.
Commissioning & hand-off
We balance the system, record CFM at every terminal, verify pressure relationships, and walk you or your maintenance staff through the controls. You receive a commissioning report, equipment manuals, warranty registration confirmations and a filter schedule — as PDFs, emailed the same day.
We call again at 30 days to check it's still behaving.
What you actually receive
Bing, building inspectors and future buyers all have one thing in common: they want documentation. Here's the standard package that closes out every project we do, no extra charge.
- Scope and pricing letter — signed by both sides before work starts
- Shop drawings — dimensioned duct layout as built
- Commissioning report — measured airflows against design targets
- Equipment schedule — models, serials, filter sizes, warranty periods
- Maintenance calendar — what to do and when, in plain language
- Permit close-out documents — where a permit was required
Payment terms
Residential work: no deposit under $2,000; 40% on scheduling above that, balance on completion. Commercial: progress billing against agreed milestones, net 15. We accept check, ACH and all major cards. Nothing is invoiced that wasn't in the written scope or an approved change order.
Warranty
Two years on our labour, manufacturer terms on equipment (typically 5–10 years on ERV cores and motors, provided the maintenance schedule is followed). Warranty visits are scheduled within two business days. We register your equipment for you — that step gets missed constantly and voids more warranties than any other single thing.
Need airflow sorted before the next inspection?
Talk to Holly Fitzgerald directly. Most quotes are back within two business days.