HVAC heating and air for commercial space.

What commercial HVAC covers

Most retail and restaurant buildings in North Texas are cooled and heated by packaged rooftop units, each serving a zone through ductwork above the ceiling. A finish-out may reuse the units the landlord installed or need new ones sized for the tenant’s layout, people and equipment. A Texas summer is the test every system is sized for.

The ductwork is laid out with everything else above the ceiling: lights, sprinkler heads, cable trays and the structure. Exposed ductwork, like in the restaurant in our photos, is part of the look, so it is hung and finished to be seen.

Kitchens and makeup air

In a restaurant the HVAC and the kitchen hood are one system. The hood exhausts a large volume of air, and makeup air units bring tempered air back in so the building stays balanced. Restrooms and some equipment rooms need their own exhaust too.

Rooftop units on an existing building

In a second-generation space, the rooftop units are often still there from the last tenant. Some have years left; others are near the end of their life, use an older refrigerant or are sized for a layout that no longer exists. Their age is printed on the nameplate, and a quick look at the coils, the curbs and the roof around them tells most of the rest.

When a unit is replaced, the new one has to fit the existing curb or get an adapter, and the crane lift is scheduled with the roofer so the roof is opened and sealed on the same day.

Licensing

Air conditioning and refrigeration work in Texas is licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and the mechanical permit is pulled under a licensed contractor. We schedule the units, the curbs on the roof and the duct rough-in with the rest of the build so the mechanical inspection is ready when the ceiling is.