A clearer way to track HVAC commissions

Start with the commission base

A percentage alone does not explain a payout. A technician earning 10% of eligible revenue gets a different result from one earning 10% after agreed job costs. Write down the base before setting up the calculation.

Decide which items are eligible, how discounts affect the base, which costs are deducted, when a job becomes eligible, and how bonuses are recorded. These are inputs from your shop’s compensation agreement, not settings to guess at during payroll review.

Keep one review record per job and technician

• Job reference, completion date, and assigned technician.
• Eligible revenue and any itemized costs used by the plan.
• The compensation rule, its effective date, and the rate applied.
• Bonuses and adjustments with an explanation.
• The calculated commission and any unresolved questions.
• The pay period and final review status.

If more than one technician works on a job, document how their shares are determined before calculating each payout. Avoid applying the full amount to everyone by accident.

An example worth checking together

Suppose eligible revenue is 2,500, agreed deductible costs are 900, the rate is 10%, and a fixed bonus is 50. A revenue-based calculation gives 300. A cost-based calculation gives 210. Both calculations follow their stated formula; the agreed plan determines which one belongs on the record.

Try these numbers in the free commission calculator →

These amounts illustrate the arithmetic and are not suggested compensation terms.

Review exceptions before closing the period

• Check for missing or duplicate jobs.
• Confirm that each job uses the rule effective for its applicable date.
• Review unusual costs, bonus amounts, and adjustments.
• Resolve technician questions while the period is open.
• Compare the reviewed totals with the amounts prepared for your payroll process.

Preserve the finalized calculation and its inputs. If a job changes later, use a traceable correction process instead of silently rewriting the original payout history.

When to move beyond the spreadsheet

A spreadsheet can help you define the process. A shared workflow becomes useful when owners keep reconciling different versions, technicians cannot see the calculation, or changes make a past payout hard to explain.

EarnedCrew supports manual job entry and CSV import, commission calculation details, technician earnings views, questions, and pay-period review. It prepares commission records for your existing payroll process; it does not replace your payroll provider.