Guide · Texas · Updated 2026-10-19

How to pick an HVAC company in Texas

Unlike roofing, air conditioning and heating work in Texas is actually licensed by the state. Any contractor who installs, repairs or maintains air conditioning, refrigeration or heating systems must hold a license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), under what is called the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor, or ACR, program. That gives you something concrete to check before you let anyone touch your system, on top of the usual quote comparisons.

The TDLR ACR license, and how to look it up

TDLR's program page is direct about the requirement: "Contractors who install, repair, or maintain systems related to air conditioning, refrigeration, or heating must have a TDLR license," and "ACR companies must employ an ACR contractor in each permanent location." That means the company itself needs a licensed ACR contractor on staff at the location serving you, not just somewhere in the business.

You can check any license yourself, for free, using TDLR's public license search at tdlr.texas.gov. The tool lets you search active licenses by license number, name, business name, city, county or zip code, and the database is refreshed regularly. Before you hire anyone, ask for their license number and confirm it comes back active in the search, rather than trusting a number printed on a truck or a business card.

Class A versus Class B: what the difference actually means

TDLR issues two classes of ACR contractor license, and the difference is about the size of system a contractor is allowed to work on, not quality of work:

	Class A	Class B
Capacity	Any size unit	Cooling systems of 25 tons and under; heating systems of 1.5 million BTUs per hour and under
Typical use	Large residential, commercial and industrial systems	Most homes and smaller buildings
Required insurance (per occurrence / aggregate)	$300,000 / $600,000, plus $300,000 products and completed operations	$100,000 / $200,000, plus $100,000 products and completed operations
Experience and exam	48 months of supervised experience in the past 72 months (or 12 months as a certified technician plus 36 months supervised in the past 48 months), then pass the licensing exam	Same experience path, then pass the Class B exam

For a typical single-family home, a Class B contractor is fully qualified. If you are dealing with a large commercial rooftop unit or an unusually large residential system, confirm the contractor holds a Class A license, since a Class B license legally caps out at 25 tons of cooling capacity.

What to ask before you hire

What is your TDLR ACR license number, and is it a Class A or Class B license? Verify it yourself in the TDLR search tool rather than taking it on faith.
Who will actually be on site? The company needs a licensed ACR contractor at the location, but the technician on your roof may be a registered or certified technician working under that license. Ask how that works at this company.
Will you run a load calculation (Manual J) before quoting a full system replacement, rather than just matching the size of what is already there? Oversized or undersized systems run less efficiently and wear out faster.
What does the warranty cover, on both parts and labor, and for how long? Get it in writing, including whether it is prorated.
Do you carry general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and can you provide a certificate I can verify with the insurer directly?
Is there a diagnostic or service call fee, and does it apply toward the repair if you move forward?

Quote red flags

No license number on the written estimate. A legitimate ACR contractor should have no reluctance putting their license number on paper.
Pressure to decide same-day, especially paired with a "today only" discount.
A quote to replace the whole system with no real diagnosis of what failed. A full replacement can be the right call, but it should follow an actual inspection, not a quick look and an upsell.
No mention of sizing the new system to your home, just matching tonnage to the old unit without any load calculation.
Vastly different quotes with no explanation. If one bid is dramatically higher or lower than the others, ask what is different about the scope, equipment or warranty before assuming it is the best deal.
Cash-only payment or no written contract. Get the scope of work, price, equipment model numbers and warranty terms in writing before anyone starts.
No permanent local address or years of local work you can verify. This matters as much for HVAC as it does for storm-chasing roofers, since you want someone who will still be reachable if something fails under warranty.

Checking efficiency claims

If a contractor is quoting a high-efficiency system or citing a rebate, ask for the AHRI certificate showing the SEER2 rating for the exact indoor and outdoor unit combination being installed, not just a spec sheet for the outdoor unit alone. Our guide to SEER2 rules and AC rebates in Texas covers the minimum rating required in Texas and which utility rebates we could verify directly. And if you are weighing a repair against a full replacement, our guide to AC repair versus replacement cost in Texas walks through typical price ranges and a rough rule of thumb for the decision.

Ready to compare contractors? See the ten most-reviewed AC and HVAC companies near you.

See the top 10 AC repair companies

AC not keeping the house cool? Tell us what is going on and a top-rated Texas AC company will call you to set up a service call.

Common questions

Do HVAC contractors need a license in Texas?

Yes. Contractors who install, repair or maintain air conditioning, refrigeration or heating systems must hold a license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation under its Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor (ACR) program.

How do I verify an HVAC contractor's license in Texas?

Use TDLR's free public license search at tdlr.texas.gov, where you can look up an active license by license number, name, business name, city, county or zip code.

What is the difference between a Class A and Class B ACR license?

A Class A license has no capacity limit and can work on any size system. A Class B license is limited to cooling systems of 25 tons and under and heating systems of 1.5 million BTUs per hour and under, which covers most homes.

What are red flags in an HVAC quote?

No license number on the written estimate, pressure to sign the same day, a full-replacement recommendation with no real diagnosis, no load calculation for a new system, and a request for cash only with no written contract.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-19.