How Much HVAC | miltonisblurrd
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HOW MUCH HVAC

I built the brand, the website, and the operating system behind the business.

From creating a brand identity to developing a connected platform that manages leads, customer relationships, service appointments, payments, and field operations.

Role in this project:

Brand Identity · Product Design · Back End Development · Product Engineering

Tech stack
Next.js, TypeScript, Supabase, Stripe, QuickBooks, Vercel

Overview

How Much HVAC started as a branding and website project, but eventually grew into something much larger.

I initially created the company's brand identity and designed and developed its website from scratch. The goal was to establish a recognizable brand and create a digital experience that made it easy for customers to understand the company's services and get in touch.

As the project evolved, I saw an opportunity to improve what happened after a customer submitted an inquiry.

I designed and developed a custom operating system that connects lead management, customer communication, advertising insights, service appointments, payments, and installer workflows.

I also built dedicated portals for customers and installers, creating a connected experience from the first inquiry to the completion of a job.

The platform is now live in production, helping the business respond to leads faster, coordinate scheduling more effectively, and give customers better visibility into their service experience.

01 / Establishing the Brand

Building an identity from the ground up.

The first phase of the project focused on creating the brand identity for How Much HVAC.

I developed the visual direction and identity that would shape how the business presented itself to customers.

That Andy constantly got asked how much?

So we took the phrase he constantly heard and we created an identity around it to separate ourselves from the typical plumbing companies in the surrounding areas.

Using a chat bubble, we took the phrase and made it a statement that anyone can remember.

From there, I designed and developed the website from scratch, creating a digital presence that reflected the brand and made it easier for potential customers to explore services and reach out.

The website became the foundation of the company’s online customer experience.

But as the business started generating leads, I began thinking about what happened next.

A website can bring customers in. But what happens after someone reaches out?

That question became the starting point for the next phase of the project.

02 / The Opportunity

Connecting the customer journey to the business behind it.

For an HVAC service company, a customer inquiry is only the beginning of a much larger process.

A lead needs to be reviewed and contacted. An appointment needs to be scheduled. An installer needs the right job information. The customer needs updates, and the business needs to manage payments and maintain a record of the work completed.

I wanted to create an experience where the entire process could be managed through one connected platform.

That meant building more than a CRM.

It meant creating a system that supported the owner, the customer, and the people performing the work.

Instead of treating the website as the end of the customer experience, I wanted it to become the beginning of a connected service journey.

03 / Designing the Operating System

One connected experience for three different users.

I designed the operating system around three primary experiences.

The owner needed a centralized place to manage leads, customer relationships, projects, advertising insights, communication, scheduling, and payments.

The customer needed a simple way to track appointments, follow service progress, communicate with the business, make payments, and access previous job records.

The installer needed access to assigned jobs and a straightforward way to document work while on-site.

Each experience serves a different purpose, but all three connect to the same underlying customer and job information.

This was an important product decision.

Rather than making the owner manually collect updates from different people, I designed the system so that information entered throughout the service process could be shared across the relevant workflows.

The result is a platform that connects what happens in the office, in the field, and in the customer’s account.

04 / Building the Core Platform

A CRM built around how the business actually works.

At the center of the operating system is a custom CRM.

I built it to help the owner track incoming leads, manage customer information, organize projects and service jobs, and keep communication connected to each customer.

The system also supports automated replies and responses, helping the business follow up with leads faster without requiring every interaction to be handled manually.

Instead of treating a lead as an isolated contact, the CRM connects that relationship to the services requested, appointments, ongoing jobs, and customer history.

As work progresses, the owner can continue managing that customer relationship through the same platform.

This has helped improve lead follow-up times and made it easier to stay organized as inquiries turn into scheduled jobs.

05 / Connecting Advertising to Actual Leads

Making advertising decisions with better information.

One feature I wanted to build into the operating system was a campaign insights module.

For a service business, generating leads is important. But understanding which types of leads are coming in can be just as valuable.

I developed a module that analyzes lead information collected through the CRM to help the owner understand which services customers are requesting and what patterns are emerging.

That information can then guide future advertising decisions.

For example, if the business begins receiving more inquiries for a particular HVAC service, the owner can use that insight when deciding which services to promote and where to focus advertising efforts.

The goal is to reduce guesswork around campaign planning and make better use of the company’s advertising budget.

Rather than relying on assumptions about what customers might need, the business can use its own lead data to inform its advertising strategy.

06 / The Customer Portal

Giving customers visibility from appointment to completion.

I wanted the customer experience to extend beyond the initial website visit.

So I built a dedicated customer portal where new leads and existing customers can create accounts and manage their interactions with the company.

Once signed in, customers can follow their service journey through a single dashboard.

They can view scheduled appointments, track upcoming installations or service visits, and stay informed about the progress of their jobs.

I also integrated payment functionality using Stripe, allowing customers to make payments through the portal and access their receipts.

The platform also incorporates QuickBooks into the business’s financial workflow.

The portal maintains records of previous services and completed work, giving customers a place to review their history with the company.

This creates a more transparent experience.

Instead of having to contact the owner for every update, customers have a dedicated place to see what’s happening with their service.

It also helps the company maintain relationships beyond a single appointment by keeping service history and customer information accessible over time.

07 / The Installer Portal

Making it easier to document work in the field.

The next part of the system focused on the people performing the service.

I built a dedicated installer portal that allows team members to access their assigned jobs and update information while working on-site.

Installers can record notes, upload photos, and document what happened during a service visit.

This includes before-and-after photos that help establish a visual record of the work performed.

These updates are saved as part of the job record within the operating system.

That means the owner can review what happened without needing to manually collect photos, notes, or updates from the installer afterward.

It also creates a more complete service history that can be referenced if the customer has questions or needs additional work in the future.

08 / Connecting Everything Together

One job record, shared across the entire experience.

One of the most important parts of the project was making sure the different experiences weren’t isolated from one another.

When a customer schedules an appointment or views their service information, that activity is connected to the operating system used by the owner.

The owner can manage appointments, update job details, respond to messages, and handle payment requests from the central platform.

When an installer adds notes or uploads job photos, those records are connected to the corresponding job.

When a payment is made, the payment information and receipt become part of the customer’s service history.

I built the application using Next.js and TypeScript, with Supabase supporting the shared data and backend workflows. Stripe handles customer payment functionality, QuickBooks supports financial operations, and Vercel hosts the application.

The CRM manages the relationship. The customer portal provides visibility and self-service. The installer portal captures what happens in the field.

All three contribute to the same operational record.

The goal was to eliminate the need to piece together a job’s history from separate conversations, documents, and tools.

09 / The Impact

Faster follow-ups. Better scheduling. A more transparent customer experience.

The platform is now live in production, supporting the business beyond its original website.

Its impact can be seen across several parts of the customer and operational experience.

Faster lead follow-ups

Automated replies and centralized lead management have helped the business respond to incoming inquiries more quickly and keep communication organized.

Better scheduling and coordination

Appointments, service jobs, and installer assignments are managed through connected workflows, making it easier for the owner and field team to stay aligned.

A more transparent customer experience

Customers can track appointments, follow job progress, make payments, access receipts, and review their service history without needing to contact the business for every update.

Stronger customer retention

By keeping service records, communication, and customer history in one place, the platform has helped the company maintain ongoing customer relationships and improve retention.

More complete job documentation

Installers can record notes and upload before-and-after photos directly to job records, giving the business a clearer history of the work performed.

More informed advertising decisions

Lead data helps the owner identify which HVAC services are generating interest and use that information to guide future advertising campaigns.

Together, these improvements have helped create a more organized business and a more connected customer experience.

10 / Reflection

A product doesn’t have to end at the website.

What I enjoyed most about this project was how much it evolved.

I started by creating a brand identity and building a website.

But the more I thought about how the business operated, the more opportunities I saw to improve the experience beyond the initial customer interaction.

That led me to design and develop a complete operating system, along with the customer and installer portals that connect to it.

It required thinking about the business from multiple perspectives: how customers discover a service, how leads are managed, how jobs are scheduled, how work gets documented, and how the relationship continues after a job is completed.

For me, that’s what product engineering is about.

Not just building what appears on the screen, but understanding the entire experience and creating the systems that make it work.

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