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HVAC Contractor's Licenses
To do HVAC work in Texas you need to be licensed.
To get an application, contact:
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Texas Department of Licensing and
Regulation
E. O. Thompson State Office
Building
P. O. Box 12157
Austin, TX 78711
(512) 463-6599
(800) 803-9202 (in Texas only)
Fax: (512) 475-2871
http://www.license.state.tx.us/acr/acr.htm |
The Department issues two types of licenses --
Class A and Class B. The Class A license lets you work on any size HVAC
equipment. The Class B license limits you to 25 tons of cooling and 1.5 million
Btu of heating. For either the Class A or Class B license, you also need an
endorsement for environmental air conditioning, commercial refrigeration and
process cooling and heating, or both.
You have to pass an exam for each type of
endorsement. To take an exam you need at least three years of practical work
experience in the preceding five years. If you have a degree in air conditioning
engineering, refrigeration engineering, or mechanical engineering from a
Department-approved school, you can use it for up to two years of the work
experience requirement.
Here's a list of the subjects on each exam and
the number of questions on each subject for Class A and Class B:
Environmental air conditioning exam:
| |
Percent of exam |
| Subject |
Class A
exam |
Class B
exam |
| Air
Conditioning Heat Loads |
8 |
8 |
| Air
Distribution |
9 |
10 |
| Air Properties |
3 |
3 |
| Basic
Refrigeration Components |
3 |
3 |
| Boilers and
Pressure Vessels |
12 |
10 |
| Business and
Law |
12 |
15 |
| Combustion Air |
3 |
4 |
| Controls and
Control Circuits |
4 |
5 |
| Design
Responsibility |
1 |
1 |
| Equipment
Requirements |
6 |
7 |
| Exhaust Systems |
3 |
4 |
| HVAC Systems |
5 |
2 |
| Refrigeration
Principles |
6 |
5 |
| Piping |
6 |
4 |
| Pressure Relief
Protection |
3 |
3 |
| Service /
Troubleshooting / Startup |
3 |
3 |
| Testing and
Inspection of Equipment |
6 |
5 |
| Ventilation |
3 |
3 |
| Venting |
4 |
5 |
Commercial refrigeration and process cooling and
heating exam:
| |
Percent of exam |
| Subject |
Class A
exam |
Class B
exam |
| Absorption
Systems |
1 |
1 |
| Basic
Refrigeration Components |
7 |
7 |
| Boilers and
Pressure Vessels |
12 |
10 |
| Business and
Law |
15 |
18 |
| Combustion Air |
3 |
4 |
| Commercial
Systems |
4 |
4 |
| Controls and
Control Circuits |
4 |
5 |
| Design
Responsibility |
3 |
1 |
| Equipment
Requirements |
8 |
10 |
| Refrigeration
Principles |
8 |
8 |
| Piping |
6 |
4 |
| Pressure Relief
Protection |
3 |
3 |
| Process Heat
Load |
6 |
3 |
| Service/
Troubleshooting/ Startup |
8 |
10 |
| Testing and
Inspection of Equipment |
6 |
5 |
| Ventilation |
3 |
3 |
| Venting |
3 |
4 |
After you pass the exams you have these insurance
requirements for a license:
- Class A license: $300,000 per occurrence for
property damage and bodily injury, $300,000 aggregate for property damage
and bodily injury, and $300,00 aggregate for products and completed
operations
- Class B license: $100,000 per occurrence for
property damage and bodily injury, $100,000 aggregate for property damage
and bodily injury, and $100,00 aggregate for products and completed
operations
If you have a valid HVAC license in Georgia or
South Carolina you can use it to get a Texas license.
HVAC contractor's license fees: It will
cost you $50 to file an application. Each exam costs $90. A license costs $125
and it's good for one year. |
