How to build an HVAC equipment schedule that holds up on the job
The equipment schedule on the M-sheets is the engineer's basis of design. What actually shows up on the truck is whatever got approved in submittals, and on most jobs that's a different unit: another manufacturer, a different MCA, a heavier curb, a different refrigerant. The electrician sized the breaker off the M-sheet, the structural engineer checked roof framing against the basis-of-design weight, and nobody updated either one. This HVAC equipment schedule template gives the mechanical PM one place to keep the as-submitted, as-approved data for every unit. That's the list the electrician, roofer, rigger, and commissioning agent should be working from.
What each column is for
| Column | What to enter and why it matters |
|---|---|
| Tag / Type / Area Served | Match the drawing tag exactly (RTU-1, AHU-2, EF-3). The type dropdown covers RTU, AHU, DOAS/ERV, split systems, heat pumps, VRF, FCU, fans, boilers, chillers, towers, pumps, and unit heaters. |
| Cooling tons → MBH | Enter nominal tons; MBH calculates at 12 MBH/ton. For heating, enter MBH exactly as scheduled and note whether it's input or output (boilers and furnaces are usually scheduled both ways). |
| Airflow CFM / OA CFM / ESP | Total airflow, minimum outside air, and external static pressure. These are the numbers the TAB contractor will balance to and the ones that drive fan motor size. |
| Volts / Ø / MCA / MOCP | From the approved submittal, not the catalog. Send this block to the electrical engineer before the panel schedule is final. |
| Weight | Operating weight, for structural review and the crane pick chart. The heaviest single pick is totaled at the bottom. |
| Refrigerant / Charge | Type (R-410A, R-454B, R-32, R-513A…) and factory + field charge. A2L refrigerants carry added installation requirements, and total charge feeds your EPA Section 608 records. |
| Efficiency / Metric | The rated value and which metric it is: SEER2, EER2, IEER, HSPF2, AFUE, thermal efficiency, COP, kW/ton, or IPLV. |
| Curb / Support / Submittal Status | Curb height, pad, isolators, seismic restraint. Status runs from Not submitted through Approved, Released, Delivered, Set, and Started up. Revise & resubmit shades red. |
Built-in checks
- Cooling MBH = tons × 12.
- CFM/ton = airflow ÷ tons, shaded amber outside 350–450. That's a rule of thumb, not a design criterion.
- MOCP < MCA shades red. A breaker smaller than the minimum circuit ampacity means someone copied the nameplate wrong.
- Totals: units scheduled, total tons, total heating MBH, total outside air, total refrigerant charge, heaviest pick, and units still waiting on approval.
The coordination this schedule prevents
Most mechanical field changes on commercial jobs trace back to one wrong number in the equipment data:
- Electrical: the substituted RTU has a 35A MOCP and the panel schedule shows a 30A breaker. You find out at startup.
- Structural and roofing: the approved unit is 400 lbs heavier and the curb footprint is different from the one the roofer flashed.
- Plumbing: the condensate connection moved sides and the drain was already roughed.
- Controls: the unit comes with a factory controller the BAS contractor didn't carry points for.
Update the schedule when each submittal comes back and issue it to those trades at the same time. Track the submittals themselves in the submittal log template, and keep the breaker side straight with the panel schedule template.
Using the Filter & PM Service Log
The second tab is a working PM log for construction-phase and warranty-period service. That's when units run on construction dust and nobody owns the filters. Each row is one unit and one visit:
- Enter the unit tag, location, filter size, quantity, and MERV rating.
- Enter the last service date and the interval in days (30, 60, 90, 180, 365, or anything else).
- Next Due and Days Left calculate from the as-of date, which defaults to today. Status reads OK, DUE SOON (amber, inside the window you set), or OVERDUE (red).
- Record belts, coils, and condensate drain condition from the dropdowns. Anything that needs follow-up (worn belt, dirty coil, leaking pan, tripped float) shades amber.
- Log every visit on a new row. The history is what the owner, the warranty claim, and the commissioning agent will ask for.
The summary counts overdue, due-soon, and current units and totals the filters you need on hand for the next round.
Construction-phase filter discipline
Running permanent equipment during construction is often allowed with conditions: filters on returns, a filter change before turnover, and sometimes duct cleaning if the conditions weren't met. Check your spec's temporary-HVAC and IAQ-during-construction sections. The PM log is your proof that it was done. Pair it with the equipment inspection checklist for receiving and setting, and with the HVAC startup checklist once units are ready to run.
When to move off the spreadsheet
A spreadsheet schedule works until three people are editing three copies. Field PM's QA/QC module keeps equipment, startup checklists, inspections, and photos on the job record, and service & dispatch turns PM intervals into scheduled work orders your techs close out from a phone. Start a free 30-day trial. No credit card required.
Related HVAC and closeout templates
- HVAC startup & functional test checklist: RTU, split, boiler, and chiller startup plus FPT
- Refrigerant tracking log (EPA 608): leak rate, duct leakage test, TAB summary
- Submittal log: track every equipment submittal to approval
- Ventilation rates explained (IMC / ASHRAE 62.1)
- Duct construction (SMACNA / IMC 603)
- Project closeout checklist
- Browse all free construction templates
