How to Get an HVAC License in Texas

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Who Needs an HVAC License?

Air conditioning and refrigeration contractors and technicians need to be properly licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) in order to work legally within the state.

There are two license classes:

  • Class A licensees are allowed to work on units of any size.
  • Class Blicensees may work only on cooling systems of 25 tons and under, and heating systems of 1.5 million BTUs/hour and under.

Within each of these classes, there are three available endorsements:

  • Environmental air conditioning
  • Commercial Refrigeration
  • Process Cooling or Heating

You may have both a Class A and a Class B license, but only one endorsement per license is permitted.

What Does the Licensing Process Involve?

The specific licensing requirements vary somewhat depending on whether you�re applying for licensure as a contractor, a registered technician, or a certified technician. The key steps in the process include the following:

  1. Meet the experience requirements for the type of license you’re applying for. Have the person(s) who supervised your experience complete an Experience Verification Form. In certain cases, education may be substituted for experience.
  2. Complete the application and submit it with the completed Experience Verification Form. Submit it with the application fee to TDLR for approval of your eligibility to take the licensing exam.
  3. Pass the licensing exam and all other licensing requirements within one date of filing your license application.
  4. Once you�ve passed the licensing exam, purchase the required insurance and submit a Certificate of Insurance to TDLR.
  5. If you plan to do business in a municipality that requires bonding of contractors, you may need to obtain a surety bond. Check with any city, town, county, or other jurisdiction in which you will be working to see if a surety bond is required for HVAC contractors.

Why is a Surety Bond Required?

A surety bond serves as your guarantee to conduct business in a lawful and ethical manner. It provides protection for clients who might suffer a financial loss if you do substandard work, default on a contract, or otherwise violate the terms of the surety bond agreement.

How Does It Work?

Every surety bond agreement is a legal document that binds three different parties:

  • The obligee requiring the bond (the specific local governing body)
  • The principal (the HVAC contractor) required to purchase the bond
  • The surety (the company issuing the bond)

The obligee establishes the required amount of the bond (the penal amount), the laws, and the regulations the principal must abide by to avoid violating the surety bond agreement. Any party who suffers a financial loss due to a violation by the principal has the right to file a claim against the bond.

Typically, the surety will pay any valid claim upfront and then collect reimbursement from the principal. Every surety bond agreement includes an indemnification clause that gives the principal the sole legal responsibility for paying claims and holds the surety harmless.

How the HVAC Licensing Process Works in Texas

If you need a surety bond to work in a particular municipality, you�ll pay an annual premium that is a small percentage of the bond amount required in that jurisdiction. That percentage will be determined by the surety based largely on your personal credit score.

The higher your credit score is, the less risk the surety is assuming in underwriting your bond, and the better the premium rate you�ll be assigned. If your credit is great, you could pay as little as 1% to 3% of the required bond amount.

Get Bonded Today

If you need a surety bond to do HVAC work in your area of Texas, request an online quote or contact the team at Single Source Insurance today.

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