New Hampshire: HVAC contractor licensing, reciprocity and contract rules.

This page lists what New Hampshire 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.

New Hampshire, field by field.

Contractor licensing authority

No state licence exists for HVAC, air-conditioning or refrigeration work as such. The Mechanical Licensing Board — "There is hereby established as a unit within the office of professional licensure and certification." (RSA 153:27-a) — licenses fuel gas fitters and plumbers (RSA 153:29 II lists the licence endorsements; RSA 153:29-a covers business entity licences); the definitions in RSA 153:27 contain no term covering refrigeration or air conditioning (the fuel gas definitions refer to heating equipment systems and water heating systems). The board's members include "One certified heating equipment installer or heating equipment service person under RSA 153:16-b" (RSA 153:27-a III(c)); RSA 153:16-b directs the board to "establish a voluntary certification program" for individuals installing or servicing heating equipment, water heating systems or appliances using heating oil — a certification, not a licence.

HVAC licence required

None at state level for refrigeration and air-conditioning work as such. Fuel gas fitting work requires a statewide fuel gas fitter licence: "No person, business entity, or any combination of, shall engage in the business or work as a fuel gas fitter, plumber, fuel gas trainee, or plumbing apprentice unless the person, business entity, or both, are lawfully licensed as provided by" RSA 153:27 through RSA 153:38 and the Mec rules (Mec 302.01(a)); "Fuel gas fitting" means "the installation, repair, alteration, service, demolition or removal of pipes, fixtures," fittings, appliances, equipment or apparatus for supplying natural gas or propane (RSA 153:27 IV). RSA 153:36 VII: "The plumbing license requirements of this subdivision shall not apply to any person or business entity that performs plumbing in connection with the installation of any heating, cooling, air conditioning or domestic water heating systems, whether solar, oil, gas, or electric", and such a person must perform the plumbing "in accordance with applicable technical standards, and comply with any code, application, and inspection requirements"; RSA 153:36 I exempts fuel gas fitting by an owner-occupant in an existing single-family primary residence, subject to the same standards and permits. Certification of installers and service personnel of heating-oil equipment under RSA 153:16-b is voluntary; falsely claiming it is a violation (natural person) or misdemeanor (RSA 153:16-b IV).

Licence classes & qualifications

Fuel gas fitter licence endorsements listed in RSA 153:29 II: hearth system installation and service technician, fuel gas installation technician, fuel gas service technician, fuel gas piping installer, fuel gas trainee, domestic appliance technician (the same list names master, journeyman and apprentice plumber); "No licensee shall engage in any activity not covered by his or her specialty license." (RSA 153:29 III). Rules: fuel gas piping installer — "A minimum of 60 hours of educational training" and "A minimum of 1,000 working hours of on-the-job experience" "within 60 consecutive months" (Mec 305.02(b)); fuel gas installation technician — 100 hours of educational training and 1,000 working hours within 60 consecutive months (Mec 305.03(b)); fuel gas service technician — 140 hours of educational training and 2,000 working hours within 60 consecutive months (Mec 305.04(b)), each with limited credit for heating-oil experience; hearth system installation and service technician — at least 60 hours of educational training and 2,000 hours of field experience within 60 consecutive months (Mec 305.05(b)); domestic appliance technician — at least 40 hours of educational training, 30 hours of factory-authorized certification training and 1,000 hours of field experience within 60 consecutive months (Mec 305.06(b)); examinations require "a passing score of not less than 70% unless otherwise specified in the Mec rules" (Mec 308.02). No individual licence is granted under age 18 (Mec 302.02). Business entities: "All business entities, corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, sole proprietors, and limited liability partnerships performing fuel gas fitting or plumbing in NH shall be licensed" (Mec 302.05); the office may license a business entity whose officer, partner, managing member or designee holds an active licence in the relevant discipline (RSA 153:29-a I), and the applicant must employ at least one corporate officer or responsible managing employee holding the New Hampshire licence specific to the discipline (Mec 307.04(a)(3)).

Insurance / bond minimum

No surety-bond requirement appears in RSA 153:27–153:36, RSA 153:29-a or Mec 300/400. Liability insurance: "All business entities shall provide proof of good standing with the secretary of state and proof of liability insurance prior to issuance and renewal of a business entity license." (RSA 153:29-a V); Mec 307.02(b) lists proof of liability insurance among the required supporting materials for business applicants. Neither states a minimum amount.

Reciprocity

No reciprocal-state list published on the pages read. RSA 153:28 V: the board, "through the office of professional licensure and certification, may enter into reciprocity agreements" permitting the licensing of fuel gas fitters and plumbers from states with a mutual mechanical licensing reciprocity agreement with New Hampshire, for all licences listed in RSA 153:28 I(a), provided the board determines that state's requirements are "equivalent to, or greater than" New Hampshire's; RSA 153:28 I(c) requires rules on "The implementation of reciprocity agreements entered into pursuant to paragraph V."; Mec 305.01(b)(4)(c) sets a 70% passing score for a journeyman plumber licensed by reciprocity.

Renewal & continuing education

Individual licences "shall expire every 2 years on the last day of the month the license was issued." (Mec 402.01(a)); each two-year cycle requires "a total of no fewer than 6 hours of continuing education for each plumbing or fuel gas fitting endorsement" (Mec 404.01(a)), in seminars of "no fewer than 3 contact hours each" (Mec 404.03(a)); RSA 153:28 I(b) directs the board's rules to set the hours of continuing education for each specialty licence; reinstatement within one year after expiration under Mec 405.01(a), re-application for initial licensure after one year (Mec 405.01(b)); the renewal fee is set in Plc 1002.25 (Mec 403.01(a)(3); amount not on the page). Business entity licences: an initial licence is valid for 2 years (Mec 302.04) and "All licenses issued under this section shall expire every 2 years in accordance with RSA 310:8." (RSA 153:29-a II).

Home-improvement contract rule

No home-improvement contractor registration statute or home-improvement contract statute exists in RSA Title XXXI (Trade and Commerce); the Title's table of contents lists no chapter on home improvement or contractors. RSA 359-G (Residential Construction Defects; Dispute Resolution; 2005, 155:1, effective January 1, 2006) requires a homeowner to serve written notice of claimed defects "no later than 60 days before initiating an action" against a contractor (RSA 359-G:4 I) and, where "the contract amount exceeds $5,000", requires the contractor to give written notice of its right to resolve alleged defects before litigation — "Such notice shall be conspicuous." and may be included in the contract (RSA 359-G:7 I).