HVAC Service Company
The shortcut: Most HVAC techs who go independent build a repair business — chasing the 11pm "my AC died in August" call because that's the visible money. The techs clearing $150K+ are running a maintenance subscription business that happens to include repairs. Sell the agreement first, the repair second, and you stop competing with every guy in a van.
Industry: Home Services | Investment level: Medium — $15,000-$50,000 | Time to launch: 8-14 weeks (state license + EPA 608 + van fit-out gate the launch)
Best for: Experienced techs with 5+ years on a service truck, EPA Section 608 Universal certification already in hand, and the stomach to cold-call property managers and small commercial sites between residential calls. What you'll likely make: $3,000-$6,000 month 3, $7,000-$12,000 month 6, $12,000-$18,000 month 12. Math is in Section 4.
Market Opportunity
Most HVAC techs who go independent never build a real book. They take their old employer's overflow for six months, then watch winter slow down and panic. The reason isn't lack of demand. They sold the wrong product — repair calls, a one-time transaction — when the actual product the customer wants is "I never want to think about my furnace again."
Maintenance agreements are how you sell that. Two visits per year — spring before AC, fall before heat. You charge $150-$300 per system per year, billed upfront. The customer pays in March. You bank the cash. And every time something breaks in between, they call you because they already paid you and they trust the guy who's been crawling around their attic for two years.
The federal certification gate keeps the field smaller than it looks. Anyone touching refrigerant has to hold EPA Section 608 certification — Universal is the one to get, lifetime, $50-$150 to test through ESCO Group, HVAC Excellence, or NCI (EPA 608 Technician Certification). State HVAC contractor licensing layers on top — Texas requires the TACLA license through TDLR with four years of documented experience, California needs a C-20 through CSLB, Colorado leaves it to the municipality. Look up your state at Contractors-License.org.
Add the AIM Act refrigerant transition — R-22 is essentially gone, R-410A is being phased down, A2L refrigerants like R-454B and R-32 need updated tooling (EPA AIM Act). Every barrier shrinks your competitor pool.
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