Virginia HVAC license requirements and insurance
To work for yourself as an HVAC contractor in Virginia, you need the Class A Contractor license, specialty Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVA) license. Virginia has 6 HVAC license types, and which one you need depends on the work you take on. Workers' comp is required once you regularly have more than two workers, part-time or full-time. The state does not ask for a bond.
1Who needs a heating and air conditioning license in Virginia? What is this?
Class A Contractor license, specialty Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVA): a business that takes any single HVAC job of $150,000 or more, or does $1,000,000 or more of work in any 12 months
| License | Who needs it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Class A Contractor license, specialty Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVA) | A business that takes any single HVAC job of $150,000 or more, or does $1,000,000 or more of work in any 12 months | HVAC work of any size anywhere in Virginia. The HVA specialty covers heating, ventilating, and cooling systems, steam and hot water heaters, boilers, process piping, and mechanical refrigeration |
| Class B Contractor license, specialty HVA | A business whose single jobs run from $30,000 up to but not including $150,000, or that does $250,000 up to $1,000,000 of work in any 12 months | Same HVAC work as Class A, capped at the dollar limits above |
| Class C Contractor license, specialty HVA | A business whose single jobs are over $1,000 but under $30,000, and whose work in any 12 months stays under $250,000. This is the usual first business license for a one-truck HVAC shop | Same HVAC work as Class A, capped at the dollar limits above |
| Journeyman HVAC (tradesman license) | The individual license for an HVAC tech who works for a licensed business. It does not let you run a business or take contracts over $1,000 on your own | HVAC work as an individual under a licensed contractor |
| Master HVAC (tradesman license) | The senior individual license. An HVAC business usually names a master tradesman as its qualified individual. Check with the board whether this is required for the HVA specialty | HVAC work as an individual, and supervising journeymen |
| Residential HVAC Mechanic (tradesman license) | Optional. A shorter first step for someone doing house HVAC work under a licensed business. Three years holding it counts toward a master license | — |
2Who issues HVAC contractor licenses in Virginia? What is this?
Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors (DPOR) issues HVAC licenses in Virginia.
See how this compares in every state: How to check a contractor's license, state by state
| Name | Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors (DPOR) |
|---|---|
| Website | dpor.virginia.gov |
| Look up a license | dpor.virginia.gov |
| The law | Code of Virginia Title 54.1 Chapter 11 (sections 54.1-1100 and following) |
| The rulebook | 18VAC50-22 for the business license and 18VAC50-30 for the individual tradesman license |
| Who runs the exam | PSI |
3How to become an HVAC contractor in Virginia What is this?
Virginia has 6 licenses that matter to an HVAC contractor: Class A Contractor license, specialty Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVA), Class B Contractor license, specialty HVA, Class C Contractor license, specialty HVA, Journeyman HVAC (tradesman license), Master HVAC (tradesman license), Residential HVAC Mechanic (tradesman license). Each is below, with what you need before you apply.
| License | Experience required | Training required | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A Contractor license, specialty Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVA) | The qualified individual (the person whose trade experience backs the firm) needs 5 years of HVAC experience and must be a full-time employee or an owner | A board-approved basic business course of 8 hours, taken by the designated employee or an owner before you apply | Yes, a board exam run by PSI for the designated employee, plus the trade exam for the qualified individual. PSI charges $40 to $85 per exam portion |
| Class B Contractor license, specialty HVA | The qualified individual needs 3 years of HVAC experience and must be a full-time employee or an owner | A board-approved basic business course of 8 hours | Yes, a board exam run by PSI for the designated employee, plus the trade exam for the qualified individual |
| Class C Contractor license, specialty HVA | The qualified individual needs 1 year of HVAC experience and must be a full-time employee or an owner | A board-approved basic business course of 8 hours | The rule says the qualified individual must have passed the board-approved exam for the specialty. The DPOR page lists the PSI business exam for Class A and B only. Whether a master HVAC tradesman license satisfies the trade exam for HVA is not stated by the board. Ask DPOR before you rely on it |
| Journeyman HVAC (tradesman license) | One of these, with HVAC work counted in years and classes in hours. 8 years of work and no classes. 7 years and 40 hours. 6 years and 80 hours. 5 years and 160 hours. 4 years and 240 hours. 2 years and a two-year trade certificate or associate degree. 1 year and an engineering bachelor's degree | The class hours in the row you pick above. Board-approved continuing education can count as class hours | Yes, a board exam run by PSI. The rule caps the journeyman exam at $200. The DPOR page says $100 to $125 paid to PSI |
| Master HVAC (tradesman license) | One of these. One year holding a journeyman HVAC license. Three years holding a Virginia residential HVAC tradesman license. Or nine years of practical experience in the trade | None beyond the journeyman path | Yes, a board exam run by PSI. The rule caps the master exam at $225. The DPOR page says $100 to $125 |
| Residential HVAC Mechanic (tradesman license) | 6 years of work and no classes. 5 years and 40 hours. 4 years and 80 hours. 3 years and 120 hours. 2 years and 160 hours | — | Yes, run by PSI |
4How much does an HVAC license cost in Virginia? What is this?
The government fees on this page add up to about $760 in Virginia. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.
| License | Application | Exam | Renewal | Adding a license type | Adding a trade | Changing the qualifying person | Recovery fund fee, with the application | Recovery fund fee, with renewal | Technology fee, per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class A Contractor license, specialty Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVA) | $400 | — | $270 | $125 | — | $125 | $25 | $30 | $7.25 |
| Class B Contractor license, specialty HVA | $380 | — | $260 | — | — | — | $25 | $30 | $7.25 |
| Class C Contractor license, specialty HVA | $235 | — | $220 | — | — | — | $25 | $30 | $7.25 |
| Journeyman HVAC (tradesman license) | $150 | $125 | $160 | — | $105 | — | — | — | $7.25 |
| Master HVAC (tradesman license) | $150 | $125 | $160 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Residential HVAC Mechanic (tradesman license) | $150 | — | $160 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Added up
| Government fees, added up | $760 |
|---|
Does not include the 8-hour business course, the EPA 608 test, a bond, insurance premiums, tools, a vehicle, or city permits
5How much HVAC insurance do you need in Virginia? What is this?
What Virginia requires you to carry before you work.
| Minimum liability insurance | Not listed yet |
|---|---|
| Type of policy | None required for the license. The DPOR page and the rules for Class A, B, and C list a money check (net worth or bond), not an insurance policy |
| Who this applies to | Not applicable |
| Who must be named on the certificate | Not applicable |
| Workers' comp required? | Yes, once you regularly have more than two workers, part-time or full-time. That means three or more |
| Workers' comp: who counts as an employee | Workers employed by your subcontractors count toward your total, even when the subcontractor has its own policy. Officers, LLC managers, family members, and part-timers all count |
| Who can opt out |
|
| Workers' comp: if you skip it | Up to $250 for each day without coverage, capped at $50,000 |
6Does Virginia check your credit for an HVAC contractor license? What is this?
Virginia does not check your credit for this license.
| Credit score you need | None |
|---|---|
| Net worth needed, Class A | $45,000 |
| Net worth needed, Class B | $15,000 |
| Net worth needed, Class C | None |
| If your score is lower | A $50,000 surety bond on the board's form replaces the net worth figure for Class A or Class B |
| What you must disclose | You must list past-due debts, judgments, unpaid taxes, and bond defaults for the last 3 years (Class B and C) or 5 years (Class A), plus felonies and recent misdemeanors |
7Does an HVAC contractor need a bond in Virginia? What is this?
Virginia 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 |
The state does not make you post a bond. A $50,000 surety bond (a promise, backed by an insurance company, that customers can be paid if you do not finish the job) is one way to pass the money check for Class A or B. Every firm also pays into the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund, $25 with the application and $30 at each renewal. Cities may ask for a permit bond, so check with your city.
8Federal rules that also apply What is this?
Rules from the US government that apply to an HVAC contractor in Virginia on top of the state's own.
| EPA refrigerant certification |
|
|---|
9Where must a Virginia HVAC contractor show the license number? What is this?
In Virginia: every contract for work on a home must show your business name, address, license number, class of license, and your classifications or specialties. No rule read makes the number mandatory on ads or vehicles. Ads must not be false or misleading.
| The rule |
|
|---|---|
| If you forget | Leaving it off a residential contract breaks the board's standards of practice, which can bring a fine or action against the license. The board does not publish a set figure for this one |
10Does an HVAC contractor charge sales tax on labor in Virginia? What is this?
In Virginia, no sales tax. Installing or repairing a system that is part of the building is work on real property, not a taxable sale. The rest of the rules are below.
See how this compares in every state: Can you charge sales tax on labor? The rule in 25 states
| Who pays tax on materials | You. The law treats a contractor as the final user of furnaces, condensers, ductwork, and parts that become part of a building. Your supplier charges you tax at purchase |
|---|---|
| Materials you bill to the customer | You do not add sales tax to the customer's bill as a tax. Build the tax you paid into your price |
| Labor on buildings | No sales tax. Installing or repairing a system that is part of the building is work on real property, not a taxable sale |
| Resale certificate |
|
| Window units and portable equipment | If you sell an item that stays separate from the building, you charge the customer tax on the item, and labor you list separately on the invoice is exempt. No official page we read lists which HVAC items Virginia counts as separate, so ask the tax department about a particular unit |
| Homes versus businesses | Same rule for a home and a business. The tax follows the materials, not the customer |
| Tax rate | 5.3 percent in most of the state, 6 percent in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Central Virginia, 6.3 percent in some Southside counties, 7 percent in James City County, Williamsburg, and York County |
11Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for a Virginia HVAC contractor What is this?
If you are not paid in Virginia, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: the statute read sets no fixed day for the subcontractor notice. Give it as early as you can, because the owner only has to pay you out of what the owner still owes the general contractor on the day your notice arrives.
- Day 0Your first day on the job
The clock starts here.
- Day 90File your lien
File a memorandum of lien (the lien paper, recorded with the circuit court) within 90 days from the last day of the month you last worked or delivered material, and never later than 90 days after the building is finished (last work on January 10 means the clock starts January 31 and you file by May 1)
Each day count is counted from the day the rule beside it names, which is not always the same day. Read the sentence under each one.
| Who has to send a notice | A subcontractor or supplier hired by the general contractor, not by the owner, must give the owner written notice of the amount and type of the claim to hold the owner liable. A general contractor must file proof that it mailed a copy of the lien to the owner |
|---|---|
| Send your notice by | The statute read sets no fixed day for the subcontractor notice. Give it as early as you can, because the owner only has to pay you out of what the owner still owes the general contractor on the day your notice arrives |
| File your lien by | File a memorandum of lien (the lien paper, recorded with the circuit court) within 90 days from the last day of the month you last worked or delivered material, and never later than 90 days after the building is finished (last work on January 10 means the clock starts January 31 and you file by May 1) |
| How far back a lien can reach | The lien can only cover work or material from the 150 days before your last day on the job |
12How do you renew an HVAC license in Virginia? What is this?
The Class A Contractor license, specialty Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVA) renews on this cycle: not published. The rules give the renewal fee and a 30-day window after the license expires, but never the length of the term. Your renewal notice carries your own date.
| License | Renewal | Training hours each year | Training hours each renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A Contractor license, specialty Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVA) | Not published. The rules give the renewal fee and a 30-day window after the license expires, but never the length of the term. Your renewal notice carries your own date | None for the business license. The tradesman license has its own rule below | — |
| Class B Contractor license, specialty HVA | The same as Class A | — | — |
| Class C Contractor license, specialty HVA | The same as Class A | — | — |
| Journeyman HVAC (tradesman license) | Three years, counted from the last day of the month your license was issued. An old answer on the DPOR questions page still says two years, and dates its example to 2012. The rule says three. Your renewal card carries your own date | — | — |
| Master HVAC (tradesman license) | Three years, counted from the last day of the month your license was issued. An old answer on the DPOR questions page still says two years, and dates its example to 2012. The rule says three. Your renewal card carries your own date | — | — |
Renewal fees are in what the license costs. The official page for each license is linked under how you get it.
13What catches people out in Virginia What is this?
The things people get wrong or do not expect about Virginia, in a few sentences.
- The class of business license depends on money, not equipment size. A single HVAC job of $150,000 or more needs Class A. Under $30,000 needs only Class C. Anything over $1,000 needs a license.
- There is a residential HVAC mechanic license you can earn with 2 years of work and 160 hours of classes. Hold it for 3 years and you can sit the master exam without ever holding a journeyman card.
- The rule caps the journeyman exam at $200 and the master exam at $225, but the board's own page gives the fees charged today as $100 for the journeyman exam and $125 for the master. The cap is the ceiling, not the price.
- On top of the application fee, every firm pays $25 into the state's Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund, then $30 at each renewal. That fund pays customers harmed by a licensed contractor.
- An HVAC firm pays sales tax on the furnace or condenser when it buys it and charges the customer nothing for tax on a system that becomes part of the building.
- The state license does not replace the federal EPA Section 608 card. Anyone who opens a refrigerant circuit needs both.
·7 official pages
- law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter11/section54.1-1100/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter30/section39/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter30/section100/
- dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/Tradesmen
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section100/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title23/agency10/chapter210/section410/
- epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-0
14Where these numbers come from
The labels under each table are explained on how to read a page.
- law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter11/section54.1-1100/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter30/section39/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter30/section100/
- dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/Tradesmen
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section100/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title23/agency10/chapter210/section410/
- epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-0
- dpor.virginia.gov/boards/contractors
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter30/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section60/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section61/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section140/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section20/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section50/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section40/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter30/section90/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter30/section120/
- workcomp.virginia.gov/workers-compensation-insurance-information-employers
- law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title65.2/chapter1/section65.2-101/
- epa.gov/section608
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section260/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter11/section54.1-1103/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title58.1/chapter6/section58.1-609.5/
- tax.virginia.gov/retail-sales-and-use-tax
- law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title43/chapter1/section43-4/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title43/chapter1/section43-7/