Testing & Balancing USA is an independent commercial TAB firm serving property owners, mechanical contractors, and management companies across metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia. We measure, adjust, and document HVAC, air, and water systems against ASHRAE 111 and the procedural standards published by NEBB and AABC — and we do it without a financial tie to any mechanical contractor, equipment manufacturer, or controls integrator.
Independent by design
We do not install equipment, sell controls, or subcontract to the mechanical trade on the same job. That separation matters. When a TAB report is produced by the same firm that installed the system, the numbers can drift toward whatever makes the closeout easiest. Our reports do not. Every measured value on the page came from a calibrated instrument operated by a certified technician who has no stake in the rest of the contract.
Who we work with
Our typical clients fall into three groups:
- Commercial property owners and developers — office, retail, multi-tenant, healthcare, education, hospitality, industrial. We are usually engaged through the owner’s rep or PM during pre-construction and again at closeout.
- Mechanical contractors and design-build firms — when the spec calls for an independent third-party TAB agent. We arrive after start-up, run the procedural standard, document the system, and turn the report over before final inspection.
- Property management and facilities teams — for occupied buildings with chronic comfort complaints, retrofit projects, post-renovation re-balance work, and recurring service contracts on existing assets.
Standards we work to
Every project we deliver references the appropriate procedural standard on the cover sheet. The work follows ASHRAE Standard 111 — Measurement, Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing of Building HVAC Systems, the NEBB Procedural Standards for Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing of Environmental Systems, and where the specification requires it, the AABC National Standards for Total System Balance. For commissioning scope we follow ASHRAE Guideline 0.
What we deliver
The deliverable on every TAB engagement is a stamped report that an engineer, an AHJ, and a building operator can all read and act on. A typical report includes:
- Measured airflow at every diffuser, return grille, exhaust grille, and VAV box, compared to design CFM
- Measured water flow at every coil, circuit setter, and pump, compared to design GPM and delta-T
- Fan and pump performance verified against manufacturer curves at actual operating conditions
- Calibration records for every instrument used during the field round
- A photo-documented punch list of items that need correction by the mechanical contractor
- Cover letter and methodology statement that names the procedural standard the work was performed under
Reports are delivered as both signed PDF and editable spreadsheet so future commissioning, retro-commissioning, or energy audit teams can build on the same data.
How we run a job
Every engagement opens with a kickoff call covering scope, schedule, and access. From there:
- Pre-construction review. Our lead reviews mechanical drawings, sequence of operations, and submittals.
- Mobilization. Field crew arrives after the mechanical system has started and run for at least one to two weeks under BAS control.
- Field round. Pitot tubes, micromanometers, and vane anemometers on the air side; circuit setters, ultrasonic flow meters, and differential pressure gauges on the water side.
- Adjustment and re-test. Dampers, balancing valves, and VAV box programming get set to design, then verified.
- Punch and report. Outstanding items go to the GC and mechanical contractor; the final stamped report goes to the owner’s rep.
Service area
We routinely cover Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Marietta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Decatur, and the GA-400 and I-285 corridors. Statewide projects in Georgia are handled on a case-by-case basis. For projects outside the 60-mile radius of downtown Atlanta, send the drawings and we will quote based on travel and scope.
Why owners hire an independent commercial TAB firm
First, an independent commercial TAB firm has no contractual relationship with the mechanical contractor whose work it verifies. Therefore the report cannot be biased by markup math or change-order conflict. Furthermore, owners, GCs, and engineers receive a third-party document the AHJ accepts at face value.
What a commercial TAB firm delivers at closeout
Specifically, a commercial TAB firm like ours delivers a stamped report under ASHRAE Standard 111, signed by a certified technician under NEBB or AABC procedural standards. Then the report covers every diffuser, return grille, VAV box, coil, pump, and fan on the system. Additionally, the document becomes the operations baseline for the warranty year.
Who our commercial TAB firm works with
Furthermore, our commercial TAB firm works directly with owner’s reps, mechanical contractors, GCs, MEP engineers, property managers, and certifying bodies (LEED, ENERGY STAR, WELL). Therefore, every engagement opens with a drawing review and a single point of contact through closeout.
Talk to us about a project
If you are an owner, a GC, a mechanical contractor, or a property manager evaluating an independent TAB firm for an upcoming closeout, retrofit, or recurring service, we are happy to walk through scope and pricing. Send the mechanical drawings and a few notes on the schedule, and you will hear back within one business day with a proposal.
