How To Choose An HVAC Contractor On The South Shore

Ask a South Shore homeowner to name the license an HVAC contractor needs, and most will guess there is one. There isn't. Massachusetts splits heating and cooling work by what the job touches: gas piping, oil burners, ductwork, refrigeration, and wiring each fall under a different license or certificate, issued by different state offices.

That sounds complicated, but it gives you a useful test. Once you know what kind of system you have and what the job involves, you know exactly which credential to ask for and where to look it up. This guide walks through that match, the town permits that go with it, and how to compare contractors once you have a short list.

Start With The Fuel Your Home Uses

South Shore homes run on a real mix of fuels. Census estimates for 2019 to 2023 show that in Braintree, about a third of occupied homes heat with fuel oil. In Milton, roughly two thirds use utility gas. In Quincy, electricity heats close to three in ten homes. The license you need to check depends on which of those systems is in your basement, and on what you plan to replace it with.

If your heat is out right now, our emergency heating repair page covers what to check first and when to call.

Match The Job To The Right License

Gas Furnaces, Boilers, And Water Heaters

Gas piping and venting fall under the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters. The Board licenses master and journeyman gas fitters, who pipe fuel gas to appliances and install vent piping for flue gases and makeup air. A master or journeyman plumber may also do gas fitting work. Gas permits are issued by the local inspector, and under the state's plumbing and gas regulations they go only to properly qualified license holders, never to apprentices.

Oil Burners

Oil heat follows a different path. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services issues the Oil Burner Technician certificate, which lets the holder service, install, and repair oil burners and related equipment after passing a written exam. The state's oil burner permit form is blunt about it: a certificate of competency is required, and no other license, such as a plumbing or electrical license, is acceptable for that work.

Installing or altering oil burning equipment requires a permit application on the Department of Fire Services Form 1, signed by an installer holding an oil burner certificate of competency; once signed by the fire department, the form becomes the permit.

Source: Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, FP-056 Form 1

On the South Shore, those oil permits run through local fire departments. Brockton's Fire Department posts the Oil Burner Permit and a separate Tank Removal Permit. Plymouth's Fire Department notes that oil burner applications need an electrical permit number first, except for fuel oil tank replacements. Hanover's Fire Department requires a Form 1 completed by the installer, followed by a fire department inspection.

Ductwork

Ducts are sheet metal work, regulated by the Board of Examiners of Sheet Metal Workers. The state says only a master or journeyperson sheet metal worker holding the Board's license, working under permits from the local building inspector, may do sheet metal work at your home. Restricted licenses cover residential buildings up to three stories, which takes in most South Shore houses. If a central air or ducted heat pump job includes new or altered ductwork, ask who on the crew holds the sheet metal license.

Air Conditioning, Heat Pumps, And Refrigeration

Massachusetts requires a refrigeration technician license for anyone doing refrigeration work with a capacity over 10 tons in the aggregate. Most single-family systems fall well below that size, so the more relevant check for a typical home is federal EPA certification for handling refrigerant. Mass Save's Heat Pump Installer Network, for example, requires participating contractors to show proof of EPA certification and insurance and to complete heat pump installation training.

The Electrical Side

Nearly every new system needs wiring: a dedicated circuit for a heat pump, a disconnect for a condenser, a thermostat run. The state says only a master or journeyman electrician holding a license from the Board of State Examiners of Electricians may legally be hired for electrical work in your home. Many HVAC companies keep an electrician on staff or subcontract one. Ask which, and make sure a wiring permit is part of the plan.

How To Check Each Credential

• Gas fitter, plumber, sheet metal, and electrician licenses: use the state's occupational license lookup, which searches the eLIPSE system by name, license number, license type, or business.
• Oil burner technician certificates: use the Department of Fire Services license verification search.
• Mass Save heat pump rebate work: confirm the company appears in the Mass Save heat pump installer finder.

Two cautions apply. A company name can hold one license while the person in your basement holds another, so ask whose license covers each part of the job. And Mass Save says plainly that network participation means baseline requirements were met; it does not vouch for the quality of any contractor's work.

Know Which Permits Your Job Needs

A single heating or cooling project can involve several permits from different offices. Depending on the job, expect some combination of these:

• A gas permit from the town's plumbing and gas inspector for gas piping and gas appliance connections.
• An oil burner permit through the fire department on Form 1, plus a tank removal permit if an old tank comes out.
• A sheet metal permit from the building inspector for ductwork.
• An electrical permit from the wiring inspector for new circuits or disconnects.

Local offices differ in how they handle it. Brockton's Building Department issues all online permits for residential construction and handles electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and building inspections in the city. Randolph takes building, electric, gas, and plumbing permit requests online through its PermitEyes system. The contractor should file these, not you. Your role is to ask which permits apply and to see the permit numbers before work starts.

For local permit notes, see the city pages for Brockton and Plymouth.

Compare Proposals, Not Just Prices

Once two or three contractors have seen the house, line up their proposals. A heating system is a long-term decision, and a bid that looks like a bargain is often the one that skipped a step. Look for:

What A Strong HVAC Proposal Includes

• A load calculation or a clear explanation of how the system was sized for your house.
• Equipment brand, model numbers, and efficiency ratings for every unit.
• What happens to the old equipment and any oil tank, and which permits cover removal.
• Ductwork, venting, or chimney changes, and who on the crew holds each needed license.
• Electrical work and whether an electrician is included.
• Start and completion dates, payment milestones, and both equipment and labor warranties.

Ask each contractor to explain any big difference between their proposal and another one. A good contractor can tell you why they sized the system differently or chose a different boiler, without running down the competition.

What Drives HVAC Costs

We don't list prices, because they swing with the house and the season. The factors that move a quote are fairly consistent, though: the size and layout of the home, how much ductwork or piping must change, whether an oil tank or old boiler has to come out, electrical upgrades, how well insulated the house is, and what rebates or financing apply. Ask each contractor to show you how those factors shaped their number.

Questions To Ask Every HVAC Contractor

1. Which license or certificate covers this job, and whose name is it under?
2. Who will actually be in my home, and what licenses do they hold?
3. How did you size the new system for my house?
4. Which permits will you pull, and when will the inspections happen?
5. Do you subcontract the electrical or sheet metal work? To whom?
6. What warranty comes with the equipment, and what do you cover on labor?
7. How do you handle no-heat calls from existing customers in winter?

Thinking about a heat pump? Our companion guide, Heat Pump Questions To Ask Before You Sign, covers sizing, rebates, and contract details.

Where South Shore HVAC Finder Fits

South Shore HVAC Finder is a referral service. When you call or send a request, you are connected with an independent local HVAC contractor who serves your town. We don't do heating or cooling work, and we don't check anyone's credentials for you, so use the lookups above before you sign. See how it works for more.

Sources

• mass.gov/info-details/plumbers-and-gas-fitters-consumer-fact-sheet
• mass.gov/how-to/check-an-occupational-board-license
• law.cornell.edu/regulations/massachusetts/248-CMR-3-05
• mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-an-oil-burner-technician-or-apprentice-certificate
• madfs.mylicense.com/verification/
• mass.gov/doc/fp-056-form-1-fuel-oil-burning/download
• mass.gov/info-details/sheet-metal-worker-consumer-fact-sheet
• mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-a-refrigeration-technician-license
• mass.gov/info-details/electricians-consumer-fact-sheet
• masssave.com/en/residential/find-a-contractor/find-a-heat-pump-installer
• data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP04?g=060XX00US2502107740
• data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP04?g=060XX00US2502141690
• data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP04?g=160XX00US2555745
• brockton.gov/city-departments/fire-department/bfd-permits/
• brockton.gov/city-departments/building/
• plymouthfire.org/oil-burner/
• hanover-ma.gov/fire-department/fire-prevention-and-code-enforcement
• randolph-ma.gov/167/Apply-for-Permits

Written by the South Shore HVAC Finder editorial team for homeowners on the Massachusetts South Shore. This guide is general information, not legal advice. See our Editorial Standards.