- Confirm your credentials: gas fitter licence and/or refrigeration ticket, plus a TSBC contractor licence to operate
- Register your business and file municipal licences
- Carry serious liability insurance ($2,000+/yr is normal)
- Equip for install and service work (gauges, recovery, vacuum, tools)
- Position around heat pumps and rebate-driven demand
- Build a brand that supports premium pricing
- Set up quoting, payments, and Google presence
Unlike most trades in this guide, HVAC in BC is regulated — and rightly so. Gas work requires a licensed gas fitter, refrigerant handling requires certification, and operating as a contractor requires a licence from Technical Safety BC. If you're reading this with tickets in hand, you already cleared the hard part.
What's left is the part nobody teaches at trade school: becoming a company. BC's electrification push and heat pump rebates (federal and provincial programs have offered thousands per install) have flooded the market with homeowners actively shopping for installers — and comparing them online. The licensed tech with a professional web presence, reviews, and instant quote requests captures demand the equally-skilled competitor never sees.
What it costs to start
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Trade credentials (gas fitter / refrigeration) | Already held (prerequisite) |
| TSBC contractor licence | Varies — confirm current TSBC fees |
| BC business registration / incorporation | ~$40–$380 |
| Municipal business licence | $100–$250/yr |
| Liability insurance | $2,000–$5,000+/yr |
| Tools & equipment (gauges, recovery, vacuum) | $5,000–$15,000 |
| Service vehicle setup | $2,000–$10,000+ |
| Branding, website & quote system | $0 DIY – $5,000+ agency |
| Realistic total | $12,000–$35,000 |
Credential and TSBC licensing costs vary by class and status — always confirm current requirements directly with Technical Safety BC. This guide covers the business side, not certification.
What you can earn
HVAC service calls in Metro Vancouver commonly start at $150–$250 for diagnosis, with repairs running $300–$1,500+ and full heat pump or furnace installs at $6,000–$20,000+. Solo licensed operators regularly produce $15,000–$30,000+ per month in revenue during peak seasons. Maintenance plans — annual service subscriptions — are the underused move that smooths the shoulder seasons.
True Cost of Launching Calculator
Before you quote your first job, work out what launching actually costs you — then price so the work covers it. Real 2026 Canadian rates, every source listed.
Run the numbers →Licensing & requirements in BC
This is the trade where compliance is the business. You'll generally need: appropriate individual credentials (gas fitter licence for gas work through Technical Safety BC; refrigeration certification for refrigerant handling), a TSBC contractor licence to operate a gas contracting business, permits pulled per job for regulated work, business registration, municipal licences, and robust insurance. Requirements vary by the exact work you do — confirm your situation with Technical Safety BC directly. Prontco builds the business infrastructure around your credentials; we don't provide licensing or regulatory advice.
Let's name it
“I'm a tech, not a marketer — the guys getting the heat pump jobs just have better websites.” Correct, and that's fixable in 10 days. Your ticket took years; the business layer that lets you charge for it properly shouldn't.
Talk it through on a free callThe 7 steps, properly
01Verify your regulatory position
Before anything else: confirm with Technical Safety BC that your individual credentials and contractor licensing cover the work you intend to sell. This guide can't do that for you — TSBC can.
02Incorporate
Given job values ($6,000–$20,000 installs) and liability exposure, most HVAC founders incorporate from day one rather than starting as sole proprietors. It also reads stronger on commercial bids.
03Insure at trade level
HVAC liability insurance runs $2,000–$5,000+/yr — a real cost that's priced into every quote you'll send. Commercial work and strata jobs will require certificates.
04Position for the heat pump wave
Rebate-driven heat pump demand is the growth story in BC. A website that explains rebates and captures quote requests puts you in front of homeowners at the exact moment they're funded and motivated.
05Build a premium brand
You're quoting five-figure installs against established companies. Your brand, quote documents, and reviews are what make a $14,000 quote feel safe coming from a newer company.
06Systematize quoting and payment
Fast, professional quotes win installs. Card payments, deposits, and progress billing keep five-figure jobs from becoming cash-flow problems.
07Own emergency and local search
“Furnace repair [city]” at 11pm in January is the highest-intent search in the trades. Google Business Profile, service pages per city, and reviews decide who gets that call.
The shortcut: launched in about 10 business days
Everything above is doable yourself over a couple of months of evenings. Or you hand us the details on one 30-minute call and we build all of it — registration, licence filing, brand, website, online booking, payments, accounting setup, Google Business Profile, socials, and your service agreement — in about 10 business days, with 30 days of support after handoff. HVAC founders almost always fit Launch ($1,997) — incorporation included, local SEO pages for every service city, and priority build so the business layer is live while your tickets do the selling. Add Prontco Growth if you want reviews and content managed while you're on installs.
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HVAC business FAQ
What licences do I need to start an HVAC business in BC?
Generally: individual credentials for the regulated work you do (gas fitter licence for gas; refrigeration certification for refrigerant handling), plus a contractor licence from Technical Safety BC to operate, plus per-job permits for regulated work — alongside standard business registration and municipal licences. Requirements depend on your exact scope, so confirm directly with Technical Safety BC. Prontco handles the business setup around your credentials.
Can I start an HVAC business without a ticket?
Not for regulated work — gas and refrigerant work legally requires licensed, certified people. Some founders start in adjacent unregulated services or hire licensed techs, but that's a fundamentally different (and harder) play than an owner-operator with tickets.
Is the heat pump market really that strong in BC?
Government electrification incentives have driven sustained heat pump demand across BC, and homeowners research installers online where rebates are involved. Licensed installers with strong web presence are capturing a disproportionate share of it — that's the opportunity.
How much does HVAC insurance cost?
Expect $2,000–$5,000+ per year depending on scope, revenue, and crew — meaningfully more than low-risk trades, and non-negotiable. Get quotes early so it's priced into your rates from the first job.
Why use Prontco if I already have the skills?
Because your bottleneck isn't skill — it's the registered company, brand, website, quoting, payments, and Google presence that convert your credentials into booked installs. We build that layer in about 10 business days while you keep working.
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