HVAC RFQ Template: Loads, Equipment Schedule and Acceptance Tests
An HVAC RFQ asks bidders to price the same job. It needs seven parts: scope and site, design basis and loads, an equipment schedule, interfaces and exclusions, testing and acceptance, a price schedule, and the commercial terms. Fill every part before you send it. A bid that has to guess a load or a test criterion will be priced on the bidder's assumption, not yours.
How should you use this template?
Copy each section into your own document and complete the fields. The notes under each table say what to enter and which mistake the field prevents. If you do not have the answer yet, write "to be confirmed by the designer" rather than leaving it blank, so bidders see the gap and ask. For the issued version, use our RFQ page, where you can send drawings and a BOQ for review.
Section 1: What are you buying, and where?
| Field | Enter |
|---|---|
| Project, site and building type | Name, address, factory, office, warehouse, cleanroom or mixed |
| Scope | Supply, installation, testing and commissioning, or design-and-build |
| Areas served | Floor-wise list with area in square metres |
| Drawings and specifications issued | List with revision numbers |
| Programme | Site access date, required completion date, phasing |
| Bid deadline and clarification contact | Date, time, one named person |
Why it matters: bidders who see different drawing revisions price different jobs. State whether the bidder designs the system or prices a design you provide.
Section 2: What loads and conditions are the design basis?
| Space or zone | Area (m²) | Use and occupancy | Equipment and lighting load | Indoor temperature and humidity | Fresh air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enter one row per zone |
As an illustration of a filled row: packing hall, 1,200 m², 40 people, 25 kW of equipment and lighting, 24 °C with humidity limit stated by the product, fresh air to the code figure. Add the outdoor design conditions for the site, hours of operation, and any process heat load. State the basis of the cooling-load calculation, and whether you want the bidder to verify it. Process areas, cleanrooms and server rooms are better sized from equipment data than from area. Our tonnage calculator gives a first estimate, and the glossary explains the unit. Mistake prevented: a single "tons per square foot" number that turns out wrong for a hot process bay.
Section 3: What is the equipment schedule?
| Tag | Equipment | Capacity | Qty | Efficiency and standards | Approved makes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CH-1 | Chiller, VRF outdoor unit or packaged unit | kW or TR | Rated efficiency and test condition | Three or more | Standby, redundancy | |
| AHU-1 | Air handling unit or fan coil | Airflow and coil duty | Filter class, fan efficiency | Location and access | ||
| P-1 | Chilled-water pump | Flow and head | Motor class, VFD | Duty and standby | ||
| CT-1 | Cooling tower | Heat rejection | Approach and range | Water treatment | ||
| EF-1 | Exhaust or ventilation fan | Airflow and pressure | Motor class | Fire-rated where required |
Write the efficiency basis: the rating condition and the test standard the figure is quoted under, because figures at different conditions cannot be compared. Where the Energy Conservation Building Code applies (commercial buildings with a connected load of 100 kW or a contract demand of 120 kVA or more, per ECBC 2017), ask for the code's chiller, pump and cooling-tower figures. BEE has since issued the ECSBC for commercial buildings, so check which code your state has adopted. Mistake prevented: a cheap offer that quotes a part-load efficiency against another bidder's full-load figure.
Section 4: Who provides what at the interfaces?
| Item | HVAC contractor | Owner or others |
|---|---|---|
| Power supply to equipment | Starters, VFDs, local isolators | Incoming supply to the HVAC panel |
| Condensate and drain points | Connect to point | Drain network |
| Plinths, supports, structural openings | Specify loads and positions | Civil construction |
| Fire dampers and smoke control | As stated in scope | Fire contractor interface |
| Controls and BMS | Equipment controls | BMS integration, if separate |
| Make-good, painting, builder's work | State clearly | State clearly |
Mistake prevented: the gaps between trades that turn into variation claims later. Our note on HVAC afterthought mistakes lists the usual ones.
Section 5: How will the system be tested and accepted?
| Test | Criterion to state in the RFQ | Witness |
|---|---|---|
| Air system balancing | Measured airflow against design, with the tolerance you set | Owner's engineer |
| Water system balancing | Measured flow at pumps and branches against design | Owner's engineer |
| Duct leakage and pipe pressure tests | Test method and pass condition before insulation | Owner's engineer |
| Performance at load | Capacity and power input at stated conditions, or the nearest practical condition | Owner and manufacturer |
| Controls sequence | Each sequence of operation demonstrated, with alarms | Owner's engineer |
| Noise and vibration | Limits at stated locations | Owner's engineer |
| Temperature and humidity | Achieved conditions in named zones over a stated period | Owner |
Tolerances are yours to set with the designer; many specifications use a band around design flow, but write the number you want. Where ECBC applies, it requires system balancing for systems serving more than 500 m² of conditioned area. Pass criteria must be written before bids, because disputes at handover come from criteria invented afterwards. See our page on HVAC commissioning and the testing and commissioning service. Mistake prevented: "tested and handed over" with no measured results.
Section 6: How should bidders price and what must they submit?
- Price schedule: equipment, installation, ducting and piping, insulation, controls, testing, training and spares in separate lines, with unit rates for variations.
- Technical submission: equipment datasheets, a calculation summary, drawings list, programme, and the bidder's list of similar completed work.
- Commercial terms: bid validity, payment milestones, retention, warranty and defect liability period, GST treatment, price-escalation basis, and AMC option.
- Handover deliverables: as-built drawings, test reports, O&M manuals, warranties, spares list and training record.
Mistake prevented: one lump sum that cannot be compared line by line. Our HVAC and mechanical service page shows the systems we design and install.
How do you compare the bids you receive?
Lay the bids side by side on the same loads, the same efficiency basis and the same exclusions before looking at price. Add back anything one bidder excluded: if one bid leaves out insulation, controls or testing, its total is not comparable. Ask each bidder to confirm the design basis in writing and to list assumptions that differ from yours. Our MEP quotation comparison calculator normalises line items, and the lowest compliant bid is the lowest after these corrections, not the lowest on the cover sheet.
How Secured Engineers helps
- HVAC design is done in-house, so we can build the load schedule and equipment schedule for you.
- Electrical, fire, HVAC and plumbing quotes can be compared on one set of assumptions.
- MEPF and solar can sit under one contract.
- We work from offices in Noida (Delhi NCR) and Ludhiana, with 535+ projects across 18+ states and 89.77% repeat clients.
- We review RFQs and BOQs before they go out, and compare incoming bids against your design basis.
Send your draft RFQ, drawings or BOQ through our RFQ page for review, or message us on WhatsApp or +91 70099 85817.
Frequently asked
What should an HVAC RFQ include at a minimum?
Scope and site details, a design basis with zone loads and conditions, an equipment schedule with efficiency basis, a list of what the HVAC contractor and others provide at interfaces, testing and acceptance criteria, a line-item price schedule and commercial terms. Without a design basis and test criteria, bids cannot be compared and disputes appear at handover.
Should the RFQ fix equipment brands?
Name at least three acceptable makes per major item, with the performance basis they must meet, rather than a single brand. This keeps the bid competitive but stops substitution of lesser equipment. Require bidders to state the exact model and rated efficiency, and make any substitution after award subject to your written approval and a like-for-like check.
Who sets the cooling load, the owner or the bidder?
Preferably the designer you appoint, so every bidder prices the same capacity. If you ask bidders to design, require them to submit the load calculation and assumptions with the bid, and compare them. Large differences in tonnage between bids usually mean different assumptions on occupancy, equipment heat or fresh air, not different prices for the same plant.
What acceptance tests should be in the contract?
At least air and water balancing against design, duct leakage and pipe pressure tests before insulation, a performance test at load, a controls sequence demonstration, noise limits and achieved temperature and humidity in named zones. Write the pass criteria and who witnesses each test into the RFQ, not after award. Results should form part of the handover file.
Do I need to follow ECBC for my building?
The 2017 code applies to commercial buildings with a connected load of 100 kW or more or a contract demand of 120 kVA or more, and it does not cover purely residential buildings. Adoption and enforcement differ by state, and BEE has issued a later code for commercial buildings. Check with your state's energy conservation authority which code applies before you write efficiency clauses.
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- Chiller Cost per TR: Plant Cost Drivers, Efficiency Class and Lifecycle
- HVAC Insulation and Condensation: What to Check During a Renovation
- The Plant Met Spec in 2020. The Spec Assumed Summers North India No Longer Has.
- Your Server Room Is Cooled Like an Office. That Is Why It Keeps Failing.
- VRF, Chiller or Ductable? The 45°C Question Every North Indian Building Must Answer Once
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