Nobody thinks about HVAC until the mechanical sub shows up wanting curbs, pads, and sleeves that were never on the original pour schedule. We handle the concrete side of HVAC work — rooftop unit curbs, equipment pads, and the trenching and sleeving that condensate and refrigerant lines need before a slab goes down — and we coordinate timing with the mechanical contractor so nobody is cutting into cured concrete two weeks after the fact.
For warehouse and distribution projects across the DFW metroplex, that usually means concrete equipment pads sized to the manufacturer's footing plan for chillers, condensing units, and package RTUs, plus curb blockouts coordinated with the tilt-wall or steel schedule before roof deck goes on. For retail and office tenant improvement work, it means core drilling and sleeve placement for refrigerant lines and condensate drains through existing slabs, done with dust containment so the space next door keeps operating.
The reason this belongs with the concrete contractor rather than getting handled as an afterthought is timing. RTU tonnage and curb dimensions drive pad reinforcement and blockout sizing, and that information has to reach our crews before we pour, not after. We pull mechanical drawings early, confirm equipment weights and anchor patterns with the HVAC contractor, and build the pad or curb to match — so when the mechanical crew shows up to set equipment, everything lines up on the first try.
North Texas summers push RTU tonnage higher than most other regions, which means heavier equipment and bigger pads than a lot of out-of-state spec sheets assume. Combine that with Rowlett's expansive clay soils and a mechanical pad poured without proper subgrade prep can settle unevenly within a year, throwing equipment out of level and stressing refrigerant lines. We build pads to the same soil-conditioning standard as our structural work, so the equipment stays level for the life of the roof.