Commercial HVAC cost guides
Typical South Bay and Central Valley planning ranges for light-to-mid commercial HVAC — RTUs, restaurant MUA, server rooms, multifamily common areas, maintenance contracts, and office TI allowances. Planning bands, not quotes.
Cost guide
How much does commercial RTU replacement cost?
For light-to-mid commercial rooftops in the South Bay and Central Valley, a planned single RTU changeout commonly lands in the mid-teens to mid-forties (thousands of dollars installed) once you include equipment, curb adapter, crane, gas/electric tie-in, start-up, and Title 24 documentation — not just the unit sticker price. Multi-unit roofs and constrained crane access push higher; like-for-like after-hours swaps with clean curbs sit toward the lower end. These are planning bands for facility budgets, not a Precision bid.
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Restaurant HVAC and make-up air: what does it cost?
Restaurant HVAC cost is driven by hood exhaust balance, make-up air (MUA) tempering, grease-laden OA paths, and after-hours install windows — not dining-room tonnage alone. In South Bay and Central Valley light commercial kitchens, a dedicated MUA + RTU/split refresh commonly spans low-twenties to well into six figures for larger hoods and full package replacements. Use these bands to pressure-test GC allowances; confirm with a site survey before awarding.
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What does server-room and IDF cooling cost?
Most South Bay and Central Valley offices need dedicated cooling for a closet, IDF, or small server room — not a hyperscale hall. Expect a few thousand for a properly applied ductless or split on a small IDF, rising into the teens or tens of thousands when you add redundancy, dedicated condensers, monitoring, or light precision (CRAC/CRAH-class) gear for edge rooms. These bands exclude raised-floor data halls and colocation builds.
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Multifamily common-area HVAC: typical cost ranges
Common-area HVAC for apartments and mixed-use properties (lobbies, corridors, clubhouses, leasing offices, garages) is a different budget line than in-unit PTAC or ductless work. In South Bay and Central Valley light-to-mid multifamily, expect low-five-figures for a single clubhouse or lobby RTU/split refresh, with corridor pressurization and central systems scaling into larger capital projects. Unit interiors are usually a separate scope and bid.
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Commercial maintenance contract pricing: typical bands
Commercial PM pricing is mostly a function of asset count, visit frequency, task depth (filters, refrigeration, economizers, controls), and response-time SLAs — not a mysterious monthly fee. For South Bay and Central Valley light-to-mid commercial portfolios, annual agreements often land from a few hundred dollars per small split up through low thousands per complex RTU when filters, economizer checks, and documented reporting are included. Cheap contracts usually omit the tasks that prevent peak-season failures.
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Office TI mechanical allowance: planning numbers that survive bid day
An office TI mechanical allowance should cover HVAC modifications for the suite — VAV/box moves, duct revises, thermostat/BAS points, Title 24, and often after-hours air — not a blank “HVAC” placeholder. In South Bay and Central Valley light commercial TIs, mechanical often lands roughly in the mid single-digits to low teens per rentable square foot for modest open-office revises, climbing when you add dedicated server cooling, major reheat changes, or full RTU replacement. Treat these as GC/owner planning bands; design drawings still rule.
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