ARLINGTON, Va. — ACCA’s October Contractor Comfort Index (CCI) shows that HVAC contractors are feeling optimistic about short-term growth at the beginning of autumn. For October 2015, the CCI scored at 80. The CCI also shows that contractors are feeling better about short-term growth than they were 12 months earlier when the CCI was 72.

The CCI is calculated based on a survey of the association’s contractor members, who are asked how positive they feel about new business prospects, existing business activity, and expected staffing decisions in the short-term future. Weighted and averaged into one number, a CCI of 50 or above reflects anticipated growth.