Jordan Smith argues for hiring an independent HVAC designer rather than relying on installers to size equipment by rule of thumb. He contrasts three approaches: letting installers guess based on square footage, having them do Manual J calculations after winning the bid, or paying a designer upfront for complete Manual J, D, and S reports. The third option provides load calculations, duct sizing, and equipment specifications before bidding, allowing contractors to quote identical scopes and eliminating surprises. Smith shows detailed floor plans from his Pool Canyon project specifying CFM requirements for each register. He stresses the importance of commissioning the system after installation to verify it delivers the designed airflow, noting many homes suffer performance issues from skipping this step.

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