What HVAC companies actually need from a CRM
Before picking a tool, get clear on what you're solving. The CRM needs of a 4-person residential crew are different from a 25-tech operation running both residential and commercial. But a few requirements show up across the board.
Lead capture that pulls in web form submissions, phone calls, and online booking requests without someone manually entering them. If a homeowner fills out a form at 10 PM, that lead should land in your system before your office opens.
Customer records tied to job history. When Mrs. Johnson calls about her AC again, whoever answers the phone should see that you replaced her compressor 14 months ago, installed a new thermostat last spring, and quoted ductwork she never approved. That context changes the conversation.
Automated follow-up. After you send an estimate, the system should nudge the customer if they haven't responded in 3 days. After a completed job, it should trigger a review request. These sequences are where most HVAC companies leak revenue, because they rely on someone remembering to follow up.
QuickBooks integration. Invoices need to sync without double entry. This is non-negotiable for most operators.
Mobile access for the field. Techs need to pull up customer history, add job notes, and collect payments from the truck. If the CRM doesn't work well on a phone, it won't get used.
Most HVAC companies don't need a standalone CRM. Jobber, ServiceTitan, and Housecall Pro all include CRM features. A separate CRM only makes sense if you have a dedicated sales team or need marketing automation your field service tool can't handle.
The 5 tools worth evaluating
These are the five platforms that consistently make sense for HVAC operations. Three are field service platforms with built-in CRM. Two are dedicated CRM/marketing platforms that pair well with field service software.
| Feature | Jobber | ServiceTitan | Housecall Pro | HubSpot | GoHighLevel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $69/mo | ~$398+/mo | $65/mo | Free | $97/mo |
| Field service mgmt | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| CRM built-in | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Marketing automation | Basic | Built-in ROI tracking | Email + postcard campaigns | Strong (paid tiers) | Full suite |
| QuickBooks sync | Yes | Yes | Yes | Via integration | Via integration |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Review requests | Automated | Automated | Automated | Manual / via workflow | Automated campaigns |
| Best for | Small crews (1-10) | Scaling ops (10+) | Mid-range teams | Sales teams | Marketing-focused owners |
Jobber
Pricing: $69-$349/mo (published, monthly billing)
Jobber is the default recommendation for small HVAC companies that want scheduling, dispatching, quoting, invoicing, and CRM in one platform. Setup takes days, not weeks. Most teams are running live jobs within 48 hours.
The CRM side covers what small operations need: customer records with full job history, automated quote follow-ups, review request sequences, and a communication log for every customer interaction. When a repeat customer calls, you see their entire history before you pick up.
What it does well:
- Drag-and-drop scheduling that techs learn in an afternoon
- Online booking widget for your website
- Automated quote follow-ups and review requests
- 2-way texting with customers
- QuickBooks sync on Connect plan and above
- Transparent pricing with no sales call required
Where it falls short:
- No marketing attribution. You can't track which ad campaigns generate booked jobs.
- Reporting is functional but shallow. No revenue-per-technician analytics.
- Grow plan caps at 15 users. Larger teams need to look elsewhere.
Read the full breakdown: Jobber vs ServiceTitan
ServiceTitan
Pricing: Not public. Reported starting around $398+/mo. Requires a demo and sales call.
ServiceTitan is built for HVAC companies that have outgrown simple scheduling tools and want to run on data. The CRM side is thorough: full customer records, call recording tied to customer profiles, marketing attribution that tracks ad spend to booked revenue, and automated follow-up sequences.
The platform also handles flat-rate price book management, financing at the point of sale, inventory tracking across trucks, and deep reporting by technician, job type, and campaign source.
What it does well:
- Marketing ROI tracking tied directly to booked jobs
- Call recording with booking rate analytics per CSR
- Full flat-rate price book management across the team
- Revenue reporting by technician, job type, and source
- Scales to 50+ technicians without bottlenecks
Where it falls short:
- Expensive, with no published pricing
- Implementation takes weeks to months
- Overkill for a 5-person crew. The features that justify the cost don't apply at that size.
Read the full breakdown: ServiceTitan vs Housecall Pro
Housecall Pro
Pricing: $65-$229/mo (published)
Housecall Pro sits between Jobber and ServiceTitan in both price and capability. It covers scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and CRM with a few features that Jobber doesn't offer at the same price point: built-in email and postcard marketing campaigns, online booking, and a customer portal.
For HVAC companies that want more marketing tools than Jobber provides but don't need (or can't afford) ServiceTitan's analytics, Housecall Pro is a solid middle ground.
What it does well:
- Built-in marketing tools: email campaigns, postcards, review requests
- Online booking and a customer-facing portal
- Good balance of features to price for mid-size teams
- QuickBooks integration included
Where it falls short:
- Reporting isn't as deep as ServiceTitan
- No call recording or booking rate analytics
- Marketing campaigns are templated, not fully customizable
Read the full breakdown: Housecall Pro vs Jobber
HubSpot CRM
Pricing: Free tier available. Paid plans from $20-$1,600+/mo.
HubSpot is a different category. It's a dedicated CRM, not a field service platform. No dispatching, no scheduling, no invoicing. What you get is lead tracking, pipeline management, email sequences, and marketing automation.
HubSpot works for HVAC companies that have a separate sales function. If you have salespeople handling new construction bids, commercial contracts, or maintenance agreement renewals and your field techs use Jobber or Housecall Pro for day-to-day operations, HubSpot can manage the sales pipeline that your field service tool doesn't cover well.
The free tier actually works. You get contact management, deal tracking, email tracking, and basic reporting without paying anything.
What it does well:
- Free tier with real functionality
- Strong pipeline and deal tracking for sales teams
- Email sequences and marketing automation on paid plans
- Integrates with almost everything via native connectors or Zapier
Where it falls short:
- No field service features. Zero. You still need Jobber, Housecall Pro, or similar.
- Paid tiers get expensive fast once you need marketing automation
- Requires integration work to connect with your field service platform
Read the full breakdown: HubSpot vs Zoho CRM
GoHighLevel
Pricing: $97-$497/mo
GoHighLevel is popular with HVAC owner-operators who want CRM, SMS marketing, review campaigns, a website builder, and marketing automation in one platform. It's not a field service tool. It doesn't do dispatching or scheduling. But for the marketing and follow-up side of running an HVAC business, it consolidates a lot of tools.
The typical GoHighLevel user in HVAC is an owner who's also handling marketing: running Google Ads, sending follow-up texts to leads, managing review campaigns, and building landing pages for seasonal promotions. Instead of paying separately for a CRM, an SMS tool, a review platform, and a landing page builder, GoHighLevel rolls them into one bill.
What it does well:
- SMS and email marketing with automation workflows
- Automated review request campaigns
- Built-in website and landing page builder
- Pipeline management and lead tracking
- Consolidates 4-5 separate marketing tools into one bill
Where it falls short:
- No field service management. You still need a separate tool for scheduling and dispatch.
- Learning curve is steep. The platform does a lot, and setup takes time.
- Built for marketing-savvy operators. If you just want to manage customer records, this is overkill.
Read the full breakdown: GoHighLevel vs HubSpot
How to decide
The right tool depends on what problem you're solving and how your operation is set up.
Under 10 techs, need field service + CRM in one place: Start with Jobber. It covers scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and CRM features that work for residential HVAC. You'll be live in days, not weeks.
10+ techs, scaling past $1M, need analytics: ServiceTitan. The marketing attribution, call recording, and revenue reporting justify the price at this size. Plan for a multi-week implementation.
Mid-size team, want marketing tools built into field service: Housecall Pro. Better marketing features than Jobber at a similar price point.
Separate sales team handling bids or commercial contracts: HubSpot CRM paired with your field service platform. The free tier handles basic pipeline tracking. Paid tiers add email sequences and automation.
Owner-operator who handles marketing and wants everything in one place: GoHighLevel for the marketing/CRM side, paired with Jobber or Housecall Pro for field operations.
The most common setup we see: HVAC companies under 10 techs use Jobber alone. Companies at 10-25 techs use ServiceTitan alone. Companies that need advanced marketing pair their field service tool with either HubSpot or GoHighLevel.
Connecting your CRM to the rest of your stack
If you run a field service platform and a separate CRM, those two systems need to talk to each other. When a job closes in Jobber, the customer record in HubSpot should update. When a new lead comes into GoHighLevel, it should create a customer in your field service tool.
The three main tools for connecting systems are n8n, Make, and Zapier. All three support Jobber, HubSpot, and GoHighLevel integrations. ServiceTitan's API access is more restricted, so integrations there typically require more custom work.
Common automations we build for HVAC companies:
- Lead routing: New form submission hits your CRM, triggers an SMS within 5 minutes, and creates a follow-up task if no response in 24 hours.
- Job-to-CRM sync: Completed job in Jobber updates the customer record in HubSpot with job details, revenue, and equipment installed.
- Review sequences: Job marked complete triggers a review request via SMS, followed by an email 2 days later if no review was left.
- Maintenance reminders: Customer gets tagged after an install. Six months later, an automated sequence offers a maintenance check.
Running multiple tools that don't talk to each other? We'll map your manual handoffs and show you what to automate first.
Get a Free Automation Audit →Jobber vs ServiceTitan — the full head-to-head breakdown for trade businesses.
Housecall Pro vs Jobber — comparing the two most popular small-team field service platforms.
GoHighLevel vs HubSpot — if you're choosing a dedicated CRM or marketing platform.
n8n vs Make vs Zapier — for connecting your field service and CRM tools.
Not sure which CRM fits your HVAC operation?
We'll look at your current tools, team size, and workflow gaps. Then we'll tell you exactly which setup makes sense and what to automate first.
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