Guide
Before you hire an HVAC contractor
The company you reach is independent. These checks take a few minutes and are worth doing before anyone starts work.
Licensing depends on the address
Fort Collins: the City licenses HVAC work in its own classes, with a separate license for gas piping, and subcontractors need their own City license or registration. Master electricians and plumbers need a Colorado state license plus City registration. To check a contractor, contact the City's Contractor Licensing office at 970-224-6165 or Contractor_Licensing@fortcollins.gov.
Loveland: a City contractor license is required for mechanical work in rental homes, multi-family buildings and non-residential buildings. The City verifies licenses by phone at 970-962-2505.
Windsor: the town requires no contractor license. Plumbing and electrical contractors still need State of Colorado licenses.
Wellington: every contractor and subcontractor needs a current Town of Wellington license before a permit can be applied for.
Unincorporated Larimer County, including Laporte: the county licenses mechanical and gas piping contractors, while plumbers and electricians are licensed by the state.
Sources: Fort Collins; Loveland; Windsor; Wellington; Larimer County.
Questions for the first call
- The company's legal name and business address.
- Which local license it holds, and the number.
- Who pulls the permit.
- A certificate of insurance, on request.
- Whether any part of the job goes to a subcontractor.
- A written quote before work starts.
- Who registers the equipment warranty.
- Whether the company is an Efficiency Works participating provider, if rebates matter to you.
Signs to slow down
A contractor who asks you to pull the permit in your own name for work the company will do. Pressure to sign the same day. No written quote. A cracked heat exchanger announced without a photo or a reading to back it up.
Owners doing their own work
Fort Collins exempts owners working on their own single-family home from contractor licensing, with conditions. Loveland lets homeowners work on their primary residence with a homeowner affidavit. Gas work carries real risk, so read the conditions before relying on either.
Sources: Fort Collins contractor licensing; Loveland permitting FAQ.
Cold house? Make the call.
Describe the symptoms and give your street. A heating and cooling business that covers the Fort Collins area, independent of this website, handles everything after that.