HVAC Field App: Document Every Rooftop Unit Without a Clipboard

HVAC field work generates a lot of paperwork: equipment surveys before replacements, inspection reports for commissioning, job photos for insurance or warranty claims, service records for maintenance contracts. Most of that documentation still happens on a clipboard, gets photographed on a phone, and ends up lost or incomplete by the time it reaches the office.

Here's how a purpose-built field app changes the workflow for HVAC crews.

The documentation problem in HVAC

Three situations where poor documentation costs HVAC contractors money:

Equipment surveys. You're pricing a rooftop unit replacement. You need model numbers, dimensions, access conditions, and photos of every unit. On a clipboard, this is 30-45 minutes per visit and often requires a return trip for missing information. With a scanning app, you walk each unit, capture dimensions and photos, and have a complete record before you leave the roof.

Commissioning and sign-off. Before a system goes live, you need to document that every component was installed correctly and tested. Without a formal checklist with photo evidence, commissioning relies on memory and handwritten notes that disappear into filing cabinets.

Warranty and service disputes. A client claims a unit was installed incorrectly. Without dated, GPS-tagged photos from the installation, proving otherwise is difficult. With them, the dispute is resolved in minutes.

How Manifold works for HVAC field teams

GPS photo documentation. Every photo taken in Manifold is automatically GPS-tagged, timestamped, and organised by project. No manual sorting, no lost photos. Your whole crew's job site documentation ends up in the same place automatically.

Equipment surveys with iPhone LiDAR. For rooftop unit surveys or mechanical room documentation, Manifold's Orbit Measure feature uses the LiDAR sensor in your iPhone Pro to capture a 3D model of the space. You leave the site with a dimensioned floor plan and 3D model that lets you pull any measurement you need later — without going back.

Commissioning checklists. Build a commissioning checklist template for your standard workflow. Require photos for critical items. Complete it in the field, on any phone, online or offline. Export a branded PDF with every item, photo, GPS location, and timestamp.

Client sharing. Generate a shareable link to your project documentation and send it to the building owner, GC, or engineer. They open it in any browser — no app or account needed. For rooftop access jobs where getting clients or inspectors on the roof is impractical, sharing a 3D scan of the mechanical space is a genuinely useful deliverable.

Real HVAC use case: rooftop unit survey

Jake Stone, an HVAC contractor in NYC, was surveying 10 rooftop units for a replacement project. It started raining. His clipboard was getting wet. He switched to Manifold, walked around every unit, and captured everything he needed. He'd already measured the first unit by hand — Manifold matched it exactly. He trusted the measurements from that point forward.

That's the use case in one paragraph: faster, drier, and accurate enough to trust.

Pricing

Manifold starts at $16/user/month with no seat minimums. Start with one user and add more as you need. No credit card required to start your free trial.

Orbit Measure — LiDAR scanning for equipment surveys →

Photo-linked inspection checklists →

Remote measurements — measure without going back to site →

Start free — no credit card required →