New York HVAC license requirements and insurance
To work for yourself as an HVAC contractor in New York, you need the No HVAC contractor license license. New York has 6 HVAC license types, and which one you need depends on the work you take on. The state's minimum liability insurance is $1,000,000, and workers' comp is required. There is a credit check: no credit score is named on any of the licensing pages we read for these credentials. The state does not ask for a bond.
Who it applies to
1Who needs a heating and air conditioning license in New York? What is this?
No HVAC contractor license: no one. Neither the state nor New York City issues a heating or air conditioning contractor license, and the city's own list of building trade licenses names none
| License | Who needs it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| No HVAC contractor license | No one. Neither the state nor New York City issues a heating or air conditioning contractor license, and the city's own list of building trade licenses names none | You still need the credentials below for gas, oil and refrigerant work, and a home improvement license for houses |
| Oil Burner Equipment Installer, Class A and Class B (New York City) | Anyone installing oil-burning heating equipment in New York City | The split is by fuel, not size. Class A covers any type of oil-burning equipment. Class B covers equipment that burns domestic grade fuel oils one to four |
| Gas Work Qualification (New York City) | Anyone working on gas piping for a furnace, boiler or rooftop unit who is not a licensed master plumber | Gas work under Local Law 150 of 2016. The full qualification covers all gas work. The limited one covers work under supervision |
| Certificate of Qualification for Refrigerating System Operating Engineer, Q-01 (New York City Fire Department) | Whoever watches a refrigerating system that needs a fire department permit. The certificate is issued for one work location | Operating and supervising a refrigerating system on the site named on the card |
| Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor (New York City) | A business installing fire suppression piping in New York City. It is a separate trade from heating and cooling | Fire suppression piping work in the five boroughs |
| Home Improvement Contractor license (New York City) | Anyone doing heating or cooling work on a home in New York City. It comes from Consumer and Worker Protection | Construction, repair and remodeling work on any home or residential land in the city |
| General Contractor Registration (New York City) | A business that builds one, two and three family homes and wants new building permits | New building permits for small homes. It is not needed for ordinary heating and cooling replacement work |
| Outside New York City | Anyone doing heating or cooling work anywhere else in New York State | There is no state license. Your city, town, village or county decides whether you need one, and what it costs |
Who runs it
2Who issues HVAC contractor licenses in New York? What is this?
New York State has no HVAC board. In New York City the Department of Buildings (DOB) and the Fire Department (FDNY) issue the credentials that HVAC work needs issues HVAC licenses in New York.
See how this compares in every state: How to check a contractor's license, state by state
| Name | New York State has no HVAC board. In New York City the Department of Buildings (DOB) and the Fire Department (FDNY) issue the credentials that HVAC work needs |
|---|---|
| Website | nyc.gov |
| Look up a license | a810-bisweb.nyc.gov |
| The law | New York City Administrative Code, title 28, chapter 4, for the building department licenses |
| The rulebook | New York City Fire Code, title 3 of the Fire Department rules, for refrigerating system permits and certificates |
| Does the state license this trade? | None. New York State does not issue an HVAC contractor license |
| Outside New York City | Your city or county decides. Buffalo, Rochester, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester each run their own rules. Ask your local building department before you quote a job |
Checked by software against the official page
Getting licensed
3How to become an HVAC contractor in New York What is this?
New York has 8 licenses that matter to an HVAC contractor: No HVAC contractor license, Oil Burner Equipment Installer, Class An and Class B (New York City), Gas Work Qualification (New York City), Certificate of Qualification for Refrigerating System Operating Engineer, Q-01 (New York City Fire Department), Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor (New York City), Home Improvement Contractor license (New York City), General Contractor Registration (New York City), Outside New York City. Each is below, with what you need before you apply.
| License | Experience required | Training required | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| No HVAC contractor license | — | — | — |
| Oil Burner Equipment Installer, Class A and Class B (New York City) | — | — | Yes, a written exam then a practical exam. You get 24 months after the written exam to pass the practical. Practical exams do not run in July or August |
| Gas Work Qualification (New York City) | For the full qualification, be a registered journeyman plumber, or finish a state-approved apprenticeship plus one year of supervised work, or do five years of supervised gas work. For the limited one, six months of supervised plumbing work | The limited qualification needs a Department of Buildings gas work course of at least 16 hours, or you register in an approved apprenticeship | Yes for the full qualification. Fifty questions in two hours, and you need 70 percent |
| Certificate of Qualification for Refrigerating System Operating Engineer, Q-01 (New York City Fire Department) | A 200-hour refrigerating system course from a fire department approved school, or a letter proving one year of hands-on work on a refrigerating system | You also need a high school diploma or a GED, and the federal Universal Technician refrigerant certificate | Yes, a written exam and a practical exam |
| Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor (New York City) | — | — | — |
| Home Improvement Contractor license (New York City) | — | — | Yes, a written exam |
| General Contractor Registration (New York City) | — | — | — |
| Outside New York City | — | — | — |
What it costs
4How much does an HVAC license cost in New York? What is this?
The government fees on this page add up to about $350 in New York. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.
| License | Retaking the exam | First license | First registration | Renewal | Late renewal | Exam fee | Each extra work location | Late renewal, 31 days or more | Late renewal, up to 30 days late | Licence fee, March to August of an even year | Licence fee, March to August of an odd year | Licence fee, September of an even year to February | Licence fee, September of an odd year to February | Practical exam application | Renewal more than 90 days late | Renewal, every three years | Seal, first issue | Seal, renewal | Trust fund enrollment | Written exam application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil Burner Equipment Installer, Class A and Class B (New York City) | — | $100 | — | — | $50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $530 | — | $75 | $100 | $75 | — | $585 |
| Gas Work Qualification (New York City) | — | — | $50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $585 |
| Certificate of Qualification for Refrigerating System Operating Engineer, Q-01 (New York City Fire Department) | — | — | — | $15 | — | — | $60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | $225 | $25 | — | — | — | — | $60 |
| Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor (New York City) | — | $200 | — | — | — | — | — | $100 | $50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | $150 | $50 | $75 | — | — |
| Home Improvement Contractor license (New York City) | $50 | — | — | — | — | Included in the license fee, which covers two attempts | — | — | — | $100 | $200 | $50 | $150 | — | — | — | — | — | $200 | — |
| General Contractor Registration (New York City) | — | — | $300 | — | $50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $240 | — | — | — | — |
Added up
| Government fees, added up | $350 |
|---|---|
| Government fees with the oil burner license | $1,315 |
New York City only. Does not include insurance premiums, the federal refrigerant test, tools, a vehicle or permit fees. Outside the city the cost depends on your local building department
Our estimate
Insurance
5How much HVAC insurance do you need in New York? What is this?
The least liability insurance New York lets an HVAC contractor work with is $1,000,000. Most customers ask for more. Workers' comp is required.
| Minimum liability insurance | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Type of policy | Commercial general liability, per occurrence. Required for a Department of Buildings license such as the oil burner installer |
| Property damage insurance | Required as well for a building department license. The amount is set by department rule |
| Who this applies to | Anyone holding a New York City building department license, before it is issued and again at every renewal. A shop with no city license has no set minimum, but customers and building owners will still ask |
| Who must be named on the certificate | On a building department certificate the holder box must read NYC Department of Buildings, Attn Licensing and Exams Unit, 280 Broadway. For a home improvement license the workers' compensation certificate names Consumer and Worker Protection |
| Workers' comp required? | Yes. Every employer in New York must carry it, and you cannot get a city permit or license without proof |
| Who can opt out | A business with no employees at all can file a free Certificate of Attestation of Exemption, form CE-200, to show a government office that it does not need cover |
| Disability and paid family leave insurance | Also required, on top of workers' compensation. The city checks it before it issues or renews a license |
| Workers' comp: if you skip it |
|
Checked by a person against the official page
·7 official pages
- nycadmincode.readthedocs.io/t28/c04/art401/
- nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/licensing-insurance-guidelines.page
- wcb.ny.gov/content/main/Employers/lp_permits-licenses-contracts.jsp
- wcb.ny.gov/content/ebiz/wc_db_exemptions/exemption-certificates.jsp
- wcb.ny.gov/content/main/Employers/violations-wclaw.jsp
- nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/WKC/10
- nyc.gov/site/dca/businesses/license-checklist-home-improvement-contractor.page
Money checks
6Does New York check your credit for an HVAC contractor license? What is this?
New York checks your finances before it trusts you with a license. The rule: no credit score is named on any of the licensing pages we read for these credentials.
| Credit score you need | No credit score is named on any of the licensing pages we read for these credentials |
|---|---|
| If your score is lower | New York City asks instead for good moral character, which it checks before it issues a license |
Checked by a person against the official page
Bonds
7Does an HVAC contractor need a bond in New York? What is this?
New York does not require a state bond for this license. Some cities ask for one before they issue permits.
| Does the state require a bond? | No |
|---|---|
| Amount | Not listed yet |
| Home improvement bond | $20,000 |
New York has no state bond because it has no state license. A home improvement license needs either a $20,000 bond or a $200 payment into the city trust fund. Other cities and counties may ask for their own bond before you pull permits
Checked by software against the official page
Federal rules
8Federal rules that also apply What is this?
Rules from the US government that apply to an HVAC contractor in New York on top of the state's own.
| EPA refrigerant certification | Anyone who services, repairs or scraps equipment that could let refrigerant escape must hold EPA Section 608 certification. It is federal and it applies everywhere in New York |
|---|---|
| Card types | There is a Core test plus Type 1 for small appliances, Type 2 for high-pressure systems and Type 3 for low-pressure systems. Pass all of them and you hold the Universal card |
| Why it matters | The New York City Fire Department will not let you sit the Q-01 exam without the Universal card |
Checked by software against the official page
Showing your number
9Where must a New York HVAC contractor show the license number? What is this?
In New York: no rule was found for heating and cooling work. The rule that exists in New York City covers plumbers, whose vehicles, ads, website and letterhead must show the license number.
| The rule | No rule was found for heating and cooling work. The rule that exists in New York City covers plumbers, whose vehicles, ads, website and letterhead must show the license number |
|---|---|
| If you forget | Not applicable while there is no HVAC license to show |
| On your vehicles | No rule found for heating and cooling vehicles |
Checked by software against the official page
Tax
10Does an HVAC contractor charge sales tax on labor in New York? What is this?
Whether New York taxes your labor, your materials, or neither.
See how this compares in every state: Can you charge sales tax on labor? The rule in 25 states
| What this tax is | New York taxes contractor work by asking one question. Did the job improve the property for good, or did it just keep it working |
|---|---|
| Capital improvement (a job that becomes part of the building) | No sales tax on your bill. Get a signed Certificate of Capital Improvement, form ST-124, from the customer and keep it for three years |
| The three tests for a capital improvement |
|
| Repair and maintenance work | You charge tax on the whole bill, labor and materials together. The state's own example is replacing a thermostat on a hot water heater |
| Window units and portable equipment | Taxable. A unit that is not fixed to the building does not become part of it, so putting it in is a taxable job |
| New buildings | Treated as a capital improvement. No tax on your bill |
| Materials on work that becomes part of the building | You pay sales tax at the supply house and you cannot buy them with a resale certificate. You are the final buyer, so build the tax into your price |
| Materials on taxable repairs | You pay tax at the supply house, charge the customer tax on the whole bill, then claim a credit for the tax you paid on your own return |
| Tax-exempt customers | A church, school, charity or government body signs form ST-120.1 and you charge no tax |
| When you are the subcontractor | A main contractor buys your work with form ST-120.1 and charges the customer tax on the whole job |
| Tax rate | 4 percent state, plus the county or city rate. An extra 0.375 percent applies in the downstate commuter district |
Checked by a person against the official page
Getting paid
11Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for a New York HVAC contractor What is this?
If you are not paid in New York, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: not applicable before the lien.
| Who has to send a notice | The lien law asks for no notice before you file on a private job. You file the lien first, then serve a copy |
|---|---|
| Send your notice by | Not applicable before the lien |
| File your lien by | File your notice of lien at the county clerk's office within eight months of the day the job ended (last day of work March 1 means you file by November 1) |
| Deadline for a single-family home | Four months on a single family home (last day of work March 1 means you file by July 1) |
| Retainage (money held back until the end) | If the lien is only for money held back, you get 90 days from the day that money was due to be released |
| Copy to the owner | Serve a copy on the owner between five days before and thirty days after you file. Then file proof of service with the county clerk within 35 days of filing, or the lien dies |
| Who can file a lien | Contractors, subcontractors, laborers and suppliers who worked with the owner's consent or at the request of the owner, an agent, a contractor or a subcontractor |
Checked by a person against the official page
Keeping it
12How do you renew an HVAC license in New York? What is this?
How and when each license renews.
| License | Renewal |
|---|---|
| Oil Burner Equipment Installer, Class A and Class B (New York City) | Every three years |
| Gas Work Qualification (New York City) | The full qualification never expires. The limited one runs out five years after it is issued and cannot be renewed |
| Certificate of Qualification for Refrigerating System Operating Engineer, Q-01 (New York City Fire Department) | Every three years |
| Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor (New York City) | Every three years |
| Home Improvement Contractor license (New York City) | Every two years, ending 28 February in odd years |
| General Contractor Registration (New York City) | Every three years |
Renewal fees are in what the license costs. The official page for each license is linked under how you get it.
Watch out
13What catches people out in New York What is this?
The things people get wrong or do not expect about New York, in a few sentences.
- There is no HVAC license in New York. The state does not issue one and neither does New York City. What you need depends on the fuel and the equipment, not on the trade name.
- Gas heating work in the five boroughs needs a master plumber license or a Gas Work Qualification. Oil heating needs a separate Oil Burner Equipment Installer license from the Department of Buildings.
- A refrigerating system that needs a fire department permit must be watched by someone holding a Q-01 certificate. That certificate is tied to a work location, and each extra location costs another $60.
- Before the fire department will let you sit the Q-01 exam you already need the federal refrigerant card and either a 200-hour course or a year working on refrigerating systems.
- Replacing a thermostat on a hot water heater is taxed on the whole bill, labor and materials. Putting in a new hot water heater is not taxed at all, because it counts as a lasting improvement to the building.
- Home heating and cooling work in the five boroughs also needs a Home Improvement Contractor license, plus either a $20,000 bond or a $200 payment into the city trust fund.
Checked by a person against the official page
·7 official pages
- dos.ny.gov/building-standards-and-codes
- nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/license-types.page
- nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/full-gaswork-qualifications.page
- nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/oil-burner-equipment-installer.page
- nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/coq-q01
- tax.ny.gov/pubs_and_bulls/tg_bulletins/st/capital_improvements.htm
- nyc.gov/site/dca/businesses/license-checklist-home-improvement-contractor.page
14Where these numbers come from
The labels under each table are explained on how to read a page.
- dos.ny.gov/building-standards-and-codes
- nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/license-types.page
- nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/full-gaswork-qualifications.page
- nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/oil-burner-equipment-installer.page
- nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/coq-q01
- tax.ny.gov/pubs_and_bulls/tg_bulletins/st/capital_improvements.htm
- nyc.gov/site/dca/businesses/license-checklist-home-improvement-contractor.page
- nyc.gov/site/fdny/business/all-certifications/certificates-of-qualification.page
- nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/master-plumbers-master-fire-suppression-piping-contractor.page
- nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/general-contractor-registration.page
- nycadmincode.readthedocs.io/t28/c04/art401/
- nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/licensing-insurance-guidelines.page
- wcb.ny.gov/content/main/Employers/lp_permits-licenses-contracts.jsp
- wcb.ny.gov/content/ebiz/wc_db_exemptions/exemption-certificates.jsp
- wcb.ny.gov/content/main/Employers/violations-wclaw.jsp
- nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/WKC/10
- epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-0
- nycadmincode.readthedocs.io/t28/c04/art408/
- tax.ny.gov/pubs_and_bulls/tg_bulletins/st/repair_maintenance.htm
- tax.ny.gov/pubs_and_bulls/tg_bulletins/st/contractors-sales_tax_credits.htm
- tax.ny.gov/bus/st/rates.htm
- tax.ny.gov/pdf/publications/sales/pub862.pdf
- nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LIE/10
- nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LIE/11
- nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LIE/3