- Register as a sole proprietor or incorporate with BC Registries (~$40–$380)
- File your Burnaby business licence (~$100+/yr)
- Get general liability insurance
- Set your rates ($95–$150/hr, with service-call minimums of $150–$250)
- Build a brand, website, and online booking
- Set up card payments and simple bookkeeping
- Launch a Google Business Profile focused on Burnaby
Burnaby's market has a shape of its own, and a hvac business here works differently than it would one city over. Burnaby pairs ageing tower mechanical systems with thousands of new units hitting first-service age — and suburban streets below converting furnaces to heat pumps. Service contracts, not one-off calls, are the prize here.
Why Burnaby specifically
Where the work is: Get on property managers' emergency call lists; after-hours capability wins the account. Neighbourhoods like Brentwood, Metrotown, Burnaby Heights each have their own client base — your Google Business Profile and local pages should name them.
What it costs to start in Burnaby
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| BC business registration (sole prop) | ~$40 |
| Name request fee | ~$30 |
| Burnaby business licence | ~$100+/yr |
| General liability insurance | $500–$1,200/yr |
| Equipment & supplies | $3,000–$8,000 (gauges, recovery unit, vacuum pump, van stock) |
| Branding, website & booking setup | $0 DIY – $3,000+ agency |
Government fees change — confirm current amounts with BC Registries and the City of Burnaby. Burnaby issues home-occupation licences for service businesses; if you also work regularly in Vancouver or Surrey, the Metro West inter-municipal licence ($300/yr) can replace buying separate city licences.
What you can earn
Around Metro Vancouver, $95–$150/hr, with service-call minimums of $150–$250 is the going range. Keep the calendar full and $8,000–$15,000+ per month solo with red seal or gasfitter credentials is achievable solo — though your niche, service area, and how professional you look all move the number. Refrigeration work requires certification and gas work requires a Technical Safety BC gasfitter licence — the business wrapper is what turns your ticket into a company.
Let's name it
Before the tactics, the mindset blocker worth naming out loud. “What if a callback or a gas issue puts my ticket at risk?” Documented scopes, permits pulled properly, insurance, and clean paperwork protect the licence you worked years for — every Prontco launch includes the agreements written right.
Talk it through on a free callTrue Cost of Launching Calculator
Before you quote your first job in Burnaby, work out what launching actually costs you — then price so the work covers it. Real 2026 Canadian rates, every source listed.
Run the numbers →Your first clients in Burnaby — the hvac playbook
- Pitch strata councils on annual maintenance contracts for ageing buildings — one contract anchors a year.
- Target 5–7 year old condo stock for first heat-pump servicing and warranty-expiry work.
- Get on property managers' emergency call lists; after-hours capability wins the account.
The shortcut
You can do all of this yourself over a few weeks of evenings. Or Prontco does the whole thing in about 10 business days — registration, your Burnaby licence filing, brand, website with booking, payments, accounting setup, and 30 days of launch support. You own every account. From $997.
Related guides
How to start a hvac business in BC · How to start a business in Burnaby · The complete BC startup guide · Free calculators & checklists