Michigan: HVAC contractor licensing, reciprocity and contract rules.

This page lists what Michigan publishes about licensing an HVAC or mechanical contractor and contracting with homeowners: who issues the licence, whether one is required statewide, the classes and qualifications, insurance or bond minimums, reciprocity with other states, renewal and continuing education, and the state's home-improvement contract statute if it has one.

It is built for owners of residential HVAC companies, especially those hiring across a state line or opening a second territory. Every entry is a snapshot of what the cited source published on the verification date; it is a research starting point, not legal advice.

Michigan, field by field.

Contractor licensing authority

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes, Licensing Section, which issues the mechanical contractor's licence under Article 8 (Mechanical Contractors) of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407 (MCL 339.5801–339.5819), with a Board of Mechanical Rules (MCL 339.5805). LARA states "Licensed Mechanical Contractors can perform installations, alterations, servicing, and secure permits."

HVAC licence required

Statewide — a person shall not perform "installations, alterations, or servicing of work classifications under section 807(2)" regulated under the single state construction code act unless the person or an employee holds a mechanical contractor's licence that "has not been revoked or suspended" and "has secured the appropriate permit from the enforcing agency" (MCL 339.5809(1)); the classifications are "Hydronic heating and cooling and process piping", "HVAC equipment", "Ductwork", "Refrigeration", "Limited heating service", "Limited refrigeration and air conditioning service", "Unlimited heating service", "Unlimited refrigeration and air conditioning service", "Fire suppression" and "Specialty" (MCL 339.5807(2)); no dollar threshold appears; "A municipality shall not establish or maintain local licensing requirements" for this work (MCL 339.5811), but a licensed mechanical contractor performing work in a municipality must register the licence with the enforcing agency that issues permits, for a municipal fee not exceeding $15.00, the registration running to the licence's expiration date (MCL 339.5817); an owner "may personally install a heating or refrigerating system" in a single-family dwelling the owner occupies or will occupy, with permits and inspection (MCL 339.5819). Exemptions cover licensed persons working without compensation for a charitable organization and thermostat work by registered system providers or licensed security alarm system contractors (MCL 339.5809(3)–(4)).

Licence classes & qualifications

Mechanical contractor's licence issued with one or more of the ten classifications above; the applicant must have "a minimum of 3 years or 6,000 hours of experience in the work classification for which he or she is seeking a license" (or a board-accepted equivalent) and pass a work classification examination for each classification (MCL 339.5807(1)–(2); LARA: "Must have a minimum of 3 years experience in each of the work classifications applied for" and "Must take and pass an examination for each work classification desired", exams administered by PSI). Completion of "a 2-year, or equivalent, HVAC program" is credited toward the experience but "must not exceed 1 year or 2,000 hours" (MCL 339.5807(5)). LARA lists specialty licences for Solar Heating and Cooling, Solid Fuel and Vented Decorative Gas Appliances, LP Distribution Piping, Fuel Gas Piping, and Fuel Gas Piping and Venting.

Insurance / bond minimum

Not stated in this pass — no general-liability or surety-bond requirement appears in any of the ten sections of STRA Article 8 (MCL 339.5801–339.5819), in the licence application section (MCL 339.5201), or on LARA's mechanical licensing page.

Reciprocity

None published for the mechanical contractor licence on the pages read; the STRA's reciprocal-licence section (MCL 339.5221) addresses only applicants whose education or experience records are unavailable from a foreign country.

Renewal & continuing education

"An initial or renewal mechanical contractor's license expires on August 31 every third year"; renewal requires application and fee by October 31; a licence not renewed becomes void for permit purposes until reinstated, and "An individual who renews his or her license within 3 years after the license is voided" "is not subject to reexamination for the license" (MCL 339.5813). No CE requirement published for mechanical contractors (none in MCL 339.5813 or on LARA's page). Fee amounts are set by department rule (MCL 339.5401) and were not read in this pass.

Home-improvement contract rule

No stand-alone home-improvement contract statute was located; three laws apply. (1) Occupational Code Article 24: a residential builder or residential maintenance and alteration contractor licence is required for residential work unless "the aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items" is less than $600.00, and contractors licensed under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (including mechanical contractors under Article 8) are exempt for work within their own trade (MCL 339.2403); an Article 24 licensee "shall, as part of the contract, provide information relating to his or her individual license" (MCL 339.2404a); a person "shall not bring or maintain an action in a court of this state for the collection of compensation" for work requiring an Article 24 licence "without alleging and proving that the person was licensed under this article" (MCL 339.2412). (2) Home Solicitation Sales Act, 1971 PA 227: the buyer may cancel "at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction", with a notice of cancellation in duplicate in "not less than 10-point bold type" and refunds within 10 business days (MCL 445.113). (3) Home Improvement Finance Act, 1965 PA 332: "A home improvement installment contract shall be dated and in writing" with the printed portion "in at least 8-point type" (MCL 445.1201). The Attorney General's home-repair handout (rev. May 2021) states "Deposits should not be more than 1/3 of the total project cost" and that a contractor needs a LARA licence if the project will cost more than $600 (guidance, not a statutory cap).