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Design-Assist · Owner's Rep · Commissioning

On your side of the table during design and construction.

You're opening a new restaurant, building a second location, or renovating a kitchen. The architect picks equipment they've used before. The mechanical engineer sizes for worst-case. The general contractor wants the cheapest rooftop unit on the spec sheet. Six months after open, your walk-in is short-cycling and your dining room is 78°F at lunch.

Suncoast Cold Systems sits on your side of the table — reviewing the engineer's drawings, vetting equipment selections, writing controls scopes that work for the operator on the line, and overseeing commissioning so the system you paid for is the system you got.

Schedule a discovery call Call (813) 599-5988
01 / Engagements

What we do

01Equipment selection review

We review the mechanical engineer's equipment schedule against operating reality — restaurant cook lines, grocery cold chains, c-store back-of-house. Catch oversizing, undersizing, and wrong-equipment-for-the-application before you order.

02Controls scope development

Walk-in monitoring, refrigeration rack controls, RTU economizer logic, defrost scheduling. We write the controls scope so it's vendor-neutral and operator-friendly — not a sales document for one manufacturer.

03Constructability review

We mark up the engineer's drawings before bid: service access, condenser placement, condensate routing, refrigerant pipe runs, electrical service. Catch problems on paper, not in the ceiling.

04Refrigerant strategy

EPA AIM Act phase-down planning. R-454B vs. R-455A vs. R-32 selection for new construction. Phase-down roadmap for existing fleets. Refrigerant management →

05Commissioning oversight

We're on-site during startup. Charge verification, controls validation, sequence-of-operations testing, operator training. The day the GC walks away, you have a system that's actually been commissioned — not just turned on.

06Owner's representation

One point of contact who reads HVAC/R drawings, attends OAC meetings, reviews submittals, flags change orders, and represents the operator's interest from schematic design through warranty period.

02 / Engagement model

How we work

TIER 01Spot consult

Single review

Drawings review, equipment list audit, RFP evaluation. Flat fee. Written report within 5 business days.

TIER 02Project advisory

Schematic → warranty

Full engagement from schematic design through commissioning and the first year of operation. Monthly retainer.

TIER 03Multi-site rollout

Standardization

Multi-unit operators standardizing equipment and controls across locations. Custom scope. Dedicated PM.

03 / Who we serve

This is for you if

  • — Independent restaurant operators planning a new location
  • — Multi-unit groups standardizing across stores
  • — Grocery and convenience-store builders
  • — Property owners evaluating an engineer's design before construction
  • — Operators who don't want to be the smartest person in the OAC meeting
  • — GCs needing an HVAC/R-literate set of eyes on a kitchen build
04 / Scope clarity

What this is — and isn't

Suncoast Cold Systems provides design-assist, consulting, and owner's-representation services within the scope of Florida Class A Air Conditioning Contractor license #CAC1824642. We are not a licensed engineering firm.

Drawings or calculations requiring the seal of a Florida Professional Engineer are procured by the owner or design team from a separately retained, Florida-licensed mechanical engineer. We work alongside your engineer of record — we do not replace them.

Every consulting engagement begins with a written services agreement defining scope, deliverables, and the boundary between consulting work and any installation work we may also bid.

05 / FAQ

Operator questions

Do you replace our mechanical engineer?
No. We work alongside your engineer of record. Anything requiring a PE seal is procured separately from a Florida-licensed mechanical engineer. Our value is operator-side translation, equipment-selection reality-check, controls-scope clarity, and commissioning oversight.
Can you also do the install?
Yes — and we'll tell you upfront if we plan to bid the install so you can decide whether you want a Chinese wall between the consulting and construction phases, or whether design-build under one roof is the right move for your project.
What does an engagement cost?
Spot consults are flat-fee, typically $1,500–$5,000 depending on scope. Project advisory is monthly retainer, scoped to project size. Multi-site rollouts are custom. Discovery call is free.
Do you work outside Tampa Bay?
Yes — consulting and owner's-representation engagements are available statewide across Florida. Our Class A Air Conditioning Contractor license (#CAC1824642) is a state-level certification, valid in every Florida county. Tampa Bay is our primary service area for installation and emergency repair work; design-assist, project advisory, and multi-site rollout engagements travel anywhere in the state.