How to open an HVAC supply house account as a new company, and how to become a dealer (free checklist)

Published November 3, 2026 · Distributor applications, dealer program pages and state tax rules read November 3, 2026

• Free. The checklist comes by email as a PDF, a Word file and a Google Doc.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling, quotes, invoicing, card payments). It doesn't manage supply house accounts; the section before the FAQ says what it does do.
• Owner quotes are from Reddit threads I read on November 3, 2026. I checked each author's history: owners, techs, or people who work at a distributor, and I say which.
• Not legal or tax advice. The application terms and the state sales tax rules come from pages I read on November 3, 2026; the supply house's credit department and your accountant have the last word.

A supply house will open a cash (COD) account for a new HVAC company the day you walk in with your EIN, your license or registration number, your EPA 608 card and a business bank account, and that account buys parts and refrigerant. A credit account, due around the 10th of the month after you buy, takes a credit application with your Social Security number, a bank reference and three trade references, plus a personal guarantee: every application I read has one. Equipment from the protected brands is the hard part. Until a distributor signs you as a dealer you pay its non-dealer price, which one supply-house employee puts at about double, and whether it signs you depends on your address, your volume and how much of your buying goes to its brand.

The checklist is two pages. Page 1 is what to bring: every document and number the applications ask for, with blanks, and an account record for three supply houses (account number, counter contact and rep, credit limit, terms, the tax certificate on file, who signed the guarantee). Page 2 is the questions to ask at the counter, a price check on the same items at each house, and the steps if an account is refused or pulled. Get it three ways: make your own copy in Google Docs, download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links.

Why this page. Of the 156 threads from new and nearly new HVAC owners we read for this series, 10 were about the supply house: accounts refused, non-dealer prices, a dealer account closed over territory.¹ One owner a few months in: "I just started my company and I got accounts opened for different brands and most of their wholesale pricing has been good but Carriers is just insane."² Nobody has written it up for the contractor. The results for "hvac supply house" are branch locators, and "how to become a Carrier dealer" brings up Carrier's form. So I read the account applications of five big distributors and the dealer pages of five brands, and what owners and counter staff say about both.

What a supply house asks for when you open an account

I read the credit applications of Ferguson, Johnstone Supply's Golden Valley, Minnesota store, Winsupply, United Refrigeration (URI) and Carrier Enterprise, a Carrier distributor with more than 200 locations.^{3, 4, 5, 6, 7} Johnstone stores and Winsupply companies each write their own form, so yours may differ in the details. The list below is what they share.

Where your state has no HVAC license, bring what you hold. In Minnesota that's the $25,000 mechanical bond, in New York City the general contractor registration, in Denver the city license, in Nebraska the state contractor registration. The forms have a license line, not a rule about which license.

Refrigerant is the one federal rule. The EPA: "Refrigerant can only be sold to technicians certified under the Section 608 or Section 609 technician certification programs, where individuals may only purchase refrigerant consistent with the appliances covered by their certification." A company can buy if it gives the wholesaler written evidence that it employs a certified tech, and the EPA's example is "a copy of the certification card and a list of those authorized to buy refrigerant or accept delivery of refrigerant". That's Johnstone's form. The rule covers cylinders, not units: "This sales restriction does not cover refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment or components containing refrigerants."¹¹ So when a counter won't sell you a condenser, that's its own policy or the brand's.

Cash account or credit account

A cash account, also called COD (cash on delivery), means you pay at the counter, usually with a card on file. Carrier Enterprise's COD form: "The applicant agrees to pay all invoices immediately upon delivery".⁷ It takes your tax ID, the EPA list and your tax status, usually with no credit check, and it gets you an account number, a price level and usually an online login. Most owners start there. "I started out being COD with every supply house. Once I was buying multiple systems a month a couple gave me enough credit to buy everything I needed to do an install," one owner wrote. A South Texas refrigeration owner put a number on it: "I would start with a cash or COD account at supply houses and once you can produce a decent PNL and have spent atleast $50k in a calendar year you can negotiate pricing." Another owner: credit "may be difficult with no banking statements but sometimes they will set you up with a small limit to test you out until statements are available."¹²

A credit account (a charge account, trade credit, "net terms") lets you take the parts now and pay on the statement. Here are the terms printed on the forms:

"Net 30" in owner talk usually means this. "I even have my own personal charge accounts at all of them in my area with net 30 terms so I’m not paying for parts until I get paid for the job."¹² How much time you really get depends on the day you buy. With payment due the 10th of next month, a part bought on the 1st gives you about 40 days and one bought on the 30th about 10, so figure on roughly 25 days on average and get the customer's money in before then. That's my arithmetic, and it's why the early-pay line matters: URI's 1% for paying by the 10th is worth taking.

Two clauses most owners skip. Ferguson takes "a present and continuing first-priority Purchase Money Security Interest" in what it sells you, plus a security interest in your accounts receivable, and its trust clause says money you're paid for work that used its material "shall be held in trust for the benefit of Seller". Winsupply takes a purchase money security interest in goods "until paid in full".^{3, 5} In plain terms, until you pay they have a claim on the equipment, and at Ferguson on what your customers owe you for it.

And if your credit is poor? A tech with ten years in, planning to go out on his own, asked exactly that: "my credit is ass and I don’t have the money to pay for systems or costly parts up front. Will supply houses give me a credit account with bad credit?"¹² COD doesn't need good credit. For a credit line, the guarantee means your personal report gets pulled (URI asks permission to "obtain personal background information", Carrier Enterprise a "Consumer Report"), so start on COD and a business card while you build a record. The South Texas owner's bank gave him a $15,000 line of credit in his first year, which did the same job.^{6, 7, 12}

The personal guarantee: you sign for the company's account

Every application I read has one, so forming an LLC doesn't keep supply house debt off you. What each says:

• Winsupply: "If your company is an LLC in business for less than three years, a personal guarantee (in the last tab) is required."⁵ The only stated way out I found, and it takes three years.
• Johnstone, Golden Valley: signed by "shareholders or owners with at least 10% interest", and "This is a continuing guarantee".⁴
• Ferguson: up to $5,000,000, and it "will remain in force for ten (10) years from date of last sale". The guarantor waives the homestead exemption where the law allows, and can revoke only by certified mail to the credit manager.³
• Carrier Enterprise: "open, continuous and not limited in time", revocable on 30 days' written notice by certified mail for debts after that date. Florida wants it notarized.⁷
• URI: your Social Security number and home address under a guarantee that holds "without first having attempted to collect from applicant".⁶

Owners rarely post about it. Our new-owner threads had none.¹ The 40-year owner treats it as given: "since its a new business you will be signing a personal guarantee."⁹ If you're starting with a partner, settle it first, as one owner told two partners: "Are both of you credit line worthy at supply houses, able to personally guarantee the company’s credit, etc."¹³ Keep each limit to what you could pay off yourself, write down who signed what, and when you close an account, revoke the guarantee the way the form says.

Sales tax: the certificate most new HVAC companies shouldn't hand over

Every application asks for an exemption or resale certificate, and giving one takes the tax off the ticket. But in 10 of the 11 states on our list, a contractor who installs equipment in a house is the consumer of the materials and pays sales tax when buying them. If the counter doesn't charge it, you owe it as use tax. Here's each state's rule from its tax department:

So, for most of you, the answer on the form is "taxable". Give a certificate for parts you resell as parts, or where your state makes you the retailer (Nebraska Option 1, a Colorado time-and-materials job). Jobs for churches, schools and government have their own exemption paperwork. Ask your accountant before the first ticket, and price the tax into the job.

Dealer price and non-dealer price

Open the account and you'll find two kinds of brands. The protected brand (Carrier at a Carrier distributor, Trane at a Trane one) sells at dealer price only to contractors the distributor has signed. Everyone else pays a non-dealer price, set high on purpose. A distributor's sales rep, answering the new owner above:

"Wholesale guy here. Standard non dealer pricing. We do it on purpose to not sell to you lol. It’s nothing personal, but we do it protect our key dealers. If you were to become a dealer, it wouldn’t be anywhere close to that. Also, for the premium brands your price is negotiated with the factory when you sign on. Most times we sell below cost and get rebates back."²

The same rep, on what a dealer owes back: "I won’t allow someone to sell other brands if they have my protected brand."² How big is the gap? A supply-house employee who sells Bryant: "Say a dealer is paying $1000 for an air handler. That same unit is going for $2000-2500 for a non-dealer."² That's one person's example and the only number I found.

The usual way around it is the distributor's other lines. "You’re not a Carrier dealer, check the pricing on the Bryant and Payne stuff," an owner replied in that thread.² Someone who works tech support at a Carrier distributor: "You won't be able to buy main lines (Carrier, Trane, Lennox), but they all have open line products which are the same thing (minus high end communicating equipment)."²⁵ When a Missouri owner lost his Trane account, the offer was RunTru, Trane's own second line.²⁶ And no price is fixed, even at one level: "Cash accounts or non negotiation accounts are high price. You need to sit down with the supply house yearly and negotiate your pricing," as one tech puts it, and from another, "More units you move, the higher bracket you get put in, the better your price is the next year."²⁵ Our contractor markup guide shows what a given markup on that cost leaves you as margin.

How to become a Carrier, Trane, Goodman, Lennox or Rheem dealer

Each brand has a "become a dealer" page. None publishes a price list or an entry minimum: the form asks a few questions and a rep calls. What they do publish is the requirements for their top tier, and those show what the brand rewards.

Read across the top tiers and the pattern is share of your buying (85% for Trane's, 60% for Rheem's), reviews, training and time. A one-truck company in its first year qualifies for an account, and at most distributors for dealer price on a second line, not for these tiers. Daikin's form starts its spend question at "Under 50K", which tells you where they expect a new shop to be. The 40-year owner again: "most new contractors do not start out selling brand name equipment (Carrier/Trane) as they don't have the amount of business needed to receive competitive pricing."⁹

Owners split on committing early. One partner in a two-man Carrier shop: "you definitely need to go exclusive to a brand. It’s way cheaper. And once you sell a bunch prices adjust."² Against that, an owner who's been through it: "Flirt with a lot of manufacturers. Don’t sign until you’re sure. Pay the little extra. ... Always have a line to Goodman."²⁶ Another: "Trane Lennox and carrier distributors have always wanted me to sign alliance agreements to make my sales 90 % of their product."² A one-man owner a year in: "I tried getting Rheem after dealing with them 15 years working for another company, started my own business, and i finally went to Goodman they were the only ones who gave me fair prices on everything."²⁶ And a solo owner who did $150,000 in year one: "look for a provider that wants your business."²

My read: open COD accounts at two or three houses, buy your first systems on whichever open line gets you a fair price, and sign a dealer agreement after a season, once you know which distributor answers the phone and whose territory you're in.

How territory works, and what to do if an account is refused or pulled

A protected brand gives each distributor an area. "Each wholesaler has a territory they are allowed to sell in," as someone from the wholesale side put it, and it follows your business address, not your jobs: "They only care about your business address, even if 99% of what you install is in another distributor’s territory."²⁶ RJ Murray publishes its Carrier area: "from the Canadian border to Sullivan and Orange counties in southern New York State, and includes the entire state of Vermont, and Berkshire County in western Massachusetts."²⁷ So before you ask whether a distributor will open your account, ask whether it's allowed to.

A Missouri owner found out about seven months in. "About 2 months in I got set up through Trane Supply out of Springfield, MO with a credit line and dealer account." His company had done a little over $100,000 when "out of nowhere I get a call saying my account, credit line, and access are all terminated because another distributor (O'Connor) claimed I was in “their territory.”" He was left with three choices: "I can only get RunTru or buy through existing dealers or go elsewhere entirely".²⁶ A supply house can also stop selling you a brand inside its own area. A two-man owner in rural Montana: "My local Johnstone(sucks really bad) decided one day to block me from purchasing Coleman(even though I had purchased Coleman from them previously). Because I was not an ‘authorized Coleman distributor.’ The JS GM's reasoning for blocking me was ‘The market is saturated.’"²⁶

If it happens to you:

1. Ask why, in writing. A supplier's credit account is trade credit under the federal Regulation B: the supplier has to tell you what it decided within a reasonable time, and if you ask in writing within 60 days, give you the reasons in writing.³² Winsupply prints that right on its application.⁵
2. Settle what's open and get the status in writing. If the credit line is closed, ask whether the account stays open as COD.
3. Ask which distributor holds your address for that brand, and go introduce yourself there.
4. Quote the next job on what you can buy: the second line, or an open brand at another house. "Don’t become a single source dealer on anything ... You need to support more than one brand so you don’t get into the weeds with politics," one owner advised the Missouri owner.²⁶
5. Revoke the personal guarantee on a closed account, the way the form says (certified mail at Ferguson and Carrier Enterprise). Revoking covers future debts, not what you already owe.^{3, 7}

The cheaper fix is before any of this: ask about territory at the first meeting, and get the answer in writing. It's question 3 on the checklist.

Buying equipment online: the warranty catch

Online sellers will ship a condenser to anyone, sometimes for less than a non-dealer quote. The brands' warranties are the catch:³³

• Goodman: "No warranty coverage is offered on Goodman brand equipment purchased by consumers over the Internet, including web-based auctions, telephone or other electronic means, unless the unit is installed by a dealer adhering to all applicable federal, state, and local codes, policies, and licensing requirements."
• Carrier: its 2023 limited warranty for R-410A condensing units doesn't cover "Any product purchased over the Internet."
• Rheem: "The Manufacturer does not authorize or warranty any online/internet sale of equipment through auction websites or any other method of online sales direct to the consumer, nor the sale of equipment by liquidators." Its exclusions list equipment "sold to the consumer via the internet or auction website, and has not been installed by a trained, qualified HVAC professional."
• Lennox: "Our products are not sold over the Internet or directly to customers."
• Trane: a DIY or handyman install "will void your warranty".

Goodman's wording, and Rheem's exclusion, read as though a licensed or qualified pro's install keeps the coverage on a unit the homeowner bought online. Carrier's doesn't leave that opening, and none of them promises anything to a contractor who buys online to resell. Then there's the claim itself. A distributor handles warranty parts for its account holders ("They handle my warranty parts without question," the tech with three accounts wrote).⁸ An online seller won't swap a compressor at a counter. And register every unit: Goodman's 10-year parts warranty needs online registration within 60 days of installation, outside California and Quebec.²⁹ Our HVAC installation checklist ends with that step.

A2L refrigerant and parts at the counter

A whole new split system installed after January 1, 2025 has to use a lower-GWP refrigerant, which for most brands means an A2L (mildly flammable): R-454B or R-32.³⁴ Equipment built or imported before that date can still be installed under an EPA rule published May 26, 2026.³⁵ What that changes at the supply house:

• The brand picks the refrigerant, and you can't swap. Johnstone's A2L FAQ: "Systems are only allowed to use refrigerants for which they are certified by a safety agency to use." An R-454B system doesn't get R-32 five years from now.
• Your gauges and recovery machine. Johnstone again: if gauges "are not rated for A2L refrigerants and their oils, new gauges should be utilized". Check your recovery machine and leak detector too.
• Sensors come from the maker. Many A2L systems carry a refrigerant detection sensor, and Johnstone's FAQ says the manufacturer provides it. An online parts seller's listing for a Goodman R-32 sensor says "it must be replaced only with the sensor specified by the appliance manufacturer".³⁴ So the brand you install decides where you'll buy those parts for years. One more reason to pick a distributor that will keep selling to you.
• Your 608 card still covers it. "The EPA is not proposing any changes to the Section 608 licensing currently," per Johnstone's FAQ, and the sales restriction applies to A2L refrigerant like any other.^{11, 34}
• R-410A stock. Ask how much pre-2025 equipment the branch still has, if you've got customers who want a like-for-like swap.

How to use the checklist

1. Fill the top block and section A before you go: the EIN letter, formation papers, license or registration, each tech's 608 card, the insurance certificate, a voided check. Make copies.
2. Go in person to two or three supply houses. Open a COD account at each, and ask for the outside rep (often called the territory manager) by name.
3. Work through the questions on page 2. The territory question and the personal guarantee question are the two that cost the most if you skip them.
4. Record each account in section B: number, contact, limit, terms, tax status, who signed the guarantee.
5. Run the price check in section D on the same capacitor, contactor and condenser at each house. Your price level varies by account, so compare yours.
6. Put the due date in your calendar, and come back to section B after six months of COD to ask for credit and a price review.
7. If an account is refused or closed, work down section E.

Before the first install, the HVAC material list template is the takeoff you bring to the counter.

More for new HVAC contractors

• HVAC pricing guide: what to charge for a service call, your labor rate and the first jobs, with a free rate sheet.
• HVAC tune-up checklist: the visit in order, the target readings and what to charge, with a free report card.
• Quoting your first system replacement: the price, the scope and what the quote must include, with a free proposal template.
• Starting an HVAC business while still employed: side work, your boss's customers, non-competes and when to go.
• Register every install: maker deadlines, your labor warranty and what a callback costs, with a free close-out sheet.
• Your first slow season: the customer list and the one reminder that fills a calendar, with a free log.
• Your HVAC license and first 30 days, by state: Colorado and Denver, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Virginia.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel doesn't track supply house accounts, credit limits, purchase orders or what you owe a supplier; keep those on the checklist or in your books. It helps after the counter. Your price book holds each part and unit with your cost and your price, and the edit screen shows the markup and gross margin (it doesn't apply a markup for you). Your cost stays internal and never shows on a quote or invoice. It comes along when you add the item to an estimate or a job, and the new-estimate screen shows the owner the profit and margin on the whole quote. An estimate can carry options, say the protected brand against the open line, and the customer approves on screen with a signature, with an optional card deposit credited on the final invoice. The supplier's quote can go on the job as an internal file for the office and the techs. Equipment records hold brand, model, serial and a nameplate photo, which is what you'll need at the counter for a warranty part. The Free plan covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team; Pro is $29 a month for unlimited estimates and invoices. Details are on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I open a supply house account without an HVAC license?

Usually a cash (COD) account, yes, and usually not for equipment. United Refrigeration says it sells only to HVAC/R trade professionals and service organizations, and Ferguson's and Carrier Enterprise's applications ask for your license type and number. In practice counters differ: one tech without a state mechanical license holds charge accounts at three supply houses, where the only requirement was an EPA 608 card and a copy of his driver's license, while another owner could open a cash account but couldn't buy equipment. Where your state has no HVAC license, bring what you do hold: a city license, a mechanical bond or a contractor registration.

Can I buy R-410A without a license?

Not without an EPA certification. Under the federal sales restriction, refrigerant can only be sold to technicians certified under Section 608 (or 609 for car air conditioning), and only for the kinds of equipment their certification covers. A company can also buy if it gives the wholesaler written evidence that it employs at least one certified technician, such as a copy of the card and a list of who may pick refrigerant up. A state or city HVAC license isn't what the counter checks for refrigerant; the 608 card is. The rule covers cylinders and drums, not equipment that comes charged.

Do supply houses give net 30 to a new HVAC company?

Some do, with a small limit, after a credit application and a personal guarantee. The terms on the forms I read are close to net 30: Ferguson and Johnstone's Golden Valley store want payment by the 10th of the month after the invoice, and United Refrigeration by the last day of the following month, with 1% off if paid by the 10th. Late charges run 1.5% to 2% a month. Most owners describe starting on COD and getting credit once they were buying systems every month; one says to wait until you've spent about $50,000 in a year before negotiating price.

Do I need a resale certificate to buy from an HVAC supply house?

No, and in most states you shouldn't give one for install materials. Every application asks for an exemption or resale certificate, but in Virginia, Minnesota, Louisiana, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Idaho, Massachusetts and Connecticut a contractor who installs equipment in a house is the consumer of the materials and pays sales tax at purchase. Colorado treats you as a retailer only on a time-and-materials job with materials listed separately. Nebraska is the exception: an Option 1 contractor buys building materials tax-free on Form 13 and charges the customer tax. If the counter doesn't charge tax on something you install, you owe use tax yourself. Ask your accountant before the first ticket.

How do I become a Carrier dealer?

Fill in the form on Carrier's Become a Carrier Dealer page or call the Carrier distributor for your area. The form asks your business type, current brands, whether you have an HVAC license, how many employees you have and your growth plans, and a distributor rep follows up. The distributor decides, and its territory follows your business address. Factory Authorized Dealer is the next level: factory training for your technicians, all required local licenses, appropriate insurance and consistently excellent customer satisfaction scores. Until you're signed, Carrier distributors usually sell you their other lines at a better price than Carrier itself.

How do I become a Trane dealer?

Through the Trane distributor that holds your business address, either Trane Supply or an independent distributor. Trane doesn't publish an entry requirement that I could find. Its top tier, Trane Comfort Specialist, is described by one Trane dealer as a signed dealer sales agreement, at least $100,000 a year of Trane equipment, more than 85% of your equipment purchases from Trane, a one-year satisfaction guarantee and high survey scores. Check the territory before you build on it: a Missouri owner had his Trane Supply credit line and dealer account closed about seven months after he started, because another distributor held his area.

How do I become a Goodman dealer?

Goodman's Become a Goodman Dealer form asks your role, whether you have an HVAC license and your annual HVAC spend, starting at under $50,000, and a Daikin distributor follows up (Goodman is part of Daikin Comfort Technologies North America). Goodman calls its contractors independent Goodman brand dealers and lists no minimum on that page; the Daikin Comfort Pro program adds marketing accruals, financing and training. Owners say Goodman sells widely and is the brand new shops can get a fair price on early.

Can you still install R-410A equipment in 2026?

Yes, if it was built or imported before January 1, 2025. EPA's final rule published May 26, 2026 and effective July 27, 2026 lets that inventory of residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump equipment continue to be installed. A whole new system made after that date uses a lower-GWP refrigerant, in practice an A2L such as R-454B or R-32. Ask your supply house how much R-410A stock it has left.

Can I buy HVAC equipment online and keep the warranty?

Read the brand's warranty first. Carrier's 2023 limited warranty for R-410A condensing units excludes any product purchased over the Internet, Rheem says it does not authorize or warrant online sales direct to the consumer, and Lennox doesn't sell online at all. Goodman offers no warranty on units bought online by consumers unless a licensed dealer installs them to code. Then register the unit: Goodman's 10-year parts warranty needs online registration within 60 days of installation outside California and Quebec.

Sources

1. Deepsel research, "HVAC: what new HVAC business owners ask" (doc 8.8): 156 hand-read threads from new and nearly new HVAC owners on Reddit, 2024-08 to 2026-11-02, 10 of them about supply house accounts, dealer status or territory; no owner thread on the personal guarantee. Counted November 2, 2026. Supply house threads re-read and authors checked November 3, 2026.
2. r/HVAC, a new owner's post on Carrier pricing (July 23, 2025, post since removed, read in an archived copy): "I just started my company and I got accounts opened for different brands and most of their wholesale pricing has been good but Carriers is just insane." (1m7lmfa). Replies in the same thread: a distributor sales rep, "Wholesale guy here. Standard non dealer pricing…" (n4sglop) and "I won’t allow someone to sell other brands if they have my protected brand." (n4shq5h); a supply house employee who sells Bryant, "Say a dealer is paying $1000 for an air handler. That same unit is going for $2000-2500 for a non-dealer." (n4tsdgp); an owner, "You’re not a Carrier dealer, check the pricing on the Bryant and Payne stuff" (n4sn0hd); an owner, "Trane Lennox and carrier distributors have always wanted me to sign alliance agreements…" (n4v2ee6); a two-man Carrier dealer, "you definitely need to go exclusive to a brand…" (n4tz82b); a solo owner, "Did 150k year one solo and 200k year two" and "look for a provider that wants your business." (n4u7v4j). Read November 3, 2026.
3. Ferguson Enterprises, Credit Application (revised April 30, 2018): license type, state, holder, number and expiration; "PLEASE ATTACH AN EXEMPTION CERTIFICATE FOR EACH STATE"; "ATTACH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS"; bank and three supplier references; "Net 10th proximo"; "a service charge of 1.5% per month"; purchase money security interest, security interest in accounts receivable and trust clause; Personal Guaranty "shall not to exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000) and will remain in force for ten (10) years from date of last sale", revocable "only by providing Seller’s Credit Manager written notice via certified mail". ferguson.com; Ferguson, "Business Credit for Contractors", ferguson.com. Read November 3, 2026.
4. Johnstone Supply, Golden Valley, Minnesota (Audrann, Inc.): Application for Open Credit, "COMMERCIAL TRADE REFERENCES: Give ONLY names of those you buy from on OPEN ACCOUNT. Please provide a minimum of three."; "PLEASE ATTACH PROPER STATE SALES TAX EXEMPTION CERTIFICATE"; "agree to pay for all goods purchased by the 10 th of the month following date of invoice"; collection costs "a minimum amount of twenty-five percent of the principal amount"; EPA Certification Compliance Statement; Individual Personal Guarantee, "Must be completed by shareholders or owners with at least 10% interest", "This is a continuing guarantee", "1.5% per month delinquency and finance charge applied to any balance outstanding 30 days or more" (johnstonesupply.com); Application for Cash Account (johnstonesupply.com). Read November 3, 2026.
5. Winsupply: online credit application for Portland Winair, Middletown, Connecticut, "Most credit decisions are available in minutes, but some could take up to 48 hours." and "If your company is an LLC in business for less than three years, a personal guarantee (in the last tab) is required." (winsupplyinc.com); Topeka Winsupply Co credit application (revision 4/2014): bank account and loan questions, three major suppliers, "Provide identification documentation at time of signature", "1.5% per month, or 18% per annum", "purchase money security interest in all goods purchased on the Account until paid in full", and "If your application for business credit is denied, you have the right to a written statement of the specific reason for that denial. To obtain the statement, please contact the Seller within 60 days" (winsupplyinc.com). Read November 3, 2026.
6. United Refrigeration, Inc., Credit Application 202011-02: "SOCIAL SECURITY # or TAX ID#"; "EPA REFRIGERANT CERTIFICATION # (Must attach a copy of the Refrigerant Certificate)"; three trade references; "Bank References-IMPORTANT! Account number must be furnished"; "A 1% cash discount is allowed if our charge is paid by the 10th of the following month. The net amount is due the last day of the following month."; late charge "2% per month"; attorney's fees "25% of such unpaid balance"; personal guarantee with Social Security number and home address; authorization "to obtain personal background information" (uri.com). "Apply For An Account Online": "United Refrigeration only sells to HVAC/R trade professionals and service organizations For the purchase of Refrigerant you will be required to provide your EPA certificate." (uri.com). Read November 3, 2026.
7. Carrier Enterprise, LLC, Credit Agreement (2018): name "as it appears in the ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION"; "If new business describe past employment of principal"; "For credit line requests over $15,000, a current Financial Statement is required"; "License Type ( copies required )"; "Sales tax will be charged unless the required exemption form is enclosed"; "one and one-half percent (1 ½%) per month"; Consumer Report authorization; Personal Guaranty "open, continuous and not limited in time", "revocable by guarantor(s) upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to CE by certified mail", notary required in Florida (carrierenterprise.com). Application for COD customers only: "The applicant agrees to pay all invoices immediately upon delivery" (carrierenterprise.com). Register page, "Over 2000 people in 200+ locations" (carrierenterprise.com). Read November 3, 2026.
8. r/HVAC, a new business asking whether Johnstone or URI would open an account (June 11, 2026, opener since removed): a tech, "I do not have state mechanical license. I have have charge accounts with 1 Electrical supply house and 2 HVAC/Plumbing supply houses. They handle my warranty parts without question. Only requirement was to have EPA 608/609 on file with copy of DL." (or0y3rm); "I was able to open a cash account I just can’t purchase equipment" (or0s9j5). Read November 3, 2026.
9. r/HVAC, "Any idea on how to become a Carrier dealer?" (March 17, 2021): an owner of 40 years, "Be prepared with all of your business formation docs and proof of proper licensing and insurance. They will require a COI that names them as an additional insured and have some policy amounts that will need to be met. They will ask for trade and credit references to establish a credit account but since its a new business you will be signing a personal guarantee." and "most new contractors do not start out selling brand name equipment (Carrier/Trane) as they don't have the amount of business needed to receive competitive pricing." reddit.com, read November 3, 2026. Older than the other quotes; used because it's the one first-hand account of a dealer sign-up.
10. Carrier, "Become a Carrier Dealer": form fields "Current Brands", "Do you have an HVAC license?", "What are the total number of employees?", "What are your growth plans?" (carrier.com); "Carrier Factory Authorized Dealers", FAQ: "To become a Factory Authorized Dealer, technicians must complete extensive factory training on installation, maintenance, and repair. They must also maintain all required local licenses, have appropriate insurance, and consistently receive excellent scores in customer satisfaction surveys." (carrier.com). Read November 3, 2026.
11. US EPA, "Refrigerant Sales Restriction" (epa.gov) and "Questions and Answers about the Refrigerant Sales Restriction" (epa.gov). Read November 3, 2026.
12. Owners on starting with COD and moving to credit, r/HVAC: "Starting my own company." (December 2023), "I started out being COD with every supply house…" (ketbgka), a South Texas refrigeration owner, "I would start with a cash or COD account at supply houses and once you can produce a decent PNL and have spent atleast $50k in a calendar year you can negotiate pricing." and "Wells Fargo gave me a $15,000 line of credit" (kervvql), an owner, "sometimes they will set you up with a small limit to test you out until statements are available" (ker198a); "Tossing around the idea of going on my own" (July 13, 2025), "my credit is ass…" (1lyjmkr); a part owner, "I even have my own personal charge accounts at all of them in my area with net 30 terms…" (October 17, 2024, lsdnie7). Read November 3, 2026.
13. r/ProHVACR, "HVAC owner pay" (March 4, 2025), an owner to two partners: "Are both of you credit line worthy at supply houses, able to personally guarantee the company’s credit, etc." reddit.com, read November 3, 2026.
14. Virginia Department of Taxation, Tax Bulletin 17-8 (June 29, 2017): "Virginia law generally treats businesses that sell and install tangible personal property that becomes real property upon installation as contractors. As contractors, such businesses must pay the tax on the purchase price of the materials and not charge sales tax to their customers." tax.virginia.gov, read November 3, 2026.
15. Minnesota Department of Revenue, "General Contractors and Subcontractors" (updated June 18, 2024): "You must pay sales and use tax on the cost of all materials, supplies, and equipment used to complete a construction contract. These items are taxable at the time of purchase. If the supplier does not charge Minnesota Sales Tax, you owe use tax on the purchase price."; improving real property includes replacing "furnaces … and central air conditioners". revenue.state.mn.us, read November 3, 2026.
16. Louisiana Department of Revenue, "Who qualifies for a Louisiana Resale Certificate?": "A Louisiana Resale Certificate may only be used to purchase qualifying items that will be resold in the normal course of business. It cannot be used to make tax-exempt purchases of items that your business will use or consume. Louisiana Resale Certificates are generally valid for one year and must be renewed annually". revenue.louisiana.gov, read November 3, 2026.
17. Colorado Department of Revenue, FYI Sales 6, "Contractors and Retailer-Contractors" (03/20): lump-sum contracts, "the contractor is treated as the consumer of all construction and building materials"; time-and-materials contracts, "the contractor is treated as a retailer, not the consumer" and "must collect sales tax from its customer on the marked up price of the materials". tax.colorado.gov, read November 3, 2026.
18. Iowa Department of Revenue, "Iowa Contractors Guide": "Contractors are generally final consumers of building materials, supplies, and equipment, and must pay sales tax at the time of purchase. If the seller did not charge sales tax at the time of purchase, the contractor is responsible for paying use tax". tax.iowa.gov, read November 3, 2026.
19. New Jersey Division of Taxation, Tax Topic Bulletin S&U-3, "Contractors and New Jersey Taxes" (rev. 5/25): "The contractor pays the Sales Tax on the cost of materials and supplies at the time of purchase. Under the law, a contractor is not granted resale treatment for materials and supplies purchased for improving, altering, or repairing real property."; residential heating systems. nj.gov, read November 3, 2026.
20. New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, TB-ST-104, "Capital Improvements": "Contractors do not normally sell building materials to customers without installation and, therefore, cannot use Form ST-120, Resale Certificate, to make purchases of building materials exempt from tax." tax.ny.gov, read November 3, 2026.
21. Idaho State Tax Commission, "Contractors Working in Idaho": "Idaho sales tax law says contractors are the consumers (end users) of all the goods they use." tax.idaho.gov, read November 3, 2026.
22. Massachusetts Department of Revenue, "Massachusetts Sales Tax Guide for Plumbers" ("Plumbers (and other entities, or other contractors or subcontractors)"): contractors "are the consumers of tangible personal property (material) purchased by them for the performance of their contracts. In this case, they are required to pay sales or use tax as consumers on the total price of the material purchased at the time of purchase". mass.gov, read November 3, 2026.
23. Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, IP 2018(2), "Building Contractors’ Guide to Sales and Use Taxes": "Contractors are relatively unique in that they are both the consumer of materials and retailers of their services. Therefore, contractors must generally: 1. Pay sales and use tax on materials, supplies, and equipment used in their construction contracts". portal.ct.gov, read November 3, 2026.
24. Nebraska Department of Revenue, Reg-1-017, Contractors: "Option 1 contractor means a contractor who has elected to be taxed as a retailer of building materials with a tax-exempt inventory or a contractor who has not made an election."; "All Option 1 contractors must have a Nebraska Sales Tax Permit."; "Option 1 contractors may purchase all building materials and other property for resale without paying sales tax by issuing to the vendor a properly completed Nebraska Resale or Exempt Sale Certificate, Form 13, Section A." revenue.nebraska.gov, read November 3, 2026.
25. r/HVAC: tech support at an independent Carrier distributor, "You won't be able to buy main lines (Carrier, Trane, Lennox), but they all have open line products which are the same thing (minus high end communicating equipment)." (June 26, 2025, mztd6w9); a tech, "More units you move, the higher bracket you get put in, the better your price is the next year." (mzsm1gl); a tech, "Cash accounts or non negotiation accounts are high price . You need to sit down with the supply house yearly and negotiate your pricing ." (January 20, 2026, o0p4hua). Read November 3, 2026.
26. "Is this normal distributor politics in HVAC?" (May 19, 2026), posted to r/HVAC (1thar5n) and r/ProHVACR (1thas0q) by an owner who started in late October 2025. Replies: an owner, "Flirt with a lot of manufacturers…" (omlupms); a commercial tech, "They only care about your business address…" (omnhb1i); from the wholesale side, "each wholesaler has a territory they are allowed to sell in." (omlyyd6); an owner, "don’t become a single source dealer on anything…" (omm2if7); a one-man owner on going to Goodman (omn6ti0); a two-man owner in Montana on Johnstone and Coleman (ompriss). Read November 3, 2026.
27. RJ Murray Company, "Become a Carrier HVAC Dealer": "the only locally authorized distributor"; "Our service area covers the northeastern US and stretches from the Canadian border to Sullivan and Orange counties in southern New York State, and includes the entire state of Vermont, and Berkshire County in western Massachusetts." rjmurray.com, read November 3, 2026.
28. J.P. Brett & Sons Air Conditioning (a Trane dealer in Naples, Florida), "What's a Trane Comfort Specialist?": "Sign the Trane Dealer Sales Agreement. A minimum yearly purchase of $100,000 of Trane HVAC equipment. More than 85% of directable equipment purchases of Trane products. Offer a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee for one year on Trane products. Obtain at least a 90 on the Customer Satisfaction Score. Have at least an 85% referral rate on the Trane consumer survey program." A dealer's description; Trane's own requirements weren't public. brettairconditioning.com, read November 3, 2026.
29. Goodman, "Become a Goodman Dealer": "an independent Goodman ® brand dealer"; form fields "Do you have an HVAC License?" and "Annual HVAC Spend* Under 50K 50-100K 100-250K 250K and above"; warranty footnote, "online registration must be completed within 60 days of installation. Online registration is not required in California or Quebec."; copyright Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc. (goodmanmfg.com). Daikin, "Become a Daikin Pro" (daikincomfort.com). Daikin Northeast, "Become a Customer": Goodman line, programs Daikin Comfort Pro, Daikin Design Pro, Daikin Pro and Amana Advantage (daikinnortheast.com). Read November 3, 2026.
30. LennoxPros, "Become A Lennox Dealer": "When choosing Lennox, you enjoy the benefits of a direct relationship with the manufacturer." (lennoxpros.com); "Premier FAQs": "at least ten (10) Google consumer reviews at a minimum average rating of 4.0", "Complete the annual Premier Dealer training requirement. Participate in Consumer Advertising and Promotions (CAP) annually", "You will be billed on a monthly basis upon enrollment for the program." (lennoxpros.com). Read November 3, 2026.
31. Rheem, "Become a Pro": "Once we have verified your eligibility, you will be added to our Contractor Locator tool and granted access to MyRheem" (rheem.com); "Rheem Pro Partner Program" 2025 contractor brochure (form M11-1902 rev 9): "at least 60% Rheem residential products", "a four-star rating on the Online Ratings & Reviews Program via a minimum of 30 customer review submissions per year", "a minimum of 10 collective, business-wide hours of Rheem-authorized courses each year", "Hold all required, current and applicable state license documentation; and be in good standing with your Rheem distributor" (rheem.com). Read November 3, 2026.
32. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Regulation B, 12 CFR 1002.9(a)(3)(ii) and official interpretation 9(a)(3)-2: for trade credit ("a supplier who finances the sale of equipment, supplies, or inventory"), a creditor shall "Notify the applicant, within a reasonable time, orally or in writing, of the action taken" and "Provide a written statement of the reasons for adverse action … if the applicant makes a written request for the reasons within 60 days of the creditor's notification." consumerfinance.gov, read November 3, 2026.
33. Warranty terms on online sales: Goodman, "Internet Purchases Policy" (goodmanmfg.com); Carrier, Limited Warranty ACHPVS-C-02WAR 07/2023, "Any product purchased over the Internet." (shareddocs.com); Rheem Sales Company limited warranty (myrheem.com); Lennox, "Why can't I purchase Lennox products online?" (lennox.com); Trane, "Trane Warranties: Everything You Need to Know" (trane.com). Read November 3, 2026.
34. Johnstone Supply, "A2L Resources: FAQ": after January 1, 2025 "if a whole new system is installed it must use lower GWP refrigerant"; "Systems are only allowed to use refrigerants for which they are certified by a safety agency to use."; gauges "not rated for A2L refrigerants and their oils, new gauges should be utilized"; "Will the sensor be provided by manufacturers? Yes."; "The EPA is not proposing any changes to the Section 608 licensing currently." (johnstonesupply.com). Budget Heating, Goodman SER2A05012S R-32 A2L sensor listing: "it must be replaced only with the sensor specified by the appliance manufacturer" (budgetheating.com). Read November 3, 2026.
35. US EPA, final rule, "Phasedown of Hydrofluorocarbons: Reconsideration of Certain Regulatory Requirements Promulgated Under the Technology Transitions Provisions of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020", 91 FR 31284, published May 26, 2026, effective July 27, 2026: "allows the inventory of residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump equipment that was manufactured in the United States or imported into the United States before January 1, 2025, to continue to be installed." federalregister.gov, read November 3, 2026.