Florida HVAC license: what your Class A or B air conditioning, mechanical or sheet metal license lets you do, and your first 30 days

Published November 8, 2026 · Law checked November 8, 2026

• Free to read. The 30-day checklist is also a free printable (Google Docs, Word or PDF). The files come by email.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and where it doesn't.
• Not legal advice. Every rule here links to the statute, rule, code section or official page it comes from. Ask DBPR, your building department or a Florida attorney before you bet a job on my reading.

Florida's contractor law has no license called "HVAC." Its HVAC license is a Construction Industry Licensing Board certificate or registration as an air-conditioning contractor (Class A or B), a mechanical contractor or a sheet metal contractor, and none of them has a dollar limit. Class A is unlimited. Class B stops at 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system. Mechanical covers everything Class A does plus gas lines inside buildings and more kinds of piping.¹ A certified license (CAC, CMC, CSC) works anywhere in the state; a registered one (RA, RM, RS) only where you hold the local license behind it.^1,7,8 And your company contracts through you, as its qualifying agent.⁴

Four things catch new Florida HVAC shops before the next job. Every change-out needs a mechanical permit: the $7,500 permit exemption that started July 1, 2026 leaves mechanical work out, though the building department now has 5 business days to act on one for a house when the job is under $15,000.¹⁹ Your wiring rights are real but narrow: since July 1, 2024 you can replace the wire, disconnect, breaker or fuses on the dedicated HVAC circuit, and a new circuit is still an electrician's.^1,20 On gas, a Class A or B license lets you disconnect and reconnect a gas appliance on a change-out and nothing more inside the building.¹ And in Climate Zone 2, which is every county except Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe, a complete central system replacement can't use electric strip heat as the primary heat.¹⁵

Plenty of new license holders aren't ready to quit. A Florida tech who had just passed his contractor exam in September: "I'm not looking to quit my job and start a full blown company. I want to keep working, learning, and improving while slowly doing legitimate side work" (r/HVAC). The guide to starting an HVAC business while still employed covers that path. This page is the Florida paperwork for the business, each item with the rule behind it. The contract and deposit rules are in Florida construction contract requirements, certified versus registered licenses, the qualifier's duties and the company side in the Florida general contractor license guide, the circuit to the condenser from the electrician's side in the Florida electrical contractor license guide, gas piping and water from the plumber's side in the Florida plumbing license guide, and getting paid in the Florida mechanics lien guide. Roofers you meet on rooftop jobs have their own Florida roofing license and roofing insurance claim guides.

The 30-day checklist is also a printable: make your own copy in Google Docs (lands in your Drive), download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links. It's the same list as on this page, with tick boxes and blanks for your license number and class, insurance and comp policies, business tax receipts, permit portal logins, EPA 608 card numbers and renewal dates.

Florida HVAC license basics: the licenses, the codes and who holds them

The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), licenses people, not companies. DBPR's own license file shows the codes you'll see on your record: CAC for certified air-conditioning contractors, with a class column of A or B (and a handful of old C's), RA for registered ones, CMC and RM for mechanical, CSC and RS for sheet metal.⁸ Since October 1, 2009 there is no separate business license to renew; the company's name simply appears on its qualifier's license.⁷

Sources for the table: definitions,¹ license codes and classes,⁸ renewal dates,⁷ EPA certification.²⁴ For the certified cycle that ended August 31, 2026, active renewal was $205, or $255 with a qualified business.⁷

Certified or registered, in one paragraph

A certified contractor "shall be allowed to contract in any jurisdiction in the state without being required to fulfill the competency requirements of that jurisdiction." A registered contractor "may contract only in such jurisdictions" where they met the local requirements.¹ Working outside a registration's area is unlicensed contracting.¹² One Florida twist matters to HVAC shops after a hurricane: a registered contractor may work in an area under a declared natural-emergency state of emergency, for the work the registration covers, until 24 months after the declaration expires.³ The full comparison, and how to upgrade to certified, is in the general contractor license guide.

Your company and its qualifying agent

• Trading in your own name, or as a sole proprietor under a fictitious name, the license is issued to you alone. Any LLC, corporation or partnership needs you to apply as its qualifying agent.⁴
• The qualifier signs an affidavit that they have "final approval authority for all construction work performed by the business organization" and over its contracts, checks and payments, unless the board approves a separate financially responsible officer (who then posts a $100,000 bond or letter of credit).^4,6
• Primary qualifying agents are "jointly and equally responsible" for the company's operations, every job site and its finances.⁴
• If the only qualifier leaves, the company has 60 days to employ another, and until then it can only finish contracts it already had, under a temporary certificate. Contracting past 60 days with no qualifier is a crime.^4,11
• A second company needs board approval. The board's rule wants an appearance before it unless you own 20% or more of the new company or are its W-2 employee. A third company means an appearance too, unless you own 20% or more of all three; being a W-2 employee doesn't waive that one, and a fourth always means an appearance.^6,7

Being someone else's qualifier

Qualifier deals happen in Florida. One Florida owner who later got his own Class B: "Was already doing sub work before I quit my day job “under someone else’s license”" (r/HVAC). The law allows it only if the qualifier really runs the work. As primary qualifying agent you supervise the company's field work and money, by statute. A licensee "may not enter into an agreement, oral or written, whereby his or her certification number or registration number is used" by an unlicensed person or an unqualified company, which is a first-degree misdemeanor and a felony the second time, and helping someone contract without a license is grounds for discipline.^4,11,13 What it pays and what it can cost the license holder is a separate article.

Class A or B: when B isn't enough

Class B's limit is per system, not per job: "25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system."¹ A house rarely comes near it, and a strip of six 5-ton rooftop units on a store stays inside it. A 30-ton rooftop unit, a chiller or any boiler needs Class A or mechanical. DBPR lets an active certified Class B contractor take the Class A exam after one year.⁷

What your Florida air conditioning contractor license covers

The statute spells out the scope for Class A, Class B and mechanical in nearly the same words.¹ On the jobs that raise questions:

• Central air conditioning, heat pumps, air handlers, mini-splits, furnaces and refrigeration: all in. A cord-and-plug unit of 3 tons or less with no ducts needs no license at all, for anyone.^1,9
• Ductwork, "in connection with a complete system if such duct work is performed by the contractor as necessary to complete an air-distribution system" (Class B: of a system "being installed under this classification"). Sheet metal contractors hold air-handling systems and duct work outright. I found no board statement on a duct-only replacement by a Class A or B contractor; if you plan to sell those, ask the board or your building department first.¹
• Duct cleaning and "equipment sanitizing that requires at least a partial disassembling of the system" is in every HVAC category, so a duct cleaning outfit that opens the system needs a license.¹
• Wiring. Since July 1, 2024 you may "replace, disconnect, or reconnect power wiring on the line or load side of the dedicated existing electrical disconnect switch on single phase electrical systems," "repair or replace power wiring, disconnects, breakers, or fuses for dedicated HVAC circuits with proper use of a circuit breaker lock," and install and reconnect low-voltage control wiring. Any other "electrical power wiring" is excluded.^1,20
• Condensate: you may "install a condensate drain from an air-conditioning unit to an existing safe waste or other approved disposal other than a direct connection to a sanitary system."¹
• Digging: "any excavation work incidental thereto" is in scope.¹
• Boilers and unfired pressure vessels: Class A and mechanical only.¹
• Testing and balancing: any HVAC contractor may "test and evaluate" systems including ducts, but the law doesn't make testing a licensed activity on its own.¹

Gas, wiring and water: where your Florida HVAC license stops

Gas lines and the furnace connection

Class A and B exclude "liquefied petroleum or natural gas fuel lines within buildings, except for disconnecting or reconnecting changeouts of liquefied petroleum or natural gas appliances within buildings."¹ So a like-for-like gas furnace swap is yours, connection included. A new gas line, a longer run or a bigger pipe for a higher-input unit belongs to one of three others:

• A mechanical contractor (CMC or RM), whose scope includes "liquefied petroleum gas lines within buildings, and natural gas fuel lines within buildings."¹
• A plumbing contractor, whose scope includes "the installation of water, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and related venting" (the plumbing license guide covers gas from their side).¹
• A propane installer licensed by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under chapter 527. A Category V LP gas installer designs, installs and services "apparatus, piping, tubing, tanks, and equipment for the use of liquefied petroleum or natural gas" ($200 a year, after an exam), and doing that business without the license is a third-degree felony. Someone with a chapter 527 license doing that work is exempt from the contractor law.^14,9

The exclusion is written for lines inside buildings. For gas piping outside, such as a line to a rooftop or ground-level gas pack, I found no board statement, and propane work is chapter 527's either way; ask before you quote it. Gas heat is a small share of Florida work: about 1 in 16 homes heat with natural gas, about 1 in 100 with propane or other petroleum, and about 9 in 10 with electricity.³²

The circuit, the disconnect and the thermostat

Any contractor "shall subcontract all electrical ... work" unless certified or registered in that trade.² What you may do yourself is the list above: work on the existing dedicated HVAC circuit, on single-phase systems for the line side of the disconnect, with a breaker lock. A new circuit for a mini-split or a heat pump that never had one, a panel change, or anything on three-phase line side goes to an electrical contractor (EC or ER), with its own permit. Replacing the wire and breaker on the existing dedicated circuit is in the statute's words; whether that stretches to upsizing them for a bigger unit isn't spelled out, so treat an upsize as the electrician's unless your building department tells you otherwise in writing.¹ Low-voltage thermostat and control wiring is yours.

Water and drains

The license excludes "potable water lines or connections thereto" and "sanitary sewer lines."¹ A boiler fill or a humidifier feed off the house water is plumbing work. Condensate goes to an approved place, and the mechanical code says condensate drains "shall not directly connect to any plumbing drain, waste or vent pipe"; they may discharge to a floor sink, floor drain, standpipe, utility or laundry sink and a few other receptors.¹⁶

Building work, pools and digging

• A structural change (a new opening in a load-bearing wall, framing for a platform) belongs to a general, building or residential contractor.²
• Pool piping and filters are excluded from your license; the pool/spa contractor's scope includes package pool heaters.¹ Heat pumps count: the House staff who analyzed a 2026 bill list electric heat pumps as one of the three main types of pool heater, and read current law this way: HVAC contractors may service and repair pool heaters but "are not allowed to install or remove" them. The bill, HB 431, would have let Class A air-conditioning and mechanical contractors repair and replace existing package pool heaters; it passed the House 97 to 16 and died in the Senate on March 13, 2026.³³ The Florida pool contractor license page has the pool side.
• An unlicensed subcontractor may work under you only on work that doesn't itself need a trade license, and HVAC work does. Your employees are different: they work under your license, within its scope, with your knowledge and permission.^2,9
• Digging a trench for a line set, condensate or gas line: notify Sunshine 811 (Sunshine State One-Call of Florida) at least 2 full business days before you dig. Skipping it is a noncriminal infraction with a $500 civil penalty, $2,500 near a regulated hazardous-materials pipeline.²⁷

Federal rules every Florida HVAC business meets

EPA Section 608: the card on every tech and at the supply house

EPA's rule says "technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants into the atmosphere must be certified." The certifications go by equipment type (Type I small appliances, Type II high-pressure, Type III low-pressure, or Universal), and they "do not expire."²⁴ The seller of refrigerant must verify the buyer "is a certified technician" or "employs a certified technician," and an office can buy on the company account with "a copy of the certification card and a list of those authorized to buy refrigerant or accept delivery."²⁴ Give each supply house the list (the supply house account guide has the rest of what they ask for).

Minimum efficiency: SEER2 in the Southeast

Florida is in DOE's Southeast region. Split-system air conditioners installed since January 1, 2023 must reach 14.3 SEER2 under 45,000 Btu/h and 13.8 SEER2 at 45,000 and up; split heat pumps must reach 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2 everywhere. "Any model of outdoor unit that has a certified combination with a rating below the applicable standard level(s) for a region cannot be installed in that region."²³ Florida's energy code repeats it: "New or replacement heating and cooling equipment shall have an efficiency rating equal to or greater than the minimum required by federal law for the geographic location."¹⁵

A2L refrigerants (R-454B, R-32) and what Florida's code says

EPA limits new residential and light commercial AC and heat pump systems, mini-splits included, to refrigerants under 700 global warming potential from January 1, 2025, with "No installation compliance date for systems where all specified components were manufactured or imported prior to January 1, 2025," and "Components used to repair existing systems are not subject to these restrictions." Variable refrigerant flow systems join on January 1, 2027.²⁵

Florida's 8th Edition mechanical code is built on the 2021 model code and its refrigerant table doesn't list R-454B. The Florida Building Commission handled it in August 2024, answering Broward County's Board of Rules and Appeals that an A2L system designed and installed to ASHRAE 15 "would meet the minimum requirements," and then wrote it into the code: the 2024 Supplement, approved December 10, 2024, adds to section 1101.6 that "Refrigeration systems that use A2L refrigerant shall be designed and installed in accordance with ASHRAE 15," now the 2022 edition with addenda to July 31, 2024.¹⁶ ASHRAE 15 is a paid standard and I haven't read it. The code also accepts equipment listed to UL/CSA 60335-2-40 "if installed in accordance with their listing and the manufacturer’s instructions," so the installation manual is where to start.¹⁶ One more refrigerant rule catches new shops: refrigerant access ports outdoors need "locking-type tamper-resistant caps" (in houses, not needed when the ports sit inside the condensing unit's cabinet).^16,17

EPA's lead rule in pre-1978 homes

Florida doesn't run its own lead renovation program, so EPA's rule applies directly, to "all firms, even sole proprietorships." Disturb painted surfaces for pay in a home built before 1978 and your firm needs EPA certification, with a certified renovator directing the work, unless it's minor repair: "minor heating, ventilation or air conditioning work" that disrupts "6 square feet or less of painted surface per room for interior activities or 20 square feet or less" outside. The federal civil penalty is up to $49,772 per violation.²⁶

Supervision: who can work alone

Florida has no state journeyman HVAC license, and I found no apprentice-to-journeyman ratio in chapter 489 or the board rules I read. Your employees work under your license, within its scope and "with the knowledge and permission of the licenseholder."⁹ The primary qualifying agent carries "the responsibility to supervise, direct, manage, and control construction activities on a job for which he or she has obtained the building permit."¹ Counties and cities may issue journeyman licenses in the mechanical and HVAC trades and must recognize one issued by another Florida jurisdiction; I didn't survey which ones require a journeyman on site, so ask your building department.¹⁰ Refrigerant is separate: EPA's rule follows the person, so get helpers who connect gauges certified.²⁴ One exemption to know about, because it's your competition on apartment work: maintenance techs at communities of 100 or more units may make minor repairs to existing electric HVAC systems, with parts up to $1,000 a repair.⁹

Florida HVAC permits and inspections

Florida has one statewide building code, the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), in force since December 31, 2023.²¹ Houses follow the Residential volume, other buildings the Mechanical volume, everyone the Energy Conservation and Fuel Gas volumes. The 9th Edition (2026), built on the 2024 International Codes, is on the Commission's August 2026 work plan to take effect December 31, 2026; the law says an update takes effect "no sooner than 6 months after publication," and that plan still listed the final hearing as to be decided, so check floridabuilding.org before you rely on the date.²¹ The state licenses you; your county or city building department issues the permit and inspects.

When you need a permit

Anyone who intends to "install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any ... mechanical ... system" must first get a permit.¹⁸ The mechanical exemptions that matter to an HVAC shop:¹⁸

• "Replacement of any part that does not alter its approval or make it unsafe." A capacitor, contactor, motor or thermostat is a part; a condenser is not (the energy code calls a condenser a "functional unit").¹⁵
• Portable heating, cooling and ventilation equipment, and portable evaporative coolers.
• "Self-contained refrigeration system containing 10 pounds (4.54 kg) or less of refrigerant and actuated by motors of 1 horsepower (0.75 kW) or less."
• Emergencies: "Where equipment replacements and repairs must be performed in an emergency situation, the permit application shall be submitted within the next working business day."

The 2026 law added a statewide exemption for single-family work under $7,500, but it "does not apply to ... Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work."¹⁹ Starting work before the permit can cost an extra fee, and for your license it's a ground for discipline.^18,13

What a Florida change-out has to meet

• Efficiency: at least the federal Southeast minimum above.^15,23
• A matched system. Replacing only the condenser is replacing a functional unit, not a repair, and "Matched systems are required," verified by AHRI data, an accredited lab, a manufacturer's letter or a letter from a Florida professional engineer.¹⁵ Miramar's change-out packet asks for "One (1) set of AHRI Sheet" with every application.³¹
• Strip heat in Zone 2: "Electric resistance shall not be the primary space heating system type used for complete central equipment replacements in Climate Zone 2." Zone 1 is Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe; the rest of Florida is Zone 2. Replacing an AC and air handler with heat strips as a complete system in Orlando or Tampa means a heat pump or another primary heat source.¹⁵
• Existing ducts may stay. Where existing ducts are used with a replacement system, they "need not meet code if meeting code would require that component’s replacement," and existing equipment needn't meet "system sizing and duct sealing."¹⁵
• New ducts get tested. New heating, cooling and duct systems in an alteration follow the duct rules, which require a pressure test (unless the ducts sit entirely inside the building thermal envelope) with total leakage at or under 4 cfm per 100 square feet of conditioned floor area, and a signed report to the code official. Extending existing ducts by less than 40 feet in unconditioned space is exempt. The test can be done by an energy rater or "individuals licensed as set forth in Section 489.105(3)(f), (g) or (i)," which means you.¹⁵
• Sizing. Equipment is sized to ACCA Manual S on loads from Manual J, and cooling capacity can't exceed 1.15 times the calculated load, or the closest size the manufacturer makes (heat pumps are sized on cooling).^15,17 The energy code's rule for alterations doesn't list the sizing section, so building departments differ on whether a like-for-like change-out needs a new Manual J. Ask each one, and run a load calculation whenever you change size. The proposal template has a line for it.
• Wind. Equipment exposed to wind "shall be designed and installed to resist the wind pressures" of the building code, and equipment "fastened to a roof or installed on the ground ... using rated stands, platforms, curbs, slabs, walls, or other means" is deemed to comply.^16,18 In the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (Miami-Dade and Broward), design wind speeds run 165 to 195 mph in Miami-Dade and 156 to 185 mph in Broward.¹⁸ Miramar, in Broward, wants a "Current Manufacturer’s Tie-down Product Approval or an Original Engineered tie-down detail signed & sealed by Professional Engineer," and two sealed sets plus a building permit for roof or gable-wall mounted units.³¹
• Condensate. Where an overflow could damage the building, add a secondary drain, an auxiliary pan with its own drain, or a pan with a water-level switch that shuts the unit off; ductless mini-splits need a trap or an inline check valve; and drain lines must clear "without requiring the drain line to be cut."^16,17
• Locking refrigerant caps outdoors, as above.^16,17

Departments write their own change-out forms. North Port's asks for the new and old systems' manufacturer, model numbers, SEER or EER, tons, heat strip kW, HACR breaker size, wire size and refrigerant type, and whether ducts or refrigerant lines are being replaced.³¹ Record those on every job and any county's form takes five minutes. The HVAC installation checklist has a commissioning sheet to go with it.

Who pulls the permit, and how fast it comes

• You do, with your license number on every application; a building department "shall not issue a building permit" to anyone without the right certificate or registration, and you may not pull a permit for a job you don't have a contract for.^4,12,11
• Register with the department first. Miramar's packet: "Permit can be issued to Licensed Contractors properly registered" with its Building Division.³¹ A department may deny or suspend permits if you can't prove your liability insurance and workers' comp.²
• No plan review for "Replacing existing equipment such as mechanical units"; mechanical inspections are underground, rough-in and final as the job needs.¹⁸
• Speed: for an existing single-family home, a mechanical permit under $15,000 must be approved, approved with conditions or denied within 5 business days of a complete application, and the department has to tell you within 5 business days what's missing. Late, and the permit fee drops 10% for each business day, unless it sent written reasons or you agreed to more time.¹⁹
• A permit for a single-family dwelling expires 1 year after it's issued or when the next code edition takes effect, whichever is later.¹⁹
• No Notice of Commencement on HVAC repair or replacement under $15,000: the statute's filing rule "does not apply to a direct contract to repair or replace an existing heating or air-conditioning system in an amount less than $15,000." Above that, see the lien guide.³⁰
• Homeowners may pull their own permit as owner-builders on a house they live in, but the owner must "personally appear and sign the building permit application," and the exemption doesn't cover anyone they hire who acts as a contractor. If a customer offers to pull it to save you the fee, you're still the one contracting.⁹

Can I take this job? A table for Florida HVAC contractors

The verdicts assume a certified or registered Class A or B air-conditioning license that qualifies your company, a registered license only in its own area, and an EPA 608 card on anyone touching refrigerant. Where mechanical or sheet metal differ, the table says so.

Sources for the table: scope and limits,¹ exemptions,⁹ gas,¹⁴ permits,^18,19 energy code,¹⁵ mechanical and residential code,^16,17 efficiency,²³ registration,³ business tax,²⁹ EPA.^24,26

What changed in Florida HVAC law in 2024, 2025 and 2026

I checked the 2026 statutes' history notes for every section on this page and read the Legislature's summaries of the bills behind them.

• 2024, CS/HB 481 (chapter 2024-206), from July 1, 2024: the wiring scope above for Class A, Class B and mechanical, and a new HVAC warranty law. A manufacturer's, distributor's or retailer's warranty "is effective in this state on the date of installation if installed by a contractor licensed under part I of chapter 489," and "may not be in any way conditioned upon the product registration."^20,22 Since 2024, a manufacturer's warranty also passes automatically to the buyer when a house is sold.²² Registering is still worth it for your own records; the warranty registration guide covers the close-out.
• 2025, CS/CS/CS/HB 683 (chapter 2025-140), from July 1, 2025: private providers may do single-trade plans review and virtual single-trade inspections, and a building department may not ask for a copy of your contract to issue a permit.^20,19 Chapter 2025-40 changed the roofing contractor's scope; I compared the 2024 and 2025 text of the definitions, and the air-conditioning, mechanical and sheet metal definitions didn't change.¹
• 2026, CS/CS/HB 803 (chapter 2026-63), from July 1, 2026: the $7,500 single-family exemption that excludes mechanical work, the 5-business-day clock for permits under $15,000, and the 1-year expiry for single-family permits.^19,20 Chapter 2026-3 added definitions of subcontractor and supplier to the contractor law and nothing else in the HVAC definitions.¹
• The 2024 code supplement for A2L refrigerants (approved December 10, 2024) and the 9th Edition code scheduled for December 31, 2026.^16,21

Your first 30 days: a checklist for a new Florida HVAC contractor

This is the same list as the printable. Week 1 keeps you legal on the next job; the rest keeps a change-out from stalling at the permit counter or the final inspection.

Week 1: license, company and paperwork

1. Look yourself up on DBPR's Verify a License. Write down your license number, class (A or B), status, expiration date (August 31, 2028 for a certified license issued now, August 31, 2027 for a registered one) and the company name printed on your license.⁷
2. If you trade as an LLC or corporation, make sure the board approved you as its qualifying agent before the company signs a contract. Using a trade name? Register the fictitious name with the Division of Corporations first: a person "may not engage in business under a fictitious name unless the person first registers the name."^4,29
3. Get the business tax receipt where your office is, issued to the company and to you, with the state license number on it. It renews by September 30 each year, with a 10% penalty in October. Other counties and cities can't charge you their business tax for temporary work.^4,29
4. Insurance: at least $100,000 of public liability and $25,000 of property damage, kept for as long as the license is active, in the exact name of the company you qualify. If DBPR audits you, the certificate names the CILB as holder. Ask your agent in writing whether the policy covers gas connections and electrical work.⁶
5. Workers' comp: a construction business needs it from the first employee, and the comp law counts a sole proprietor in construction as an employee. Up to three corporate officers or LLC members who own at least 10% can file exemptions. If you told DBPR you'd get an exemption, you had 30 days from the license date.^28,5
6. Your license number on "each offer of services, business proposal, bid, contract, or advertisement, regardless of medium," and on your truck if it carries your name or anything that says contracting. A plain truck needs nothing.⁴ Put it in your quote terms and invoices once.
7. Contracts: a residential contract has its own required wording, the Recovery Fund notice and deposit rules. They're in Florida construction contract requirements.
8. Line up the trades you can't do: an electrician (EC or ER) for new circuits, and a mechanical, plumbing or LP gas licensee for gas lines.

Week 2: people, refrigerant and the supply house

9. EPA 608: a copy of every tech's card in the office, and a list at each supply house of who may buy refrigerant on your account.²⁴
10. Employees work under your license. Subcontractors doing HVAC work need their own license; get each one's certificate of insurance and comp coverage or exemption, because a contractor can owe comp for an uninsured sub's workers.^2,28
11. Ask your county or city whether it issues or requires journeyman licenses for HVAC work.¹⁰
12. Price the work before the first call. The HVAC pricing guide has Florida owners' hourly rates ($120 in Polk County, $140 in Sarasota, $200 in Northwest Florida).

Weeks 3 and 4: permits, change-outs and digging

13. Register with each building department you'll work in (license, insurance certificate, comp proof) and open its permit portal account. Ask each one three questions and write the answers down: does a like-for-like change-out need a Manual J, what tie-down documentation it wants, and which permit covers replacing a disconnect or breaker.^2,31
14. Build your change-out kit: an AHRI certificate for every matched system, the SEER2 check (14.3 or 13.8 split AC, 14.3 and 7.5 HSPF2 split heat pump), the tie-down detail or product approval, locking refrigerant caps, a float switch or secondary drain, and the old and new system details North Port's form asks for.^15,16,23,31
15. In Zone 2, check every complete replacement for strip heat as the primary heat.¹⁵
16. Duct testing: buy or rent a duct tester, or line up an energy rater, before you sell new duct systems.¹⁵
17. A2L: keep the installation manual of every A2L system you sell, and follow the ASHRAE 15 rule the 2024 supplement added.¹⁶
18. Before any trench, notify Sunshine 811 at least 2 full business days ahead.²⁷
19. Pre-1978 homes: if you'll cut more than 6 square feet of painted surface per room, get the firm EPA-certified and a certified renovator on staff.²⁶
20. Keep the install date and serial numbers on every install invoice. The warranty runs from the installation date when a licensed contractor installs it.²²

On the calendar

21. License renewal: August 31, 2028 (certified) or August 31, 2027 (registered). Continuing education is 14 hours a cycle, with an hour each of workplace safety, workers' comp, business practices, an advanced building code module, and laws and rules. If your license was issued less than 12 months before the renewal date you owe none that cycle; 12 to 24 months before, 7 hours.^5,7
22. If your qualifier leaves, a new one within 60 days.⁴
23. Keep your DBPR mailing address current, and report a criminal conviction or plea to DBPR within 30 days.⁷
24. Business tax receipts by September 30 each year; insurance and comp renewals.²⁹
25. December 31, 2026: the 9th Edition code is scheduled to take effect. Check which edition applies to permits you apply for that month.²¹
26. January 1, 2027: EPA's 700 GWP limit reaches new variable refrigerant flow systems (installs of older-refrigerant VRF continue only where every component was made before January 1, 2026, or under a building permit approved before October 5, 2023).²⁵

What happens if you cross the line

Contracting without the right license

• It's a crime. Contracting without a certificate or registration is a first-degree misdemeanor: up to 1 year in jail and a $1,000 fine. A second offense, or any offense "during the existence of a state of emergency declared by executive order of the Governor," is a third-degree felony: up to 5 years and $5,000.¹¹
• Work outside your scope counts. "Any person performing an activity requiring licensure ... is guilty of unlicensed contracting if he or she does not hold a valid active certificate or registration authorizing him or her to perform such activity," and working outside a registration's area is unlicensed too. For someone who holds a license, the first offense brings a notice of noncompliance.¹²
• DBPR can fine an unlicensed contractor up to $10,000, and a county or city can cite up to $2,000, rising to $2,500 a day after a hearing.^12,11
• You may not get paid. A contract made by an unlicensed contractor is "unenforceable in law or in equity by the unlicensed contractor," with no lien or bond claim, and a customer hurt by an unlicensed contractor's negligence can recover three times the damages.¹² More in the contract guide.
• Propane work without a chapter 527 license is a third-degree felony on its own.¹⁴

Permits, lent licenses and discipline

• Starting work that needs a permit without one is a prohibited act, and "Proceeding on any job without obtaining applicable local building department permits and inspections" is a ground for discipline.^11,13
• The board can fine a licensee up to $10,000 per violation, order restitution, require continuing education, or suspend or revoke the license.¹³
• Letting your number be used by an unlicensed person or company is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a felony the second time.¹¹
• A missing license number on an ad gets a notice of noncompliance first, then a fine if you don't fix it within 30 days.⁴

Insurance

I found no Florida rule on what unlicensed or out-of-scope work does to your coverage. That's in your policy. Ask your agent in writing and keep the reply.

Florida's year runs on cooling

Almost all Florida homes use air conditioning, and about 9 in 10 heat with electricity.³² I have no measured length for a Florida slow season. What I have is owners. A small company in Polk County: "we stay busy year round with property management companies" (r/ProHVACR). An owner in Northwest Florida prices for a winter: "This is a bit more than I need to charge, but it let's me ensure we have a good buffer during the slow season so I don't have to lay anyone off" (r/ProHVACR). My reading: expect a short lull in Central and South Florida and a real one in the Panhandle. The slow season guide has the customer list and the one reminder that fills it. In Florida the tune-up that matters is the cooling one: the AC maintenance checklist most of the year, the furnace checklist for the gas customers, or the HVAC tune-up checklist for both.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is the field service software I build, and it doesn't know Florida licensing. It won't pull a permit, check an AHRI match, file a duct test or track your license, insurance or EPA cards, and its state contract templates (on Pro) don't include Florida yet. Three parts of it help with what's above. The shop-wide terms text you set once is copied onto every new quote, and the invoice footer onto every invoice, so your CAC number goes on every proposal and invoice without retyping. A checklist template you build once (permit number, AHRI certificate, tie-down, locking caps, float switch, duct test, final inspection) can be added to each change-out's quote; your office and techs tick items off, each answer is stamped with who did it and when, and the customer never sees it. Equipment records hold each unit's brand, model, serial, year, tonnage, refrigerant (R-410A, R-454B, R-32 and others), SEER2 and a nameplate photo, which is the install record the warranty law leans on. Free covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team; Pro is $29 a month with unlimited estimates and invoices, and Max adds texting (pricing).

Frequently asked questions

What is a CAC license in Florida?

CAC is the prefix DBPR puts on a certified air-conditioning contractor's license number, issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board after the state exam. The class on the license is A or B. Class A is unlimited; Class B covers systems up to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system. A certified license works anywhere in Florida. The registered version, RA, works only where you hold the local license it was based on. Mechanical contractors carry CMC (certified) or RM (registered), and sheet metal contractors CSC or RS.

What is the difference between a Class A and a Class B HVAC license in Florida?

Both cover central air-conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilating systems with the duct work that completes them, wiring on the dedicated HVAC circuit, control wiring and condensate drains. Class B stops at 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system, and its definition leaves out boilers and unfired pressure vessels, pressure and process piping, and pneumatic control piping. A Class B holder can sit the Class A exam after one year of active certification.

How do I get an HVAC license in Florida?

Two routes. Certified, good statewide: four years of experience in the category with one year supervisory (college credit or military service can replace up to three years), the trade and business and finance exams, a credit report showing a FICO score of 660 or a 14-hour financial responsibility course, an insurance affidavit, workers' comp or an exemption, and fingerprints. Registered, good only locally: hold a county or city competency license and register it with the state, with no state exam. Florida's general contractor license guide on this site covers both.

Can I own an HVAC company without a license in Florida?

Yes. The license belongs to a person, and a company contracts through a licensed person who qualifies it, called the qualifying agent. That person must have final approval authority over all of the company's construction work and, unless the board approves a separate financially responsible officer, over its contracts, checks and payments too. If the qualifier leaves, the company has 60 days to employ another one, and in the meantime it may only finish contracts it already had.

How do I look up a Florida HVAC license?

Use DBPR's Verify a License search at myfloridalicense.com. Search the person's name, the license number (CAC, CMC or CSC for certified, RA, RM or RS for registered) or the business name. The record shows the class, the status, the expiration date and the business the license qualifies; DBPR prints the qualified company's name on the qualifier's license, or INDIVIDUAL if there is none.

Can you do HVAC work without a license in Florida?

As an employee of a licensed contractor, working within that license with the contractor's knowledge and permission, yes. Selling, servicing or installing a cord-and-plug unit of 3 tons or less with no ducts needs no license. The $2,500 minor-work exemption doesn't cover anyone who advertises as a contractor or splits a bigger job. Contracting for HVAC work without a certificate or registration is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a third-degree felony if repeated or done during a state of emergency declared by the Governor.

Which mechanical code does Florida use?

The Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), in force since December 31, 2023: the Mechanical volume, the Residential volume for houses, Energy Conservation and Fuel Gas, built on the 2021 International Codes with Florida amendments. A 2024 supplement, approved December 10, 2024, says systems that use A2L refrigerant are designed and installed to ASHRAE 15 (2022 edition). The 9th Edition (2026), built on the 2024 International Codes, is scheduled to take effect December 31, 2026.

Do I need a permit to replace an AC unit in Florida?

Yes. The Florida Building Code requires a permit to install, alter, repair or replace a mechanical system, and its exemptions cover parts, portable units and small self-contained refrigeration only. The $7,500 permit exemption for single-family homes that started July 1, 2026 leaves out mechanical, electrical, plumbing, gas and structural work. The same law gives you something back: a building department must act on a mechanical permit for an existing single-family home within 5 business days when the work is under $15,000. In an emergency you may replace first and apply by the next working business day.

Does a Florida HVAC contractor need insurance or a bond?

Insurance, yes: air-conditioning, mechanical and sheet metal contractors must keep at least $100,000 of public liability and $25,000 of property damage coverage while the license is active, and a building department may refuse or suspend permits without proof of it or of workers' comp. Workers' comp applies to a construction business with one employee, and up to three corporate officers or LLC members owning at least 10% can file exemptions. The license itself needs no bond; a $100,000 bond or letter of credit comes in only when the business uses a separate financially responsible officer.

Sources

1. Florida Statutes (2026) § 489.105, definitions: (3) contractor and Divisions I and II; (3)(d) sheet metal contractor; (3)(f) Class A air-conditioning contractor (unlimited; "boiler and unfired pressure vessel systems"; "pressure and process piping, and pneumatic control piping"; "replace, disconnect, or reconnect power wiring on the line or load side of the dedicated existing electrical disconnect switch on single phase electrical systems"; "repair or replace power wiring, disconnects, breakers, or fuses for dedicated HVAC circuits with proper use of a circuit breaker lock"; low voltage control wiring; condensate drain "other than a direct connection to a sanitary system"; excludes gas lines within buildings "except for disconnecting or reconnecting changeouts," potable water, sanitary sewer, pool piping and "electrical power wiring"; "test and evaluate"); (3)(g) Class B ("limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system"); (3)(h) Class C (servicing; none issued after October 1, 1988); (3)(i) mechanical contractor (adds "liquefied petroleum gas lines within buildings, and natural gas fuel lines within buildings" and other piping); (3)(k) residential pool/spa (package pool heaters); (3)(m) plumbing contractor (natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas installation); (4) primary qualifying agent; (8) certified contractor; (10) registered contractor. History: wiring scope added by s. 1, ch. 2024-206; I compared the 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions: ch. 2025-40 changed only the roofing definition, and s. 18, ch. 2026-3 added (20) subcontractor and (21) supplier. flsenate.gov, read November 8, 2026.
2. Fla. Stat. § 489.113: (1) certification by examination; (2) an unlicensed subcontractor may work under a licensee only on work not requiring a license under § 489.105(3)(d)-(o); (3) "A contractor shall subcontract all electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, swimming pool, and air-conditioning work, unless such contractor holds a state certificate or registration in the respective trade category"; (3)(a) structural work by general, building or residential contractors; (4)(a) a certificateholder shows the certificate and pays local fees; (4)(c) local government may deny or suspend permits without proof of liability, property damage and workers' compensation coverage. flsenate.gov, read November 8, 2026.
3. Fla. Stat. § 489.117: (1) registration on local competency, valid only where local requirements are met; (5) a registered contractor may work within an area under a state of emergency declared for a natural emergency, terminating "24 months after the expiration of the declared state of emergency." leg.state.fl.us, 2026 edition, read November 8, 2026.
4. Fla. Stat. § 489.119: (1) and (2) individuals and business organizations; (2)(b) qualifying agent's affidavit of "final approval authority"; (2)(d) fictitious names; (3)(a) 60 days to employ another qualifying agent and the temporary certificate for incomplete contracts; (4) business tax receipt issued to the business organization and the qualifying agent with state license numbers; (5)(a) license number on permit applications; (5)(b) number in "each offer of services, business proposal, bid, contract, or advertisement, regardless of medium"; (5)(c) vehicles, and "Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to create a mandatory vehicle signage requirement"; (5)(e) notice of noncompliance, then fine after 30 days; (6) additional business organizations need board approval. flsenate.gov. Fla. Stat. § 489.1195 (primary qualifying agents "jointly and equally responsible"; financially responsible officer), leg.state.fl.us. Both read November 8, 2026.
5. Fla. Stat. § 489.115: (4)(a) renewal every 2 years; (4)(b) 14 hours of continuing education, less for a license held under a full biennium; (5)(a) insurance affidavit at issuance and renewal; (5)(b) credit report; (5)(d) workers' compensation exemption within 30 days of initial issuance. leg.state.fl.us, 2026 edition, read November 8, 2026.
6. Florida Administrative Code rule 61G4-15.003, Public Liability Insurance ("Air Conditioning Contractor," "Mechanical Contractor" and "Sheet Metal Contractor": $100,000 liability and $25,000 property damage; maintained "for the life of an active certificate or registration"; insured name "must reflect the exact name of the business organization qualified by the applicant"; certificate holder the CILB; random audits), and rule 61G4-15.0021, Business Organizations, effective December 23, 2025 ((2) financially responsible officer's $100,000 bond or irrevocable letter of credit; (3)(a) board appearance for an additional business unless the applicant owns 20% or more or "has been hired as a W-2 employee"; (3)(b) an application that "will result in the applicant qualifying three or more business organizations" needs an appearance unless it is the third business and the applicant owns "20% or more of all three"). Official text at flrules.org: 61G4-15.003 and 61G4-15.0021, read November 9, 2026. The site returned errors all day on November 8, when I first read the Cornell Legal Information Institute's copies, which predate the December 2025 amendment.
7. DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board: home page (certified licenses begin with "C," registered with "R"; license categories), myfloridalicense.com; FAQs (four years of experience, one supervisory, up to three substituted; Class B may take the Class A exam "after one year of active certification"; additional business entities; 60 days after losing a qualifying agent; CE subjects and the 0 or 7 hours owed in a first cycle; "Certified contractors renew their licenses on August 31 of every even-numbered year. Registered contractors renew their licenses August 31 of every odd-numbered year"; "As of October 1, 2009, qualified business licenses are no longer required"), myfloridalicense.com; Business Information page (the approved business entity's name "will appear on the contractor’s individual license"), myfloridalicense.com; "Certified Contractors – Current Status" renewal insert ($205, or $255 with a qualified business, by August 31, 2026; current mailing address; self-report convictions within 30 days), PDF; Certified Air Conditioning Contractor who is Qualifying a Business (CILB 6-G and 6-H) checklist (insurance attestation; workers' compensation or exemption within 30 days of issuance; FICO credit report; fingerprints), myfloridalicense.com; "Financial Responsibility and Stability Requirements for Contractor Applicants" (660 FICO or a 14-hour course), PDF; Verify a License. All read November 8, 2026.
8. DBPR public licensee file CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv, first 3 MB (15,447 rows) downloaded November 8, 2026 from the CILB public records page: occupation codes CAC (class A 752, class B 809, class C 2 in the sample), RA (classes A, B and C), CMC, RM, CSC and RS, with license numbers such as CAC1814401. myfloridalicense.com.
9. Fla. Stat. § 489.103, exemptions: (2) employees "acting within the scope of the license held by that certificateholder or registrant and with the knowledge and permission of the licenseholder"; (7) owner-builders, who "must personally appear and sign the building permit application," with no exemption for anyone they hire who acts as a contractor; (9) work under $2,500, not for those who advertise or split jobs; (13) persons licensed under chapter 527 doing that work; (14) "heating or air-conditioning units which have a capacity no greater than 3 tons or 36,000 Btu, which have no ducts, and which have a factory-installed electrical cord and plug"; (23) apartment maintenance technicians at properties of at least 100 apartments, repairs to existing electric HVAC systems with replacement parts up to $1,000. flsenate.gov, read November 8, 2026.
10. Fla. Stat. § 489.1455: counties and municipalities "are authorized to issue journeyman licenses in the plumbing, pipe fitting, mechanical, or HVAC trades" and "must recognize" journeyman licenses issued by another Florida county or municipality. leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
11. Fla. Stat. § 489.127: (1)(f) contracting without being certified or registered; (1)(g) operating after 60 days without a qualifying agent; (1)(h) work requiring a permit without one; (2)(a) first-degree misdemeanor; (2)(b) and (c) third-degree felony for a repeat or "during the existence of a state of emergency declared by executive order of the Governor"; (4) agreements to let a license number be used, misdemeanor then felony; (4)(c) no permit without a contract; (5) local citations up to $2,000, and up to $2,500 per day after a hearing. flsenate.gov. §§ 775.082(4)(a) and (3)(e) (up to 1 year; up to 5 years) and 775.083(1)(c) and (d) ($5,000; $1,000), 775.082, 775.083. All read November 8, 2026.
12. Fla. Stat. § 489.13 ((1) unlicensed contracting includes activity the license doesn't authorize and work outside a registration's area; (2) notice of noncompliance for a licensee's first offense; (3) administrative fine up to $10,000; (5) no permit to anyone without the appropriate certificate or registration), leg.state.fl.us; § 489.128 (contracts "unenforceable in law or in equity by the unlicensed contractor"; no lien or bond claim), flsenate.gov; § 768.0425 (three times actual damages against a contractor who is neither state-certified nor locally licensed), leg.state.fl.us. All read November 8, 2026.
13. Fla. Stat. § 489.129(1): penalties up to $10,000 per violation, restitution, continuing education, probation, suspension or revocation; grounds include (d) assisting unlicensed contracting and (o) "Proceeding on any job without obtaining applicable local building department permits and inspections." leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
14. Fla. Stat. chapter 527, liquefied petroleum gas: § 527.01(6) Category I dealer and (10) Category V LP gas installer; § 527.02(1) license required, unlicensed activity a third-degree felony, and (2) fees ($200 a year for Category V); § 527.0201(1) written examination for Category I, II and V. 527.01, 527.02, 527.0201, read November 8, 2026.
15. Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, 8th Edition (2023), Residential Provisions: Table R301.1 (Climate Zone 1A: Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe); R403.3.2 to R403.3.4 (duct testing by "individuals licensed as set forth in Section 489.105(3)(f), (g) or (i)"; 4 cfm per 100 square feet; signed report); R403.7.1 (Manual S and J; "New or replacement heating and cooling equipment shall have an efficiency rating equal to or greater than the minimum required by federal law for the geographic location"); R403.7.1.1 and R403.7.1.2.1 (1.15 times); R501.7 and exceptions 1 to 5 (functional units; "Matched systems are required" with AHRI data, lab, manufacturer's letter or Florida P.E. letter; existing ducts); R501.7.1 (existing equipment need not meet "system sizing and duct sealing"); R501.7.2 ("Electric resistance shall not be the primary space heating system type used for complete central equipment replacements in Climate Zone 2"); R503.1.2 (new systems in alterations; 40-foot exception). codes.iccsafe.org, chapters 3, 4 and 5 [RE], read November 8, 2026.
16. Florida Building Code, Mechanical, 8th Edition (2023): 301.15 (wind resistance and the deemed-to-comply exception), 307.2 (condensate disposal; 307.2.1.1 no direct connection to drain, waste or vent; 307.2.3 auxiliary and secondary drains; 307.2.4.1 ductless mini-split trap or check valve; 307.2.5 drain line maintenance), 1101.2 (UL/CSA 60335-2-40 listed equipment), 1101.6, 1101.10 (locking access port caps), codes.iccsafe.org; 2024 Supplement to the 8th Edition, Supplement 5, approved by the Commission December 10, 2024 (1101.6 exception for A2L refrigerant; ASHRAE 15-2022 with addenda to July 31, 2024), floridabuilding.org; Declaratory Statement Report, August 13, 2024, DS 2024-024 (Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals), floridabuilding.org. All read November 8, 2026.
17. Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023): M1307.2 (anchorage of appliances), M1401.3 (Manual S and J), M1401.4 (exterior installations), M1411.3 and M1411.3.1 (condensate, secondary drain or auxiliary pan), M1411.8 (locking access port caps; not required "if ports are located inside the condensing unit cabinet"). codes.iccsafe.org, read November 8, 2026.
18. Florida Building Code, Building, 8th Edition (2023): 105.1 (permit before work on a mechanical system), 105.2 (mechanical exemptions), 105.2.1 (emergency repairs), 107.3.5 (no plans examination for "Replacing existing equipment such as mechanical units"), 109.4 (work before permit), 110.3 (mechanical inspections), chapter 1; 1609.1.1 exception 8 and 1620.1 to 1620.2 (equipment deemed to comply; High-Velocity Hurricane Zone wind speeds for Miami-Dade and Broward), chapter 16. Read November 8, 2026.
19. Fla. Stat. § 553.79(1)(a) (permit required), (1)(c) (single-family permit expires 1 year after issuance or on the next code edition's effective date, whichever is later), (1)(f) (no contract copy required for a permit), (1)(g) (exemption for work under $7,500 on a single-family dwelling, not applicable to "Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work" or flood hazard areas), flsenate.gov; § 553.792(1)(a)1 (5 business days for a mechanical permit on an existing single-family dwelling under $15,000), (1)(c) (notice of missing information within 5 business days) and (1)(e) (10% fee reduction per business day), leg.state.fl.us. Both read November 8, 2026.
20. The Florida Senate, bill summaries: CS/HB 481 (2024), "Building Construction Regulations and System Warranties," effective July 1, 2024, flsenate.gov, and its final House analysis (chapter 2024-206; creates § 559.957), PDF; CS/CS/CS/HB 683 (2025), "Construction Regulations," effective July 1, 2025 (chapter 2025-140), flsenate.gov; CS/CS/HB 803 (2026), "Building Permits and Inspections," effective July 1, 2026 (chapter 2026-63), flsenate.gov. All read November 8, 2026.
21. Florida Building Commission home page ("The Effective Date for the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), is December 31, 2023"), floridabuilding.org; "9th Edition (2026) FBC Code Update Development Tasks," August 2026 work plan (2024 International Codes selected; "2026 FBC (9th edition) effective date (6 – months after publication) 12/31/2026"; final rule hearing "TBD"), PDF; Fla. Stat. § 553.73(7)(e) (an update takes effect "no sooner than 6 months after publication"), leg.state.fl.us. All read November 8, 2026.
22. Fla. Stat. § 559.956 (manufacturer's HVAC warranty transfers automatically on the sale of a residential property; may not be conditioned on product registration) and § 559.957 (full warranty "effective in this state on the date of installation if installed by a contractor licensed under part I of chapter 489"; registration cards must say failure to return them doesn't diminish warranty rights; no warranty "conditioned upon the product registration"). 559.956, 559.957, read November 8, 2026.
23. 10 CFR 430.32(c)(5) and (6) (2023 SEER2 and HSPF2 standards; Southeast, which "includes the States of ... Florida," 14.3 SEER2 under 45,000 Btu/hr and 13.8 SEER2 at or above for split-system air conditioners; outdoor units with a certified combination below the regional level "cannot be installed in that region"). eCFR, current as of November 5, 2026, ecfr.gov, read November 8, 2026.
24. EPA, "Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements" (technicians "must be certified"; Types I, II, III and Universal; credentials "do not expire"), epa.gov; EPA, "Questions and Answers about the Refrigerant Sales Restriction" (seller verifies the buyer "is a certified technician" or "employs a certified technician"; a card copy and a list of authorized buyers), epa.gov. Both read November 8, 2026.
25. EPA, "Technology Transitions HFC Restrictions by Sector," last updated August 28, 2026 (residential and light commercial AC and heat pump systems, mini-splits included: 700 GWP from January 1, 2025, "No installation compliance date for systems where all specified components were manufactured or imported prior to January 1, 2025"; "Components used to repair existing systems are not subject to these restrictions"; variable refrigerant flow systems January 1, 2027, with installs above 700 GWP allowed until then where all components were made or imported before January 1, 2026, and until January 1, 2028 under a building permit approved before October 5, 2023; informational, see 40 CFR Part 84, Subpart B). epa.gov, read November 8, 2026.
26. EPA, "Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" (Florida is not among the authorized states; "This includes all firms, even sole proprietorships"), epa.gov; 40 CFR 745.83 (minor repair and maintenance, including "minor heating, ventilation or air conditioning work," 6 square feet per room inside, 20 outside) and 40 CFR 19.4, Table 1 (TSCA, 15 U.S.C. 2615(a)(1): $49,772 for penalties assessed on or after January 8, 2025), eCFR current as of November 5, 2026, 745.83, 19.4. All read November 8, 2026.
27. Fla. Stat. chapter 556: § 556.102 ("excavation"), § 556.103 (Sunshine State One-Call of Florida, Inc.), § 556.105(1)(a) (notice "Not less than 2 full business days before beginning any excavation"), § 556.107(1) (noncriminal infractions; $500 civil penalty, $2,500 for pipelines carrying hazardous materials regulated by PHMSA). 556.105, 556.107, read November 8, 2026.
28. Fla. Stat. § 440.02(18)(b)2 (no more than three officers of a corporation in the construction industry may elect exemption; each must own at least 10%), (18)(c)4 ("A sole proprietor who engages in the construction industry" is an employee), (20)(b)2 (construction: "one or more employees"), (11) (officer includes an LLC member owning at least 10%), 440.02; § 440.10(1) (contractor liability for subcontractors' employees), 440.10; § 440.05 (exemption certificates), 440.05. All read November 8, 2026.
29. Fla. Stat. § 205.053(1) (business tax receipts sold from July 1, due by September 30; 10% penalty for October), § 205.065 (no other local government may levy a business tax for temporary work once paid where the permanent business location is), § 865.09(3)(a) (fictitious name registration before doing business). 205.053, 205.065, 865.09, read November 8, 2026.
30. Fla. Stat. § 713.135(1) ("This subsection does not apply to a direct contract to repair or replace an existing heating or air-conditioning system in an amount less than $15,000"). leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
31. City of Miramar Building Division, "A/C Change Out" application package, REV 09/23 (contractors "properly registered" with the Building Division; AHRI sheet; "Current Manufacturer’s Tie-down Product Approval or an Original Engineered tie-down detail signed & sealed by Professional Engineer"; roof or gable-wall units need two sealed sets and a building permit), miramarfl.gov; City of North Port, "A/C Change Out Form, Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023)," revised April 2024, northportfl.gov. Both read November 8, 2026.
32. U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Florida: Profile Analysis," last updated April 16, 2026 ("about 9 in 10 Florida households use electricity as their primary energy source for home heating and almost all use air conditioning"; "over 1 in 16 households use natural gas as a primary home heating fuel"; "about 1 in 100 households use petroleum products, mostly propane, for heating"). eia.gov, read November 8, 2026.
33. HB 431 (2026), "Air-conditioning and Mechanical Contractors": House vote "YEAS 97, NAYS 16"; last action "3/13/2026 Senate - Died in Rules," flsenate.gov; House Commerce Committee staff analysis (the bill would expand Class A air-conditioning and mechanical contractors' scope to "repairing and replacing existing package pool heaters"; electric heat pumps among the "three main types of pool heaters"; under current law HVAC contractors "are not allowed to install or remove pool water heaters" but "are authorized to service and repair pool heaters as long as such service or repair does not include installing or removing the pool heater"), PDF. Read November 9, 2026.