North Carolina HVAC and Heating Contractor Licenses
Every HVAC and heating contractors working in North Carolina must hold a license from the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. Heating licenses in North Carolina are split by the type of system rather than by project value. Most homeowners need an H-3 holder, and many contractors carry more than one class. SafeHire NC tracks 6,250 of them across 568 North Carolina cities and communities.
H-3 Class I covers the residential heat pumps and air conditioning most homes use. H-2 covers large forced-air systems, and H-1 covers boilers and hot water heating. Holding several is normal and is shown in full on each profile. What each classification allows
| Class | What it covers | Scope | In NC |
|---|---|---|---|
H-3 |
Residential heating and cooling Heat pumps, AC units, gas furnaces and package systems 15 tons or under. The license most homeowners need. |
15 tons and under | 5,852 |
H-2 |
Large forced-air systems Forced-air heating and cooling over 15 tons: large commercial and industrial systems. |
Over 15 tons | 2,666 |
H-1 |
Boiler and hot-water heating Water-based comfort heating: boilers, steam, vapour and hot water systems. |
Water-based | 1,219 |
How to verify a license before you hire
- Ask for the license number before work begins. A licensed contractor will give it without hesitation. Reluctance is itself an answer.
- Check that it is active, not merely issued. Licenses lapse. 0 NC HVAC and heating contractors licenses expire within the next 90 days.
- Check the classification against your project. This is the check people most often skip, and it is the one that decides whether the work is legal.
- Confirm the name matches. The license belongs to the qualifier and the company named on it, not to whoever is holding it up.
Hiring an unlicensed contractor can void your homeowner insurance on any resulting claim, and unpermitted work routinely surfaces during a sale. What you risk with an unlicensed contractor · Report unlicensed work · All NC license types
Look up a licensed HVAC and heating contractor
Browse all 6,250 NC HVAC and heating contractors →
By city
Charlotte (263) Raleigh (239) Wilmington (143) Greensboro (115) Winston-Salem (85) Durham (82) Fayetteville (82) Gastonia (66) Clayton (65) Concord (61) Monroe (59) Burlington (57)
Common questions
Which HVAC license do I need for a home heat pump?
H-3 covers residential heat pumps, air conditioning, gas furnaces and package systems of 15 tons or under, which is what a typical home uses.
What does Class I versus Class II mean on a heating license?
The class narrows the scope within the heating group. Each profile on this site shows the full license type exactly as the board records it.
Can one company hold H-1, H-2 and H-3?
Yes, and many do. All classes held appear together on the contractor profile.
Other trades
North Carolina Electrical Contractor Licenses North Carolina General Contractor Licenses North Carolina Plumbing Contractor Licenses North Carolina Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licenses North Carolina Home Inspector Licenses North Carolina Structural Pest Control Licenses