Guide
Hiring a C-20 HVAC contractor
California licenses heating and air conditioning contractors through the Contractors State License Board. A few minutes of checking before you sign protects you if something goes wrong.
The license that covers HVAC work
The board's C-20 classification covers the contractor who fabricates, installs, maintains, services and repairs warm-air heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems, along with the ducts, controls and filters that go with them. A furnace or central air job should be done under that license.
Look the number up on the CSLB license check before work begins. The board points out that seeing a license number does not by itself mean the license is valid.
Checks the board recommends
From the board's guide to finding the right contractor.
License status
Confirm it is active and in the C-20 classification.
Identity
Ask for the pocket license and a photo ID, and make sure the person in front of you matches the license.
Workers' compensation
C-20 contractors must carry workers' compensation, or have a certificate of self-insurance on file, even with no employees.
Bond
California requires licensed contractors to carry a contractor license bond. Ask about it if the record is unclear.
Salespeople
Anyone selling home improvement contracts for a licensee generally has to be registered as a home improvement salesperson. Ask to see the card.
Several bids
Get bids on the same scope of work, and be wary of one far below the rest.
Ask about the permit
The Energy Commission advises hiring a licensed contractor who will permit the work through the local building department when an HVAC unit is replaced. Ask who pulls the permit and whether its cost is in the price.
Inside the city that is the Bakersfield Building Division, reachable at 661-326-3720. Outside the city limits it is usually Kern County Building Inspection at 661-862-8650. Shafter and Arvin run their own permit offices.
Put it in writing
A written contract should name the equipment, the scope of work, the price and payment schedule, the permit, and the contractor's license number. California sets specific rules for home improvement contracts, and the contractor should know them.
- Make and model numbers for new equipment
- What happens to the old equipment and refrigerant
- Who handles the duct test and the inspection
- Warranty terms from the manufacturer and for the labor
How this site fits in
HVAC Repair Bakersfield is a referral service. Under California rules a referral service may pass on contact details for licensed contractors but may not negotiate contracts for them or take on the work itself, as the board explains in its fact sheet on online marketplaces. You contract with and pay the contractor directly, and the license checks above apply to that contractor.
Talk it over with a contractor
Say what the system is doing and where the house is. You will be speaking with an independent HVAC contractor who works in Bakersfield and the towns around it.