Florida HVAC contractor checklist

1. Apply for: Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A Experience: Four years in the trade, at least one of them as a foreman. College credits can replace some of it in three set combinations. One year as a foreman plus three years of credits. One year as a skilled worker, one as a foreman, plus two years of credits. Two years as a skilled worker, one as a foreman, plus one year of credits | Exam: Yes, a business and finance exam plus a trade exam | Fees: application statutory max: $150; application with exam statutory max: $350; application reported: 245 in the first year of the two-year cycle, 145 in the second; initial certificate statutory max: $250; renewal statutory max: $250; renewal reported: 205 plus 50 business qualification fee | Renews: Biennial
2. Apply for: Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class B Experience: The same four years as Class A | Exam: Yes, a business and finance exam plus a trade exam
3. Apply for: Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class C
4. Apply for: Registered contractor Fees: application statutory max: $100; initial registration statutory max: $200; renewal statutory max: $200
5. Buy liability insurance: $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage
6. Get workers' comp, or file the form that opts you out Yes, as soon as you have one employee (the rule for construction trades). Owners can opt themselves out. Officers and LLC members who own at least 10 percent can file an exemption
7. Pass the money check: FICO 660 or higher Alternative: 14-hour board-approved financial responsibility course
8. Check whether your city requires a permit bond There is no standing bond requirement to get the license. Florida uses the credit check instead. The law does let the board write bonding into its money rules, capped at $10,000 for the trades in Division II, which is where air conditioning sits, and $20,000 for general, building and residential contractors. Your city or county may ask for its own bond before it issues permits
9. Make sure anyone who handles refrigerant has EPA Section 608 certification Anyone who handles refrigerant must hold EPA Section 608 certification. Test costs reported at $25 to $150 depending on who runs it
10. Put your license number on every ad, proposal, contract, and invoice Your license number must appear on every ad, quote, bid, and contract, online or on paper
11. Work out when you charge sales tax central ac and furnaces: Count as part of the building; you pay tax when you buy the unit and materials, and charge the customer no tax on labor or materials. window and portable units: Do not count as part of the building; you buy them tax-free with a resale certificate and charge the customer tax on the full price, installation included. repairs to tangible personal property: Charge tax on labor and materials if parts are used; labor-only service calls are not taxable and must be documented. service warranty contracts: Taxed if they cover equipment that is not part of the building; not taxed if the equipment became part of the building, like a central AC unit. rate: 6 percent state plus county discretionary surtax
12. Put the notice and lien deadlines on your calendar for every job notice to owner required: Yes, if you were hired by the contractor rather than the property owner (workers paid by the hour are exempt). notice to owner deadline: Before you start, or within 45 days of your first day on the job. claim of lien deadline: Within 90 days of your last day on the job

From Trades by State (tradesbystate.com). Independent reference, not a government site, not legal advice. Confirm with the official sources linked on the full page.