How To Get Hvac License In Texas

If you intend to live in Texas, pursuing a career in the HVAC industry is a great idea.

There are over 17 000 licensed HVAC contractors in the Lone Star State. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data suggests that it isn't hard to find work in this line of work.

The employment numbers are supposed to increase by 15% within a decade from 2018. However, before you start looking for HVAC jobs, you have to get licensed.

In case you're confused, you'll benefit from reading our guidelines on how to get an HVAC license in Texas.

• 1. Benefits of Getting an HVAC License
• 2. Texas HVAC license requirements
  • 2.1. Texas registered technician
  • 2.2. Texas certified technician
  • 2.3. Texas HVAC contractor license
• 3. How to apply for a Texas HVAC contractor license
• 4. HVAC license classes and endorsements
  • 4.1. Endorsements
  • 4.2. Multiple License Classes
  • 4.3. NATE and EPA Licenses
• 5. Taking the Texas HVAC contractor license exam in Texas
• 6. Experience Requirements
  • 6.1. Exceptions
• 7. Application and Fee
• 8. Exam Requirement
  • 8.1. Exam Eligibility
  • 8.2. Preparing For The Test
  • 8.3. Books and References for the Exam
  • 8.4. Re-Taking an Exam
  • 8.5. Exam Pass/Fail Rates
• 9. List of Texas HVAC Schools
• 10. HVAC business insurance requirements in Texas
• 11. Applicants with Criminal Convictions
• 12. How long does it take to get an HVAC license in Texas?

Benefits of Getting an HVAC License

Statisticians predict that by 2028, HVAC jobs in Texas are going to go up by 15%. HVAC technicians in Texas also get compensated really well. In fact, they make slightly more than the national average salary. It is possible to find employment throughout your training.

A Texas HVAC license is necessary to demonstrate your abilities to the customers and earn their trust.

Texas HVAC license requirements

A license issued by Texas governing body is necessary to find work in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry. There are several ways to get a license:

Texas registered technician

This license will serve you well if you intend to work as a repair assistant to an HVAC contractor. You can't apply if you're younger than 18 years old. If you're not, you can fill out an entire application, pay the associated $20 fee and wait. Working experience or training is not mandatory, but with this license, you'll be limited to working under the supervision of a licensed HVAC contractor.

Texas certified technician

Having a Certified technician license proves that you're more qualified than a registered technician. Still, you can't work independently without the guidance of a licensed HVAC contractor. It is also prohibited to promote yourself as an independent air conditioning and refrigeration contractor.

To receive this license, you must be 18 years old, fill out an application and cover the associated 50$ fee.

You are also required to meet one of these prerequisites:

• Have worked for at least 24 months under the supervision of a licensed HVAC contractor.
• Within the past 48 months, graduated from an HVAC certification learning course with at least 2,000 hours of studying involved. The course be approved by TDLR.
• Have some sort of military experience that could count as relevant to this line of work.

If you satisfy all the prerequisites, you can finally apply. To finally get certified, you'll also have to get a passing grade on the HVAC licensing exam.

Texas HVAC contractor license

HVAC contractors who plan to provide air conditioning and refrigeration services independently must hold an HVAC contractor's license in Texas.

To work on air conditioning and refrigeration repairs or maintenance jobs, an individual must be appropriately licensed by the state of Texas.

Here's an overview of prerequisites. We'll go over each one of them in-depth later. Here are the prerequisites:

• Have reached at least 18 years of age.
• Satisfy the educational or experience requirements imposed by the governing body.
• Be properly licensed for the job you're going to be doing.
• Successfully apply
• Get a passing grade on an exam
• Cover the costs associated to the application
• Prove that you have insurance coverage

By reading the passages below, you can learn more about various types of HVAC licenses in Texas.

How to apply for a Texas HVAC contractor license

In order to become a licensed HVAC contractor in Texas, you must pay $115 and satisfy at least one of the prerequisites:

• You have worked as an apprentice to an HVAC contractor who was licensed six years ago or later. The required duration for your work experience is four years.
• You've been awarded a technician certificate during the past year and during the past four years, you've accumulated a minimum of three years of working experience under the supervision of a licensed HVAC contractor.
• Have a convincing case for why you should be granted an exception to these rules, based on relevant training or experience.

Based on whether they've obtained an HVAC degree or certification, an engineering license, have had the relevant experience in their role as military members, or have been part of relevant training courses, contractors may be entitled to some kind of exemption of the experience requirements.

HVAC license classes and endorsements

When you're applying to receive an HVAC contractor's license, you're asked to specify your license class and endorsement duo. Depending on your choice, you'll be assigned a specific exam and you'll need to meet insurance prerequisites. Also, your choice will affect your future career by defining what type of equipment you can repair. These are the choices at your disposal:

• Class A license with Environmental Air Conditioning endorsement
• Class B license with Environmental Air Conditioning endorsement
• Class A license with Commercial Refrigeration / Process Cooling or Heating endorsement
• Class B license with Commercial Refrigeration / Process Cooling or Heating endorsement

Individuals who hold Class A licenses can do repairs or maintenance work on any piece of equipment, regardless of its size. On the other hand, Class B licensees can only service cooling units with a cooling capacity of fewer than 25 tons. For heating units, the capacity must be under 1.5 million BTUs/h.

Endorsements

Here's the list of endorsements that you can get:

• Environmental Air Conditioning – controlling the temperature, humidity, filtration, and flowing of the air in the room to make it more comfortable.
• Commercial Refrigeration – Utilizing mechanical or absorption units to maintain a certain temperature or humidity in a room. The purpose must be commercial.
• Process Cooling or Heating – Maintaining certain temperature, humidity, or air cleanliness to enhance production capabilities of various kinds of equipment.

Note: "Commercial Refrigeration" and "Process Heating and Cooling" only apply to refrigerator types, such as coolers, freezers, ice machines, and other machinery that allows the user to maintain desired levels of humidity and air temperature.

The licenses issued by the State of Texas follow this principle: [Title] / [Class] / [License Number] / [Endorsement] (e.g. TACL/A/000000/C).

Multiple License Classes

If you desire to receive both types of licenses, you'll be issued a single file that contains two license numbers for both types. For every individual license, you're limited to only one endorsement. The addresses and business associations must be identical for both licenses.

NATE and EPA Licenses

You can obtain a supplemental NATE certificate to demonstrate your qualification as an HVAC professional. Having this license can help you earn an extra $10,000 to $20,000 in salary.

EPA license, which you automatically receive by obtaining an HVAC license in Texas, lets you do repairs or maintenance work with machines with refrigerants in them. You don't have to do any additional work to get this license and it doesn't really affect your salary.

Taking the Texas HVAC contractor license exam in Texas

Once TDLR has received your application, the licensing division will communicate to the exam vendor, PSI Exams, that you're qualified to participate in the Texas HVAC contractor license test.

Afterward, you create an account with PSI, log in and pay the required fee, and set a date for an exam using their website. The test is taken using computers and can be taken at one of the 22 centers that are scattered in Texas. The exam doesn't follow an open-book principle. If you guess more than 30% of answers incorrectly, you'll fail.

The exact amount of questions you'll have to answer throughout this exam will depend on the individual test type. You might also have to pay a different amount for each test, have a different time limit, and encounter questions in a different way.

If you can't pass the license exam, you will lose your chance to obtain a license quickly. There are official study materials (and a trial test) that you can use to pass the HVAC license exam successfully.

Experience Requirements

There are experience-related prerequisites. You must meet at least one of them to receive a license:

• Have at least 4 years of hands-on experience in the HVAC industry in the last 6 years. Your experience must be accumulated under the guidance of a licensed contractor.
• Your technician certification must be at least one year old and you must've accumulated three years of hands-on experience in the HVAC industry during the past four years. Your experience must be accumulated under the guidance of a licensed contractor.

Your relevant experience should be reported using the Experience Verification Form (PDF). Only your supervisor is qualified to fill in this form. Don't try to fill this form yourself. It is permitted to use numerous forms.

Filled-out experience verification documents must be attached to your application when you submit it.

Exceptions

The governing body might deem you qualified to exempt you from proving your experience. If one of these descriptions fit you:

• You possess some type of degree in HVAC
• You have been awarded a license or a mechanical engineering degree as an engineer.
• You've had an HVAC-related role or received relevant instructions in the military;
• Your employer performs cooling or heating tasks industrially;

Refer to the exemptions to practical experience requirements page to help you determine possible exemptions in your case.

Application and Fee

Applying for a license involves submitting of filled-out Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Application (PDF) document, as well as the associated $115 fee. If you're issued a license, it will expire in one year.

You must've reached the age of 18 to be eligible to apply.

Your choice of license class and endorsements will impact your career. It will determine your role, which licensing exam you'll have to participate in, and the insurance coverage you ought to have.

Exam Requirement

Once it has received your application and all the additional documents, TDLR will let you take the licensing exam. Refer to examination requirements to get a better understanding of this topic.

All steps of the application process must be completed within one year of the initial application.

Exam Eligibility

After submitting your completed license application, required documentation, and paying associated licensing fees, TDLR will approve your eligibility to take the exam.

Once TDLR accepts your qualification for the exam, PSI will reach out to your email to confirm and give you guidelines on how to take the examination. If you didn't include your email address in the application, you'll be sent regular mail that includes the same information as email would.

To understand the process of participating in a PSI-organized exam, request a copy of the ACR CIB:

• English: ACR Candidate Information Bulletin
• Español: ACR Boletin Informativo Para Candidatos

This file will help you thoroughly comprehend the examination procedure. You can print it out and read it if that's what you prefer, but you must have Acrobat Reader to open it. This software can be downloaded for free and is compatible with Windows as well as Apple OS.

Before qualifying to take an exam, you must submit an application first. The application submission instructions will be provided. If there's a problem with your application, you'll receive a warning at your email address.

Once you've become qualified to take an exam, TDLR will communicate that fact to PSI. Afterward, PSI will notify you about your qualification by sending an email letter, including tips for making arrangements for an exam. You'll have to cover examination costs imposed by PSI. Refer to CIB to figure out the exact amount you'll have to pay.

Preparing For The Test

The individuals who are applying for a Class A type of license will have to answer 120 questions in four hours. The individuals who are aiming for a class B license will have to answer 100 questions in three hours. In both cases, test-takers must get a score of at least 70% to pass. You might encounter questions that are specific to your line of work, but most of the questions will be about basic HVAC topics, such as:

• Boiler systems
• Business and law issues
• The details of HVAC systems
• Heating and cooling units
• Setting up and maintaining Ventilation
• Complying with equipment requirements
• Refrigeration units and core concepts
• Manipulating the pressure

Books and References for the Exam

You can use the following study materials to prepare for the exam. You can buy them at our online contractor's bookstore or reach out to us on the phone to place an order. Our number is 1-800-952-0910.

The exams will follow 2018 codebooks from the start of the 2021 year.

• 2015 or 2018 Uniform Mechanical Code
• 2015 or 2018 International Mechanical Code
• 2015 or 2018 International Fuel Gas Code
• Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
• ADI Duct Size Calculator
• Manual J (Environmental Air Exam Only)
• Manual D (Environmental Air Exam Only)
• Manual S (Environmental Air Exam Only)

You can get free study materials and print them out print them out for free:

• OSHA CFR 29 Part 1904 Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses
• Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1302
• Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 75

Re-Taking an Exam

If you fail to get a passing grade, you can arrange with PSI to take the exam again in the next 24-48 hour period.

Re-taking the exam is possible for one year. Once the application has expired, you'll have to apply again to be eligible for exam participation.

Exam Pass/Fail Rates

• Fiscal Year 2020 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Exam Statistics
• Fiscal Year 2019 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Exam Statistics
• Fiscal Year 2018 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Exam Statistics

List of Texas HVAC Schools

School Name	Address	Phone	Recent Graduates
Kilgore College	1100 Broadway Kilgore, TX 75662-3299	903-984-8531	55
Texas State Technical College-Waco	3801 Campus Drive Waco, TX 76705	800-792-8784	39
The University of Texas at Brownsville	One West University Boulevard Brownsville, TX 78520	956-882-8201	10
Vista College	6101 Montana Ave El Paso, TX 79925-2021	915-779-8031	290
Southwest Texas Junior College	2401 Garner Field Rd Uvalde, TX 78801-6297	830-278-4401	17
Kaplan College-Brownsville	1900 North Expressway, Suite O Brownsville, TX 78521	956-547-8200	63
Lincoln College of Technology-Grand Prairie	2915 Alouette Drive Grand Prairie, TX 75052	972-660-5701-41100	63
St Philip's College	1801 Martin Luther King Dr San Antonio, TX 78203-2098	210-486-2000	0
Clarendon College	1122 College Drive Clarendon, TX 79226	806-874-3571-107	2
South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Corpus Christi	2000 South Padre Island Dr Corpus Christi, TX 78416	361-232-5057	33
Lamar State College-Port Arthur	1500 Proctor St Port Arthur, TX 77640	409-984-6342	40
Austin Community College District	5930 Middle Fiskville Rd Austin, TX 78752	512-223-7000	36
Eastfield College	3737 Motley Dr Mesquite, TX 75150-2099	972-860-7100	116
Del Mar College	101 Baldwin Blvd. Corpus Christi, TX 78404-3897	361-698-1255	33
Coastal Bend College	3800 Charco Rd Beeville, TX 78102	361-354-2200	29
Galveston College	4015 Ave Q Galveston, TX 77550-7496	409-944-1220	33
Everest College-Arlington	300 Six Flags Drive Arlington, TX 76011	817-652-7790	70
Texas State Technical College-West Texas	300 Homer K. Taylor Drive Sweetwater, TX 79556	325-235-7300	6
South Plains College	1401 S. College Ave Levelland, TX 79336	806-894-9611-2175	20
Everest Institute-San Antonio	6550 First Park Ten San Antonio, TX 78213	210-732-7800-341	145
Houston Community College	3100 Main Street Houston, TX 77002	877-422-6111	25
El Paso Community College	9050 Viscount Blvd El Paso, TX 79925	915-831-2000	49
Midland College	3600 N Garfield Midland, TX 79705	432-685-4500	8
Lone Star College System	5000 Research Forest Drive The Woodlands, TX 77381-4399	832-813-6500	49
Paris Junior College	2400 Clarksville St Paris, TX 75460	903-785-7661	56
Texas State Technical College-Harlingen	1902 North Loop 499 Harlingen, TX 78550-3697	956-364-4000	25
Lamar Institute of Technology	855 E Lavaca Beaumont, TX 77705	409-880-8321	10
Trinity Valley Community College	100 Cardinal Drive Athens, TX 75751	903-675-6200	50
Lone Star College System	5000 Research Forest Drive The Woodlands, TX 77381-4399	832-813-6500	113
Hill College	112 Lamar Dr Hillsboro, TX 76645	254-659-7500	0
Laredo Community College	West End Washington St Laredo, TX 78040-4395	956-721-5140	36
Grayson College	6101 Grayson Drive Denison, TX 75020-8299	903-465-6030	32
Western Technical College	9624 Plaza Circle El Paso, TX 79927	915-760-8107	60
Everest Institute-Bissonnet	9700 Bissonnet St-Ste 1400 Houston, TX 77036-8001	713-772-4200-121	153
Texarkana College	2500 N Robison Rd Texarkana, TX 75599	903-823-3456	99
Everest Institute-Austin	9100 US Hwy 290 East, Bldg 1-Ste 100 Austin, TX 78724	512-928-1933	99
San Jacinto Community College	8060 Spencer Hwy Pasadena, TX 77501-2007	281-998-6150	87
Fortis Institute-Houston	450 N Sam Houston Pkwy E Ste 200 Houston, TX 77060	713-332-0062	28
Tyler Junior College	1400 East Fifth Street Tyler, TX 75701	903-510-2200	32
Cisco College	101 College Heights Cisco, TX 76437	254-442-5000	14
Brazosport College	500 College Dr Lake Jackson, TX 77566-3199	979-230-3000	20
Vernon College	4400 College Dr. Vernon, TX 76384-4092	940-552-6291	11
Cedar Valley College	3030 North Dallas Ave Lancaster, TX 75134-3799	972-860-8201	126
Remington College-Dallas Campus	1800 Eastgate Dr Garland, TX 75041	972-686-7878	0
South Texas College	3201 W Pecan Mcallen, TX 78502-9701	956-872-8311	96
North Lake College	5001 North MacArthur Blvd. Irving, TX 75038-3899	972-273-3000	0
Central Texas College	6200 West Central Texas Expressway Killeen, TX 76549-4199	254-526-7161	31
Remington College-Fort Worth Campus	300 E. Loop 820 Fort Worth, TX 76112-1225	817-451-0017	0
St Philip's College	1801 Martin Luther King Dr San Antonio, TX 78203-2098	210-486-2000	18
Wharton County Junior College	911 Boling Hwy Wharton, TX 77488	979-532-4560	22
Tarrant County College District	1500 Houston St Fort Worth, TX 76102-6524	817-515-8223	115
South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-San Antonio	734 SE Military San Antonio, TX 78216	210-782-8000	16
Lee College	511 S Whiting Baytown, TX 77520	281-427-5611	26
Southern Careers Institute-San Antonio	6963 NW Loop 410 San Antonio, TX 78238-4114	512-437-7500	10

HVAC business insurance requirements in Texas

You won't be able to obtain an HVAC contractor license without satisfying the license and insurance prerequisites imposed by the state. Once you've passed the licensing exam, you're required to supply the department with a certificate of insurance, which will contain the name of a licensed individual and his/her business. It is permitted to submit the documents to customer service by email. Your license type will have an impact on HVAC insurance coverage levels:

• To obtain a Class A license, you have to secure commercial general liability insurance. The insurance will cover for accidents around the property or an injury to the workers that is over $300,000 for every individual occurrence and $600,000 in total. The threshold for products and offered services is $300,000 in total.
• To obtain a Class B license, you have to secure commercial general liability insurance. The insurance will cover for accidents around the property and workers' injuries that are over $100,000 for every individual occurrence and $200,000 in total. The threshold for products and offered services is $100,000 in total.
• If you hold both types of licenses, you only need one insurance policy that satisfies the requirements for a Class A license to meet the mandatory insurance prerequisites.

Once you're insured, you'll have to provide a certificate of insurance as proof to the department. Refer to Sample Certificate of Insurance (PDF) to see how the form is supposed to look. On top of the required insurance, you should also have workers' compensation coverage in Texas if you hire extra employees and commercial auto insurance if you have company-registered cars.

Applicants with Criminal Convictions

It is obligatory to provide the department with a Criminal History Questionnaire (PDF) if there's anything to report. If you had a conviction or misdemeanor in your past, regardless of whether it was inside or out of the state, you must report it.

The department takes initiative to research every candidate's past to find possible criminal records. Each crime is treated differently. The biggest factors are nature of the conviction and how far back in the past crime occurred. The researchers take from one week to a month and a half to finalize the review.

Applicants can ask TDLR to go over their past criminal offenses before officially submitting an application. TDLR uses basically the same procedure for evaluating criminal pasts as we've described. Refer to Criminal History Evaluation Letter to learn more.

Check out Guidelines for License Applicants with Criminal Convictions to understand the reasoning behind TDLR's decision to refuse a candidate's request for a license, or even revoke an existing one.

How long does it take to get an HVAC license in Texas?

If you have the educational credits and meet the experience prerequisites, your HVAC license application shouldn't take longer than a month and a half. You can arrange to take a PSI exam approximately within a week after the day you submit a completely filled-out application.

Once you get a passing grade on your exam, PSI will notify TDLR that you've passed and your license should be issued in three weeks at the latest.

If you have every document in order, have paid your dues, and have gotten a successful score on your test, you can ask the department to issue you a temporary license that you can use before you get the official one.

How To Get Hvac License In Texas

Source: https://easttexaslicense.com/hvac/

Posted by: brogdonbobed1996.blogspot.com

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