How to start an HVAC business
HVAC is the most capital-intensive start on this site and the one with the best structural economics, provided you build the agreement base from day one.
For the financials, see the HVAC business plan.
Before anything: licence and EPA 608
- State HVAC or mechanical contractor licence — usually documented experience hours plus an exam
- EPA Section 608 certification — legally required to purchase or handle refrigerant, and there is no way around it
- Separate gas endorsements in many states
- Bonding and insurance requirements
Start this first. Everything else waits on it, and the timeline is months rather than weeks in most states.
Most people entering this trade come from an employer where they accumulated the hours. If you have not, working for an established company for a period is the path, not a detour.
Week 1–2: van and stock
The van is not the expensive part. Stocking it properly is.
Gauges, recovery machine, vacuum pump, scales, nitrogen regulator, torch set, meters, combustion analyser. Then the parts: capacitors, contactors, motors, igniters, thermostats, condensate pumps, common filters and refrigerant.
$3,000 to $8,000 of stock feels excessive until the first time you complete a repair on the first visit while a competitor books a return trip. First-visit completion rate is what generates your early reviews.
Week 3: supplier relationship
Open an account with a local supply house and introduce yourself properly.
They will extend terms once you have trading history, they will tell you what is failing across your market this season, and in peak season they will hold a part for you rather than for somebody they do not know.
This is a genuine competitive asset and it costs nothing but showing up.
Weeks 4–8: first customers, urgent and searched
HVAC demand in season is urgent. No heat in January, no cooling in July. People search and call.
Google Business Profile. Real photos, accurate hours, and answer the phone.
Local Services Ads. Pay-per-lead, high intent, and effective before you have organic rankings. Your close rate depends almost entirely on response speed.
Answer the phone. In peak season the job goes to whoever picks up. If you are on a roof and calls go to voicemail, that is lost revenue you already paid to generate.
Weeks 9–12: start the agreement base immediately
This is the habit that decides whether you have a business or a busy season.
Offer a maintenance agreement on every service call, every install, every tune-up:
“$220 a year covers two visits, priority scheduling in the busy months, and 15% off any repair.”
A plan member calls you first, buys repairs at a discount you already priced in, and replaces their system with you rather than getting three quotes. Acquiring a replacement cold costs $300 to $800. Acquiring one from a plan member costs a phone call.
Set a target — 100 agreements by the end of year one — and track it as your primary metric. It is also the number that determines what the business sells for if you ever exit.
What to run it on
Agreement management and pricing consistency are the needs.
Housecall Pro from $189/mo manages recurring service plans best of the three and includes a flat-rate price book. Jobber at $49/mo plus $29 per seat is cheaper and sufficient for a single van. QuoteIQ at $29.99/mo includes consumer financing on every tier for replacements.
Questions operators actually ask
How do I start an HVAC business?
Confirm your licence and EPA 608 certification, buy a van and stock it properly, get established with a supplier, then start selling maintenance agreements from your very first service call. The agreement base is what turns a seasonal trade into a stable business.
What certification do I need?
State HVAC or mechanical contractor licensing, usually requiring documented experience and an exam, plus EPA Section 608 certification to purchase or handle refrigerant. Neither is optional and both take time.
How much does it cost to start an HVAC business?
$28,000 to $65,000. The van, gauges, recovery machine, vacuum pump, meters, van stock, licensing, bonding and insurance. It is among the most capital-intensive starts in home services.
When should I start selling maintenance agreements?
On your first service call. Agreements smooth the shoulder seasons, generate repair and replacement work at almost no acquisition cost, and are the largest driver of what an HVAC business is eventually worth.
How do I get my first HVAC customers?
Google Business Profile and Local Services Ads for emergency no-heat and no-cool calls, which are urgent and search-driven. Then convert every one into an agreement member.