[Hack Work]

Since there are a bunch of NJ contractors here I figured a thread about the new licensing and laws would be beneficial.

I've just read two things that are often a topic of interest here:

Licensing of Heat, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, (HVACR) contractors in NJ will go into effect March 1, 2014. There is a Grandfather period of 6 months which allows contractors with HVACR experience to apply for a license without taking a test.

http://www.nj.gov/lps/ca/HVACR/

My question is how much experience do you need in order to be grandfathered in and get the license? Does normal control work count? Replacing aquastats once a month? I wonder where their line is?

Second, this may effect us directly, unless you get the above mentioned HVAC license:

Work on gas piping in New Jersey will only be allowed to be done by licensed Master HVACR and Master Plumbing Contractors effective September 1, 2014

I'm still trying to verify this one, but it doesn't seem unlikely.

 

[electricbysullivan]

I have heard from a supposed inside source on the very board, that it is fairly easy to get grandfathered. Some estimate by the end of the grandfathering that HVAc will be at the 6K or 8k of practioners. What are we up to in NJ now 17.5k for nearly 50 years?

2 years in business is the key factor.

How many times did you pull a permit for a HVAC guy to wire something in for a local Jersey inspector wanting that? Documentation will only help you.
Example 23 permits pulled for wiring a/c units this year.

Business Insurance going back 2 years saying electrical and mechanical areas of service. (Mechanical liability policies are more expensive than electrical in our state according to Franchino Insurance who hands out the rulers, pencils, and packets at the electrical exam.)

Letters of testimonial from customers both B2C, B2B, & B2I (business to institutional). I did an insurance job for a local Catholic school to reinstall a Weil McClain fame striker on a boiler that got submerged in Camden.

A Freon # would also be an added bonus. Which is supposedly an easy test to pass.

Stationary that says Mechanical contracting on letterhead, envelope, and business card: all matching for the past two years plus.

Any "land of make believe" municipal licenses from bordering states like Pennsy and New York. Any state licenses for HVAC like Delaware.

You don't want to take another difficult test to limit the # of license holders. So make a respectable attempt of getting grandfathered. You'll get a seal like a plumber or electrician has. Also only one license per company.

 

[electricbysullivan]

This is older summary, some things have changed possibly. But grandfather clause summary is at the end.

http://stores.johnstonesupply.com/Portals/96/NJ HVAC License Review.pdf

 

[electricbysullivan]

A home Improvement Contractor # that says something like heating, etc... on the application that predates the license era would be a positive.

 

[AZ86]

I originally went to school for HVAC and have a trade school certificate, and I alsa have my epa refrigeration card. I wonder if that would suffice getting grandfathered in. I think I will give it a shot, can't hurt.

 

[Hack Work]

Will the liability insurance we currently carry for electric suffice for the HVAC license?

Looking at it now, maybe it's not the best idea. You'd have to do CEU's for HVAC separately than electric. Maybe it's more hassle than its worth.

 

[AZ86]

yeah if its too much of a hassle it's not worth it. It would be nice to have, if it's split like the electrical is in jersey then it will be ok. License only or license and business permit

 

[electricbysullivan]

Will the liability insurance we currently carry for electric suffice for the HVAC license?

Looking at it now, maybe it's not the best idea. You'd have to do CEU's for HVAC separately than electric. Maybe it's more hassle than its worth.

From my understanding again, I have electric and mechanical insurance, They charge you the rate of the costlier one (being mechanical). Even though, the vast majority of my work is electrical.

Call your insurer and ask if it could be added, if you want. Unless you are up for renewal, it would be prorated I hope.

My GUESS, is that with the license, it will eventually have double counting for inspector credits later on. In Jersey your credits can double count for the other. But inspecting is another boat all together.

NJ is crazy in that currently there is no real uniform mechanical inspection heading, it is kind of a bastard child being a mere paragraph in the big blue book. But who knows for sure.

Sitting for ceus is no problem for me. I can double my clientele with being a mechanical contractor as well. Well worth a Saturday every so often, where I can network with other peers at the same time.

 

[electricbysullivan]

yeah if its too much of a hassle it's not worth it. It would be nice to have, if it's split like the electrical is in jersey then it will be ok. License only or license and business permit

My understanding is that it would be identical to plumbing and electrician licenses with a business permit # and a license #.

 

[Hack Work]

I'm not looking to be a mechanical contractor. The HVAC license would only be padding for the resume and possibly to do natural gas lines to generators if I decide that I want to in the future.

 

[electricbysullivan]

I'm not looking to be a mechanical contractor. The HVAC license would only be padding for the resume and possibly to do natural gas lines to generators if I decide that I want to in the future.

I agree with you. It is advantageous to be on the ground floor, be it for the whole thing, even if you want a small niche.

I don't want to take another test, designed to weed people out, like electrical is now with HVAC-R in a year.

 

[Giorgio.g]

Since there are a bunch of NJ contractors here I figured a thread about the new licensing and laws would be beneficial.

I've just read two things that are often a topic of interest here:


http://www.nj.gov/lps/ca/HVACR/

My question is how much experience do you need in order to be grandfathered in and get the license? Does normal control work count? Replacing aquastats once a month? I wonder where their line is?

Second, this may effect us directly, unless you get the above mentioned HVAC license:


I'm still trying to verify this one, but it doesn't seem unlikely.

The Board has extended the operative date of its regulations to March 1, 2014. The Board will not be able to accept applications or regulate the practice of heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors until that operative date. Due to this change, the Board will be accepting applications for current practitioners ("grandfathering" applications)
until September 1, 2014.

Hack, applications wont be accepted until Sept 1, If I understand correctly.

 

[drspec]

Hack, applications wont be accepted until Sept 1

it looks to me that they wont START accepting apps until March but will accept them up until Sept

 

[electricbysullivan]

The applications will be ONLINE only for grandfathering supposedly. This is only been postponed or revised a dozen times in the last seven years it was supposed to go in effect for. So care must be taken.

Right before Christmas, I was already to print out the forms and send them up with the paperwork and they moved it back 2 months to March 1st.

 

[electricbysullivan]

Went on yesterday and begun filling it out. Asks for a username and password to be generated for returning log ins.

Anyhow, I suggest you get your driver's license or birth certificate scanned to prove you are a citizen. They also seem to want two passport like photos exactly like when you applied for the electrical or plumbing license.

It seems like it may want w-2s or tax return parts that say HVAC or such.

When you log in it also appears to have an option of license by reciprocation, but I didn't click on that as well.

 

[drumnut08]

Went on yesterday and begun filling it out. Asks for a username and password to be generated for returning log ins. Anyhow, I suggest you get your driver's license or birth certificate scanned to prove you are a citizen. They also seem to want two passport like photos exactly like when you applied for the electrical or plumbing license. It seems like it may want w-2s or tax return parts that say HVAC or such. When you log in it also appears to have an option of license by reciprocation, but I didn't click on that as well.

. Much like everything in New Jersey , it sounds like a pain in the ass , just to gas connections for generators ? If go through all that ( and let's face it , you're going to have to show documentation of hvac training , of some sort ) I might as well install ductwork and new heating and AC systems .

 

[Magnettica]

. Much like everything in New Jersey , it sounds like a pain in the ass , just to gas connections for generators ? If go through all that ( and let's face it , you're going to have to show documentation of hvac training , of some sort ) I might as well install ductwork and new heating and AC systems .

Or, get the license and hire people that know how to do that work do it for you.

I dunno, it seems to me the most successful contracting businesses do all three

Electric, HVAC, and Plumbing.

 

[drumnut08]

Or, get the license and hire people that know how to do that work do it for you. I dunno, it seems to me the most successful contracting businesses do all three Electric, HVAC, and Plumbing.

. Everyone loves one stop shopping when it comes to having work done , so I see your point . I just question New Jersey letting someone sit for a state licensing exam , without documented hours and training in the trade ? As you well know , they don't just let anyone take the electrical exam . Maybe the rules are different for HVAC ?

 

[Hack Work]

Maybe the rules are different for HVAC ?

That's the whole point, there are no rules for HVAC. Right now any roofer/painter/shoe shiner can do it. So, pretty much anything that they implement will be better than the current system.

They have to be lenient at the beginning because it would be wrong to stop a company who is doing the work from continuing to do it. But after that grace period, they will make it just as hard as electric or plumbing.

 

[drumnut08]

That's the whole point, there are no rules for HVAC. Right now any roofer/painter/shoe shiner can do it. So, pretty much anything that they implement will be better than the current system. They have to be lenient at the beginning because it would be wrong to stop a company who is doing the work from continuing to do it. But after that grace period, they will make it just as hard as electric or plumbing.

that's interesting and scary at the same time , considering that I may know more about HVAC than a guy who just started his own business ? This might be worth looking into after all ?