STATE LICENSE
RequiredKentucky Department of Housing, Buildings…
KRS 198B.656 bars practicing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning contracting — installing, maintaining, altering, remodeling, or repairing heating, ventilation, hydronic, burner, or cooling systems — without meeting the licensing law. A master HVAC contractor needs two years as a journeyman under a master (or two years as a master elsewhere, or two years as a licensed mechanical engineer) and a passing exam; a journeyman needs two years under a master's supervision and an exam. One year of experience means at least 1,500 hours in a continuous twelve-month period (815 KAR 8:010).
Fees under 815 KAR 8:010: $250 a year for a master and $50 for a journeyman, with exam fees of $150 and $50; apprentice registration is free. The contractor must carry $500,000 general liability and $300,000 property damage insurance, which also satisfies any local insurance requirement. Installing an initial HVAC system requires a permit before work begins (KRS 198B.6671). Replacing a furnace, condensing unit, or heat pump is a 'major repair' that even a maintenance employee may not do unlicensed.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Licensing is statewide through HBC. Local governments that ran HVAC permitting and inspection programs before January 1, 2007 — and others HBC authorizes — issue HVAC permits and inspect under HBC's regulations, and their permits count as state permits (KRS 198B.6673(2)). State insurance proof satisfies local insurance requirements (KRS 198B.668(3)).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Kentucky county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
Complete replacement of a furnace, condensing unit, heat pump, fan coil, chiller, or heating boiler is a 'major repair' — outside the maintenance-employee exemption (KRS 198B.650(12)).
Proof of the KRS 198B.668 insurance exempts the licensee from separate insurance under local licensing laws.
Installing, servicing, or replacing electrical units on an HVAC system is exempt from the HVAC law (KRS 198B.674(12)) — but the electrical work itself falls under KRS 227A.
A practical sequence for a new HVAC contractor in Kentucky. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Practicing HVAC contracting without the required license or certificate, or holding out as a licensed master or journeyman.
Installing an initial system without a permit or using a system not installed to code.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
| County · City | Permit office | Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette County Lexington (consolidated gov.) | Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government — Division of Building Inspection ↗ | Lexington-Fayette Permitting Portal (One-Stop Shop) ↗ |
| Jefferson County Louisville (consolidated gov.) | Louisville Metro Government — Construction Review (Department of Codes and Regulations) ↗ | Louisville Metro Business Portal (Accela Citizen Access) ↗ |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: HVAC permit and inspection fee schedule (815 KAR 8 fee regulation not retrieved) · Which local governments currently run authorized HVAC permit programs under KRS 198B.6673 · Whether gas pool heaters or water heaters fall within 'burner service' for HVAC licensing purposes
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.