Why Odoo for Plumbing & HVAC?
Plumbing and HVAC companies handle emergency calls, scheduled maintenance, installation projects, and service agreements. Technicians carry parts inventory in their trucks, jobs require accurate quoting, and customers expect fast response times. Odoo unifies dispatching, inventory, job costing, and billing to run the business from one system.
Key Modules for Plumbing/HVAC
| Requirement | Odoo Module | Plumbing/HVAC Use |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatching | Field Service | Job dispatch, technician assignment |
| Service Agreements | Subscriptions | Maintenance contracts, annual plans |
| Quoting | Sales | Job estimates, change orders |
| Parts Inventory | Inventory | Warehouse + truck stock |
| Job Costing | Analytic Accounts | Labor + materials per job |
| Technicians | HR / Employees | Certifications, skills matrix |
| Timesheets | Timesheets | Billable hours per job |
| Invoicing | Invoicing | T&M, flat rate, or contract billing |
Dispatch Workflow
# Service Call Flow:
# 1. Customer calls → Helpdesk ticket or CRM lead
# 2. Dispatcher assesses urgency:
# ├── Emergency (burst pipe, no heat) → Same-day dispatch
# ├── Urgent (slow drain, AC weak) → Next-day
# └── Scheduled (maintenance, install) → Book ahead
# 3. Assign technician → Based on skill, location, availability
# 4. Technician receives job on mobile
# 5. Travel → GPS check-in on arrival
# 6. Diagnose → Document issue, take photos
# 7. Quote → On-site estimate or flat-rate price
# 8. Customer approves → Work begins
# 9. Execute → Record labor time, parts used
# 10. Complete → Customer sign-off, invoice generatedParts and Truck Inventory
Each technician's truck is a mobile warehouse in Odoo. Common parts (fittings, valves, filters) are stocked on each truck. When a technician uses parts on a job, truck inventory is decremented and the cost is allocated to the job.
- Main warehouse + virtual locations per truck
- Truck restocking transfers from warehouse
- Parts consumed on field service tasks auto-deducted from truck stock
- Minimum stock levels per truck with restocking alerts
- Special order parts for installation jobs tracked on purchase orders
Service Agreement Management
# HVAC Maintenance Agreement Example:
# Customer: Smith Residence
# Plan: Premium HVAC Maintenance
# Annual Fee: $299/year
# Includes:
# ├── Spring AC tune-up (April)
# ├── Fall furnace tune-up (October)
# ├── Priority scheduling (same-day for emergencies)
# ├── 15% discount on repairs
# └── No overtime charges
# Auto-renewal: Yes
# Payment: Annual or $29.90/monthJob Costing
Every job in Odoo tracks total cost: technician labor (hours x rate), parts consumed, subcontractor costs, and permit fees. Comparing job cost to the invoiced amount shows profit per job, helping identify which services are most profitable.
- Labor cost: technician hours x hourly cost rate
- Parts cost: actual cost of materials consumed
- Travel time tracking (billable vs non-billable)
- Subcontractor costs for specialized work
- Job profitability report by service type, technician, and customer
Flat Rate vs Time & Material
Plumbing/HVAC companies use both pricing models. Odoo supports flat-rate pricing (predefined prices for common jobs like water heater install) and T&M billing (actual hours and parts). Configure each service type with the appropriate pricing model.
DeployMonkey for Plumbing/HVAC
Deploy Odoo for your plumbing or HVAC business on DeployMonkey. The AI agent helps configure dispatching workflows, truck inventory, service agreements, and job costing for your trade business.