Credentials a Wisconsin HVAC contractor needs
A business that installs or services heating, ventilating or air conditioning equipment, or offers to, needs an HVAC Contractor registration from DSPS.[1] The authority is Wis. Stat. 101.178(2) and SPS 305.70.[2] The applicant is the business owner, a partner, or the chairman or chief executive officer of a corporation.[1][7]
The registration covers the organization.
It is a different record from the one for the person supervising the work, which is covered below.
Permits and timing
For a one- or two-family dwelling installation that needs a uniform building permit, the registered contractor may not start until the permit is issued.[1] Ask the contractor who pulls the permit and put that in the contract.
Your city building department has the final word on local permit rules.
Who is exempt
The registration is not required in three situations:[1]
- Servicing existing HVAC or refrigeration equipment on property the person or business owns.
- Installing or servicing HVAC or refrigeration equipment in a dwelling the person or business owns and lives in, or will live in.
- Electrical or plumbing work associated with the HVAC work.
The owner-occupant exemption is about the state registration. It does not by itself answer whether your city wants a permit, so call the local inspector first.
You can find your city on the permit data page.
Continuing education and refrigerants
DSPS lists no continuing education for the HVAC Contractor registration.[1] Refrigerants are a separate, federal matter.
Anyone who installs or services equipment with ozone-depleting refrigerants needs an EPA Section 608 technician certification (Type I, II, III or Universal), as SPS 305.70 notes.[1][2]
The HVAC qualifier role explained
The HVAC Qualifier is the individual an HVAC business uses as its qualifier, certified under SPS 305.71.[2][3] Think of the registration as the company's credential and the qualifier certification as the person's.
Side by side
Contractor registration versus qualifier certification
HVAC Contractor registration
- Held by the business
- Wis. Stat. 101.178(2); SPS 305.70
HVAC Qualifier certification
- Held by an individual
- SPS 305.71
A business that uses an HVAC qualifier is deemed a certified HVAC business. It cannot be required to obtain a local certification, license or approval to install or service HVAC equipment (Wis. Stat. 101.178(3)(c), via SPS 305.71(1)(b)).[2]
The qualifier, like the contractor, may not start installing until a required permit is issued.[3] DSPS lists no exemptions for the qualifier beyond those in the contractor row, and no continuing education.[3]
How a person qualifies
Applicants can qualify through at least 1,000 hours per year for at least four years of HVAC experience, four years of qualifying HVAC-related education, or a recognized combination of the two. The exam is open book, and the passing score is 70%.[8]
A training course or online class is education, not a credential.
Finishing one does not make a person a certified qualifier.
The two credentials side by side
| HVAC Contractor registration | HVAC Qualifier certification | |
|---|---|---|
| Held by | Business (organization) | Individual |
| Authority | Wis. Stat. 101.178(2); SPS 305.70 | SPS 305.71 |
| Exemptions | Owned property, own dwelling, associated electrical or plumbing | None beyond the contractor row |
| Continuing education | None listed | None listed |
Sources: DSPS[1][3] and the administrative code.[2]
How do I check an HVAC contractor's credentials?
Use the DSPS credential look-up (LicensE). It is linked from the DSPS home page as "Click here for Credential Look Up."[4][6]
Our step-by-step lookup guide covers the search in more detail.
- Open the look-up and search by name or credential number.
- Search the company's legal business name and find its HVAC Contractor record.
- Search the qualifier's name from the proposal and find the individual record.
- Read the credential type, status and expiry on each.
Ask for the exact business name, the qualifier's name and the permit arrangement in writing before you sign.
Step by step
Checking a contractor
Open the look-up
Search by name or credential number.
Find the company
Search the legal business name for its HVAC Contractor record.
Find the qualifier
Search the qualifier's name from the proposal for the individual record.
Read each record
Check the credential type, status and expiry.
Make sure the qualifier named on the bid is tied to the company.
What the look-up does not do
A Dwelling Contractor is an organization record, while a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, electrician and plumber are individual records.[4] A dwelling contractor credential is a different DSPS program, so check that you are reading an HVAC record. The dwelling contractor guide explains the difference.
The eSLA public look-up is for permits, plan reviews and product approvals. It is not the tool for checking a contractor.[5]
A third party can also check an application's status in LicensE with the applicant's PAR number.[7]
Red flags
Be cautious if the estimate or truck shows no registration, if the named qualifier does not appear tied to the company, or if either record shows an expired status.
A clean record is a screening step, not a promise of good work.
Compare several detailed bids and ask about insurance and warranty terms.
Furnace replacement and rebates in Wisconsin
Once the credentials check out, the next questions are price and incentives. Both have their own pages here, so this one stays short.
For what homeowners pay, see furnace replacement cost in Wisconsin. For program rules, see the Focus on Energy rebate guide.
Focus on Energy publishes rebates of $150 to $420 per furnace for propane equipment, depending on efficiency.[9] Its 2024 natural-gas schedule paid $50, $100 or $150 for 95%, 96% and 97%+ AFUE furnaces, and $350, $450 or $550 for income-qualified households. That schedule covered equipment installed January 1 through May 31, 2024.[10]
Those are past amounts, so confirm the current schedule with Focus on Energy before you buy.
Read the rebate rules before you choose equipment, and keep your invoices and model documentation. For permit questions, the Uniform Dwelling Code guide explains the state code, and your city page lists local contacts.
Checked against DSPS in October 2026.
Quick answers
Does the HVAC Contractor registration require continuing education?
DSPS lists no continuing education for the registration.
Who applies for the HVAC Contractor registration?
The business owner, a partner, or the chairman or chief executive officer of a corporation.
What is the passing score on the qualifier exam?
The exam is open book, and the passing score is 70%.
Where do I check a contractor's credentials?
Use the DSPS credential look-up (LicensE), not the eSLA public look-up.
Sources
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "HVAC Contractor (registration) (DSPS)." https://dsps.wi.gov/a-z-professions-list/hvac-contractor/. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Legislature. "Wis. Stat. 101.178(2); SPS 305.70." https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/administrativecode/SPS%20305.70. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "HVAC Qualifier (certification) (DSPS)." https://dsps.wi.gov/a-z-professions-list/hvac-qualifier/. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "DSPS credential look-up (LicensE)." https://license.wi.gov/s/license-lookup. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "DSPS eSLA public look-up (permits, plan reviews, product approvals)." https://esla.wi.gov/publiclookup. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "DSPS home page." https://dsps.wi.gov/. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "HVAC Contractor - New Licensure." https://dsps.wi.gov/a-z-professions-list/hvac-contractor/new-licensure/. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. "HVAC Qualifier - Licensure by Examination." https://dsps.wi.gov/a-z-professions-list/hvac-qualifier/licensure-by-examination/. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Focus on Energy. "Propane Fueled Equipment." https://focusonenergy.com/business/propane. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Focus on Energy. "2024 Heating and Cooling." https://assets.focusonenergy.com/production/inline-files/2024/RES-HVAC-Rebates-OV.pdf. Accessed October 17, 2026.