Win more commercial work with the right know-how
Practical guides on code, systems, and how to bid the commercial hospitality work that actually pays.
Code & Compliance
2 guides
4 min readCommercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems: A Contractor’s Guide to Type I, Type II, and California Code
Type I vs Type II hoods, the make up air unit, the fire suppression system, and the permits that pass inspection the first time.
Read the guide
6 min readThe California Permit & Health-Department Playbook for Commercial Kitchens
Know which authorities sign off, what plan check wants, how to run the approvals in parallel, and how to pass the final inspection the first time.
Read the guide
Specialized Systems
2 guides
6 min readCommercial Refrigeration & Walk-In Systems: What Separates a Specialist’s Bid from a Generalist’s
Size the load, pick the refrigerant the law allows, know the components that fail first, and bid the system, not just the box.
Read the guide
6 min readCommercial Water Heating & Dishwashing Systems: Sizing, Booster Heaters, and Sanitization
Size the hot-water demand, get the booster heater right, know the failures that close a kitchen, and bid the system and the maintenance behind it.
Read the guide
Bidding & Scoping
2 guides
6 min readHow to Bid a Commercial Restaurant Buildout in California: Plans, Scope, Allowances, and the Permit Timeline
Read the plans, scope every trade and the gaps between them, price the unknowns, and protect your number with the right terms, the difference between a bid that wins and a bid that bleeds.
Read the guide
6 min readPricing Commercial HVAC & Refrigeration Jobs: Build the Number, Keep the Margin
Build the price from labor, materials, and overhead up, catch the commercial cost drivers generalists miss, and protect your margin with the right markup and terms.
Read the guide
Working On-Site
2 guides
5 min readWorking in an Operating Restaurant: After-Hours, Downtime, and the Coordination That Keeps the Call
Plan the work around service, minimize downtime, coordinate the trades and the inspections, and leave the space clean, the difference between a one-off and a standing invitation.
Read the guide
6 min readThe Commercial Service Call Playbook: Diagnose, Communicate, Close the Ticket
Arrive ready, diagnose in order instead of guessing, communicate so the invoice holds no surprises, and close the ticket so you get the next call.
Read the guide
Growing Your Business
2 guides
6 min readLanding Recurring Maintenance Contracts with Restaurants & Hotels: The Revenue That Survives Slow Seasons
Find the person who actually signs, structure an agreement the facility will keep, and turn a single project into predictable, recurring revenue.
Read the guide
6 min readGetting Paid on Commercial Projects in California: Terms, Lien Rights, and the Slow-Pay GC
Know how commercial pay works, protect your California lien rights, bill so you get paid, and spot a slow-pay general contractor before it sinks the job.
Read the guide
Seasonal Readiness
2 guides
5 min readGetting Restaurant HVAC & Refrigeration Ready Before Summer: Beat the Heat-Wave Rush
Do the pre-summer checks before the heat hits, and turn the seasonal spike into a recurring book instead of a week of emergencies.
Read the guide
6 min readGetting Restaurant Heating & Systems Ready Before Winter: The Cold and the Holiday Rush
Know the systems winter breaks, run the pre-winter checklist, plan for the holiday rush, and turn the season into a service contract.
Read the guide