--- title: "Sample operations audit for an HVAC and plumbing shop" canonical: https://getownerops.com/sample-audit markdown: https://getownerops.com/sample-audit.md author: "Fernando Fernandez" published: 2026-10-16 updated: 2026-10-23 --- > Markdown copy of https://getownerops.com/sample-audit. The HTML page is the canonical version. SAMPLE · FICTIONAL SHOP # Sample operations audit This is what you get after the audit call. The shop and numbers are made up; yours will use your numbers. **In short:** A worked example of what an OwnerOps audit delivers, for a fictional 12-person San Antonio HVAC and plumbing shop: how work moves through the office, the top 3 bottlenecks with a monthly cost each, the automations we would build, a $2,400 fixed quote that pays back in about 3.3 months from office time alone, and a sample monthly report. By [Fernando Fernandez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-fernandez-8744786b/) · Published Oct 16, 2026 · Updated Oct 23, 2026 ## 01 / The shop ### Sample HVAC Co. A 12-person HVAC and plumbing shop in San Antonio. **Team:** Ray (owner), Maria (office manager), Luis (dispatcher and phones), 8 technicians, 1 install crew **Tools:** Housecall Pro, QuickBooks Online, Google Voice, a shared spreadsheet for install estimates ## 02 / How a call becomes a paid invoice STEP 1 - **Who:** Luis - **What:** Answers calls 7am to 5pm. After 5pm calls go to voicemail. - **Where:** Google Voice **Problem:** Voicemails wait until morning. Most after-hours callers don't leave one. STEP 2 - **Who:** Luis - **What:** Types caller details into Housecall Pro, about 3 minutes a call. - **Where:** Housecall Pro STEP 3 - **Who:** Technician - **What:** Writes the estimate on site. Install estimates also go into a spreadsheet. - **Where:** Housecall Pro and a spreadsheet **Problem:** Install estimates live in two places. STEP 4 - **Who:** Maria - **What:** Calls back open estimates when she gets to them, usually Fridays. - **Where:** Spreadsheet and her notes **Problem:** Most estimates get one touch or none. STEP 5 - **Who:** Maria - **What:** Invoices in Housecall Pro, then types each invoice again into QuickBooks. - **Where:** Housecall Pro and QuickBooks **Problem:** Every invoice is entered twice. STEP 6 - **Who:** Ray - **What:** Texts customers himself about overdue invoices. - **Where:** Ray's phone **Problem:** Collections depend on the owner remembering. ## 03 / Top 3 bottlenecks Office time uses a loaded rate of $28 an hour, including payroll overhead. ### Estimate follow-up by hand - **Who:** Maria - **Time:** 6 hours a week - **Monthly time cost:** $727 a month - **After the build:** 1 hours a week. Maria still answers the replies. 22 estimates a month get no second touch, about $61,000 in quoted work. ### Every invoice typed twice - **Who:** Maria - **Time:** 4 hours a week - **Monthly time cost:** $485 a month - **After the build:** 0.5 hours a week. Maria checks the sync and fixes the odd mismatch. Typos between the two systems show up at tax time. ### After-hours calls go to voicemail - **Who:** Luis - **Monthly cost:** About $2,700 a month in jobs lost 31 calls a month hit voicemail after 5pm. If 1 in 4 is a $350 repair, that's about $2,700 a month going to the next shop. ## 04 / What we'd build ### Estimate follow-up texts - **Trigger:** an estimate is sent in Housecall Pro and not yet approved. - **Job:** text the customer on day 2, 7, and 14 in Maria's words. Stops the moment they reply or approve. - **Owner:** Maria - **Alert if it fails:** Maria and Fernando get a text if a message fails or Housecall Pro disconnects. - **Backup plan:** Maria's Friday callback list, the way it works today. ### Invoice sync to QuickBooks - **Trigger:** an invoice is created or paid in Housecall Pro. - **Job:** create or update the matching invoice in QuickBooks. - **Owner:** Maria - **Alert if it fails:** Maria and Fernando get a text if an invoice fails to sync. - **Backup plan:** Maria enters that day's invoices by hand from the Housecall Pro list. ### After-hours missed-call text-back - **Trigger:** a call is missed after 5pm. - **Job:** text the caller within a minute with a booking link and a note that Luis calls back at 7am. - **Owner:** Luis - **Alert if it fails:** Luis and Fernando get a text if the text-back stops sending. - **Backup plan:** Luis returns voicemails first thing in the morning, the way it works today. ## 05 / The quote - **Build:** $2,400 - **Minus audit credit:** $500 - **Due:** $1,900 - **Run & report:** $299/mo - **Office time saved:** 8.5 hours a week, $1,031/mo Payback: about 3.3 months on the full $2,400 (audit included), from office time alone, before any extra booked jobs. If the numbers don't work, the audit says so and we don't build. ## 06 / What you see every month SAMPLE · MONTH 1 Sample month for the sample shop. Your report uses your numbers. ### Office hours saved 37 hours $1,031 in office time ### Estimate follow-ups 58 sent to 24 customers. 9 replies. 3 jobs booked, $9,850 quoted. ### Invoices synced 112 0 errors ### Issues 1 Fixed the same day After-hours calls texted back: 29. 11 booked or called back next morning. **Issue:** QuickBooks connection expired on the 14th. The alert went to Maria and Fernando, it was reconnected the same day, and the 6 waiting invoices synced. Nothing was lost. **Next month:** Add a review request after each paid invoice. ## Want this for your shop? Operations audit: $500, credited toward your build. The first 3 San Antonio shops get it free in exchange for a case study. [Book an operations audit](https://getownerops.com/apply?source=sample_audit)