Short answer: Exchange lists 8 HVAC companies in New York. New York has no statewide HVAC license; New York City, Westchester, Nassau, Buffalo and other localities set their own. Mechanics liens are filed within eight months of last work, or four months on a single family dwelling. The 2025 state energy code took effect December 31, 2025, and New York City's Local Law 97 charges 268 dollars per ton of carbon over a building's limit, which drives much of the retrofit market.
License authority
There is no statewide HVAC license; cities and counties such as New York City, Westchester County, Nassau County and Buffalo license the trade locally.
License classes
The New York City oil burner equipment installer license has Class A, needing four years of experience within seven, and Class B, needing three years within five.
Lien deadline
A notice of lien is filed within eight months of completion or last work, or four months for a single family dwelling.
Deposit rule
Home improvement payments received before substantial completion go into escrow within five business days unless the contractor posts a bond.
Code regime
The 2025 Energy Conservation Construction Code and Mechanical Code of New York State took effect December 31, 2025; New York City enforces its own 2025 energy code from March 30, 2026.
Carbon penalty
Local Law 97 covers most New York City buildings over 25,000 gross square feet, with a penalty of 268 dollars per ton over the annual limit.
Do HVAC contractors need a license in New York?
New York State does not issue a statewide HVAC contractor license, so whether a heating and cooling firm needs a license in New York depends on the city or county where the work is done.
The local picture varies a lot. Westchester County brought HVAC professionals into its consumer protection licensing code from July 1, 2025, with licenses issued by the county Department of Consumer Protection and municipal building departments directed to refuse permits to unlicensed contractors. Nassau County makes it unlawful to run a home improvement business without a license from its Office of Consumer Affairs, while electricians and plumbers there are licensed by towns and villages instead. Upstate, the City of Buffalo requires a heating contractor license for anyone who installs, alters, repairs, services or replaces a heating system. Buffalo's license comes in three classes: Class I for oil, gas or solid fuel systems, Class II for gas or solid fuel, and Class III for wood-burning fireplaces and stoves. Applicants are examined by a Board of Heating Examiners. Rochester has its own ordinance for stationary engineers and refrigeration operators.
Because the requirement is local, a contractor licensed in one county is not automatically cleared to work in the next one. Owners comparing bids across the Hudson Valley, Long Island or the upstate cities should ask each firm which local license it holds for the municipality where the building sits, and confirm it with that county or city office. Federal refrigerant handling certification applies everywhere, but it is a technician credential and not a business license.
What licenses apply to HVAC work in New York City?
New York City has no single HVAC license; instead the Department of Buildings licenses oil burner equipment installers and high pressure boiler operating engineers, the Fire Department certifies refrigerating system operating engineers, and the consumer agency licenses home improvement contractors.
The Department of Buildings issues the oil burner equipment installer license in two classes. Class A calls for at least four years of practical experience within the seven years before application, including at least one year installing equipment that burns No. 5 and No. 6 fuel oils. Class B calls for at least three years within the previous five. Both involve written and practical exams and a background investigation. The Department's boiler guidance names licensed master plumbers and licensed oil burner installers as the qualified professionals for boiler work, and states that every boiler in a building is to be inspected annually. Emergency heating repairs can start before a permit is issued, provided the application is submitted within two business days after work begins.
On the operating side, the Department of Buildings licenses high pressure boiler operating engineers, with experience routes that include five years working under a licensed engineer. The Fire Department requires any refrigerating system that needs an FDNY permit to be under the supervision of a holder of the Q-01 Refrigerating System Operating Engineer certificate of qualification while it runs, and the certificate is specific to the person and the building. Residential replacement work is also caught by the home improvement contractor license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, which requires either enrollment in the Home Improvement Business Trust Fund for a 200 dollar fee or a 20,000 dollar surety bond.
Which licenses, permits and registrations apply in New York?
Requirement
Who issues it
When it applies
What it involves
Oil burner equipment installer license
New York City Department of Buildings
Installing oil-burning equipment in New York City
Class A needs four years of experience within seven; Class B needs three within five; written and practical exams and a background investigation
Q-01 Refrigerating System Operating Engineer certificate
Fire Department of New York
Operating any refrigerating system that needs an FDNY permit
Supervision by a certificate holder while the system runs; the certificate is specific to the person and building
County HVAC or home improvement license
Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection; Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs
HVAC work in Westchester since July 1, 2025; home improvement businesses in Nassau
County application; in Westchester, building departments are directed to refuse permits to unlicensed contractors
Heating contractor license
City of Buffalo Commissioner of Permit and Inspection Services
Installing, altering, repairing or servicing heating systems in Buffalo
Class I, II or III by fuel type, with examination by the Board of Heating Examiners
Local Law 97 emissions report
New York City Department of Buildings
Most buildings over 25,000 gross square feet, by May 1 each year
Annual emissions report; 268 dollars per ton over the limit and 50 cents per square foot per month for not filing
Cooling tower registration and certification
New York State Department of Health
Every cooling tower in the state
Registration, inspection every 90 days in use, an ASHRAE 188 maintenance plan and certification by November 1 each year
Which codes and permits govern HVAC installations in New York?
HVAC work in New York outside New York City is governed by the 2025 Uniform Code and the 2025 Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State, which took effect on December 31, 2025, while New York City enforces its own construction and energy codes.
The 2025 state books include the Mechanical Code of New York State and the Fuel Gas Code of New York State alongside the building, residential and existing building codes. They are based on the 2024 International Code Council model codes with New York amendments. The Department of State's adoption notice says the energy code had no transition period, so designs filed after the effective date are measured against the 2025 edition. Permits and inspections are handled by the city, town or village code enforcement office, not by the state, which is why submittal requirements for a furnace swap or a rooftop unit differ from one municipality to the next.
New York City adopted the 2025 New York City Energy Conservation Code as Local Law 47 of 2026, with enforcement from March 30, 2026. Complete applications filed by March 29, 2026 can continue under the 2020 edition. The city code places all five boroughs in Climate Zone 4A for the purpose of the residential provisions. Mechanical work in the city is filed with the Department of Buildings, and equipment sizing, ventilation and controls are checked against the city energy code and not the state book.
Can gas or oil heating still be installed in new buildings in New York?
New York restricts fossil fuel heating in new buildings through two laws: New York City's Local Law 154, which has applied to low-rise new construction since January 1, 2024, and the state All-Electric Buildings Act, whose start was suspended during a court challenge.
Local Law 154 bars on-site combustion of fuels that emit more than 25 kilograms of carbon dioxide per million British thermal units in new construction, which rules out gas and oil for space heating. It reached one and two family homes and buildings under seven stories on January 1, 2024, with service hot water excluded at that stage, and it extends to all building types, including hot water, in July 2027. Listed exceptions include hospitals, laboratories, laundromats, commercial kitchens, crematoria, manufacturing and emergency or standby power.
The state law, in Energy Law section 11-104, directs the code council to prohibit fossil fuel equipment in new buildings of seven stories or less, other than commercial or industrial buildings over 100,000 square feet of conditioned floor area, on or after December 31, 2025, and in all new buildings on or after December 31, 2028. Repairs and alterations to existing buildings are outside the prohibition. In November 2025 the state agreed in a court stipulation to suspend the implementing rules while an appeal was pending. On June 30, 2026 the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal appliance law does not preempt either the state law or Local Law 154. Further review was still possible at the time of writing, so anyone specifying heating plant for a new building outside the city should confirm the current enforcement date with the Department of State before fixing the design.
How do climate, steam and refrigerant rules change HVAC specification in New York?
New York spans three energy code climate zones, from 4A around New York City and Long Island to 6A in the North Country, so heat pump sizing, envelope assumptions and backup heat strategy differ sharply from one end of the state to the other.
New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester sit in zone 4A. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany are in zone 5A, and the Adirondack, North Country and much of the Southern Tier counties are in 6A. That is why the state incentive program is built around cold climate air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. NYS Clean Heat is run by NYSERDA with the investor-owned utilities, including Con Edison, National Grid and NYSEG, and rebates flow through a network of participating contractors, so whether a firm is enrolled affects what an owner can claim. Rebate levels vary by utility and change often, so they are best checked with the utility at quotation stage.
Two other conditions are particular to the state. In Manhattan, Con Edison runs what it describes as the largest district energy steam system in the United States, serving approximately 1,555 customers, so many large buildings have no boiler plant at all and retrofit work involves steam pressure reducing stations, absorption or steam turbine chillers and condensate handling. Statewide, the Department of Environmental Conservation's hydrofluorocarbon rule, 6 NYCRR Part 494, was amended effective January 9, 2025. It carries the federal limit of 700 on 100-year global warming potential for new residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump equipment from January 1, 2026, then adds New York limits measured on 20-year global warming potential: 10 for variable refrigerant flow systems and 20 for air conditioning chillers from January 1, 2030, and 10 for residential and light commercial units from January 1, 2034. Equipment selected today may therefore face a refrigerant change within its service life.
How long does an HVAC contractor have to file a mechanics lien in New York?
An HVAC contractor on a private job in New York has eight months after completing the contract or last performing work to file a notice of lien, shortened to four months where the property is a single family dwelling.
Lien Law section 10 sets those periods and adds a separate route for retainage, where the notice can be filed within ninety days after the retainage was due to be released. Under section 11 a copy of the notice is served on the owner within five days before or thirty days after filing, and proof of service is filed with the county clerk within thirty-five days after the notice of lien is filed, failing which the lien terminates. On public improvements the lien attaches to the project funds and the notice is filed within thirty days after completion and acceptance of the work. For private construction contracts covered by the state prompt payment article, General Business Law section 756-a gives an owner twelve business days to approve or disapprove an invoice, makes payment due no later than thirty days after approval, and has the contractor pay subcontractors within seven days after receiving good funds.
Residential replacement work falls under the home improvement contract rules in General Business Law Article 36-A once the price exceeds 500 dollars. The contract is to be in writing, signed by all parties, with approximate start and completion dates, a description of the work and materials, a mechanics lien notice and the owner's right to cancel until midnight of the third business day. Under Lien Law section 71-a, payments received before substantial completion go into an escrow account within five business days unless the contractor posts a bond or similar security. On public work, Labor Law Article 8 prevailing wage applies, contractors and subcontractors have been required to register with the Department of Labor since December 30, 2024, and new wage schedules are published each July 1.
What operating rules do New York building owners face for existing HVAC plant?
Owners of existing buildings in New York face three recurring HVAC obligations: carbon limits under New York City's Local Law 97, statewide cooling tower registration and Legionella controls, and refrigerant leak inspection and reporting under the state hydrofluorocarbon rule.
Local Law 97 covers most New York City buildings over 25,000 gross square feet, and two or more buildings on one tax lot that together exceed 50,000 gross square feet. Limits began in 2024 and tighten in 2030, on the way to a city goal of a 40 percent cut by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Owners file an emissions report by May 1 each year. The Department of Buildings calculates the penalty for exceeding the limit as the tons over the cap multiplied by 268 dollars per year, and the penalty for not filing as 50 cents per square foot of floor area per month. Those figures are what drive boiler replacement, steam system upgrades and heat pump conversions in the city's large building stock, and they are why mechanical contractors are asked to price carbon outcomes as well as equipment.
Across the state, Department of Health rules require every cooling tower owner to register the tower and keep the registry updated every 90 days while it operates. Towers are inspected before seasonal start-up and every 90 days in use, each needs a maintenance program and plan based on ASHRAE Standard 188, and a certification is due by November 1 each year. Under Part 494, refrigeration and air conditioning equipment holding more than 50 pounds of refrigerant comes into a refrigerant management program, with leak inspections monthly for systems over 1,500 pounds, quarterly for 200 to 1,499 pounds and annually for 50 to 199 pounds, and annual reporting from March 31, 2026. Service contracts in New York commonly bundle these inspections and filings with routine maintenance.
Where can I verify a license and check the source in New York?
Every figure and rule on this page can be checked against the primary source. These are the offices that publish them. Confirm current requirements directly before you rely on any of them:
Is there a state exam for HVAC technicians in New York?
No. New York State does not license HVAC contractors or technicians, so there is no state exam. Exams are set locally, for example New York City's written and practical tests for oil burner equipment installers and Buffalo's examination by its Board of Heating Examiners. Check with the municipality where the work is located.
Who can work on a boiler in New York City?
The Department of Buildings states that boiler work needs either a work permit or a licensed professional, and names licensed master plumbers and licensed oil burner installers as the qualified trades. Every boiler in a building is inspected annually. Emergency repairs can begin first if a permit application follows within two business days.
Does a heat pump installer need to be in a state program to offer rebates in New York?
NYS Clean Heat rebates are delivered through a network of participating contractors working with NYSERDA and utilities such as Con Edison, National Grid and NYSEG. The program covers cold climate air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. Rebate amounts vary by utility, so confirm them with the utility.
When did the current New York State energy code take effect?
The 2025 Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State took effect on December 31, 2025, together with the 2025 Uniform Code books including the Mechanical Code and Fuel Gas Code. They are based on the 2024 International Code Council model codes. New York City enforces its own 2025 energy code from March 30, 2026.
What refrigerants are being restricted in New York?
Under 6 NYCRR Part 494, new residential and light commercial air conditioners and heat pumps are limited to refrigerants with a 100-year global warming potential of 700 or less from January 1, 2026. New York then applies much lower 20-year limits to variable refrigerant flow systems and chillers from January 1, 2030, and to residential units from January 1, 2034.
Do home HVAC contracts in New York carry a cancellation right?
Yes. Under General Business Law Article 36-A, a home improvement contract over 500 dollars is to be in writing and gives the owner the right to cancel until midnight of the third business day. It also carries a mechanics lien notice, approximate start and completion dates and a description of the work and materials.
Do HVAC contractors on public projects in New York have to register with the state?
Yes. Since December 30, 2024, contractors and subcontractors bidding or working on public work covered by Labor Law Article 8 register with the New York State Department of Labor. Prevailing wage schedules are published each July 1, and certified payroll has been submitted electronically through the state portal since December 31, 2025.
