HVAC Replacement — Michigan license requirements
01 The project
The starting point is the work itself — HVAC Replacement in Michigan. The job determines which trades are involved, and the trades determine which license classifications may be required.
| Component | Trade |
|---|---|
| Existing heating or cooling system | HVAC |
02 Jurisdiction
This project is evaluated for Michigan — the no-GC-licence state. There is no statewide general-contractor licence: the individual Residential Builder and Maintenance & Alteration Contractor licences (Article 24, MCL 339.2401 et seq.) cover the residential structure — a detached 1- or 2-family dwelling or a townhouse of not more than 3 stories — and the skilled trades run on their own articles of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (electrical Art. 7, mechanical Art. 8, plumbing Art. 11). The statute's only dollar figure is the $600 anti-splitting exemption, and permits come from the local building department. Michigan jurisdiction page.
Local building and permit fees were not read — LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED — and the RB/M&A PSI examination fee plus the initial master-plumber and plumbing-contractor licence amounts are unpublished (NOT_VERIFIED). Michigan imposes no surety bond and no state general-liability minimum on these credentials (verified absences), but the WDCA workers' compensation rule bites at 3+ employees (or 1+ at 35+ hours/week for 13+ weeks). Inside the City of Detroit the electrical credential is issued locally. State requirements are not the complete story for any city or township.
03 Trade → license
Relations below are recorded per state — only this jurisdiction's classifications are shown.
Trades involved: HVAC.
- May require MECHANICAL-CONTRACTOR — Mechanical Contractor License confirmed S-MI-MECH-APP rule MI-MECHANICAL-CONTRACTORFurnace/AC replacement is mechanical installation: Mechanical Contractor licence/classification ($300 initial; adding classifications $300/$200/$100 by cycle year), PSI examination with the fee paid to PSI, renewal every three years by 8/31 at $300 (+$100 late); re-apply and re-test beyond 3 years expired.
- Component basis ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR — Electrical Contractor License confirmed S-MI-LARA-ELEC rule MI-ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTORDisconnect/reconnect and new circuit work for the unit sits with the Electrical Contractor licence and its associated Master Electrician; MCL 339.2403(g) exempts only that electrical scope from Article 24.
- Alternative path RESIDENTIAL-BUILDER — Individual Residential Builder (RB) confirmed S-MI-MCL-2403 rule MI-RB-LICENSEALTERNATIVE — a licensed mechanical contractor is exempt from Article 24 for the mechanical scope only (MCL 339.2403(i)); when the same contract also carries structural or general residential work, an RB or M&A licence is required for that portion.
04 Scope
What the official sources say about the work involved — typed assertions, never a boolean "covers". Interpretations are marked as such.
- Officially included RESIDENTIAL-BUILDER Erection Construction Replacement Repair Alteration Addition Improvement Wrecking Or Demolition Of A Residential Structure (may_perform) MCL 339.2401(a), (c) S-MI-MCL-2401 The broadest Michigan credential — new construction AND repair/alteration of residential structures.
- Officially excluded RESIDENTIAL-BUILDER Standalone Commercial Only Structures Under A Statewide Gc Credential (may_not_perform) MCL 339.2401(c); LARA Residential Builders page S-MI-MCL-2401 The LARA page's 'combination residential and commercial structure' wording sits beside the statute's narrower definition — combination structures are therefore answered from the residential side, and purely commercial work resolves to the local layer (research §A/§G).
- Officially included ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR Electrical Installation Maintenance And Repair As A Business With An Associated Master Electrician (may_perform) Skilled Trades Reg. Act Art. 7; MCL 339.5707 S-MI-LARA-ELEC MCL 339.2403(g) exempts this licensee from Article 24 for electrical work only — see SCOPE-MI-TRADE-CONTRACTORS-NON-TRADE-WORK.
- Not determined ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR Examination Status CONFLICT-MI-001 Preserved From Two Official Sources (requires) MCL 339.5707(1); LARA electrical page; form BCC-974 S-MI-LARA-ELEC Both sides are official — CONFLICT-MI-001 is preserved UNRESOLVED.
- Officially included MECHANICAL-CONTRACTOR Mechanical Installation Maintenance And Repair As A Business (may_perform) Skilled Trades Reg. Act Art. 8, MCL 339.5801–5819 S-MI-MECH-APP MCL 339.2403(i) exempts this licensee from Article 24 for mechanical work only.
- Requires another classification ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR Article 24 Licence For The Non Electrical Scope Of A Residential Project (requires) MCL 339.2403(g)-(i) S-MI-MCL-2403 The same B_requires_other_class determination applies to michigan:plumbing-contractor (for (h)) and michigan:mechanical-contractor (for (i)) — one row per trade pair would duplicate the verbatim text, so the single row carries all three citations.
- Officially excluded ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR State Article 7 Licensing Authority Inside The City Of Detroit (may_not_perform) LARA electrical page (official local carve-out) S-MI-LARA-ELEC The one verified local licensing carve-out read this phase; every other locality remains LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED (research §I item 5).
05 Requirements
| Requirement | Kind | Statement | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical contractor licence — $300 initial, PSI examination, three-year cycle by 8/31 MECHANICAL-APP form + renewals page verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | license | The official MECHANICAL-APP form verbatim: 'INITIAL Mechanical Contractor License/Classification $300.00'; 'Adding classification in first year of license cycle $300.00 / second year $200.00 / third year $100.00'; 'Pursuant to statute, the license fee must be paid at time of application. The application fee is non-refundable.' Veterans are exempt from the initial licensing fee under MCL 339.5417. LARA's renewals page: 'You must renew every three (3) years by 8/31 … It is $300.00 to renew your license. If you do not renew before your license expires, you have to pay a $100.00 late fee … If your mechanical contractor license is expired more than 3 years, you will need to re-apply and re-test.' | S-MI-MECH-APPSource S-MI-MECH-APP — Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) — Bureau of Construction Codes (BCC), Licensing SectionApplication for Mechanical Contractor Examination & Licensing (LARA BCC) — MECHANICAL-APP form + renewals page verbatim (read 2026-10-05) Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Official form read 2026-10-05. Fees verbatim: 'INITIAL Mechanical Contractor License/Classification $300.00'; 'Adding classification in first year of license cycle $300.00'; 'second year of license cycle $200.00'; 'third year of license cycle $100.00'; Veteran Exemption (MCL 339.5417) — fee waived. 'Pursuant to statute, the license fee must be paid at time of application. The application fee is non-refundable.' Applicants are notified by PSI to schedule the examination; the examination fee is paid to PSI. |
| An Electrical Contractor licence (with an associated Master Electrician) is required to do electrical business LARA electrical page verbatim + MCL 339.5707(7) (read 2026-10-05) | license | LARA verbatim: 'Electrical Contractor License — This is required if you want to do business as an electrician.' 'You need to either hold a Master Electrician license or hire someone who holds a Master Electrician license … A Master Electrician can only associate with one Electrical Contractor at a time. Without a Master Electrician, an Electrical Contractor's license is put on hold.' MCL 339.5707(7): the licence 'expires December 31 of every third year' with a $300.00 three-year renewal fee. | S-MI-LARA-ELECSource S-MI-LARA-ELEC — Electrical Administrative Board (Article 7, Skilled Trades Regulation Act)Electrical Examination, Licensing/Registration & Application Information (LARA BCC) — LARA electrical page verbatim + MCL 339.5707(7) (read 2026-10-05) Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Verbatim: 'Electrical Contractor License — This is required if you want to do business as an electrician'; requires an associated Master Electrician (a master may associate with only one contractor; without a master the contractor license 'is put on hold'); 'There is no test required to be an Electrical Contractor, but you still have to apply for the license'; header note 'we no longer require an examination for Electrical Contractor, Fire Alarm Contractor, or Sign Contractor license. Examinations are conducted by PSI' — while the linked application is titled 'Application for Electrical/Fire Alarm/Sign Contractor Examination and License' and MCL 339.5707(1) prices a $100 examination fee (CONFLICT-MI-001). 'Michigan does not hold reciprocity with any other state/country.' 'If you live in the City of Detroit, they issue their own licenses and registrations locally.' Exams based on the 2023 National Electrical Code / 2023 Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8. |
| Licensed electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors are exempt from Article 24 only for their own trade MCL 339.2403(g)-(i) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | exemption | MCL 339.2403(g)-(i) verbatim: an electrical contractor licensed under Article 7 of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act is exempt, and 'The exemption … applies only to the electrical installation, electrical maintenance, or electrical repair work that is performed by the electrical contractor'; a plumbing contractor licensed under Article 11 is exempt 'only [for] the plumbing installation, plumbing maintenance, or plumbing repair work'; a mechanical contractor licensed under Article 8 is exempt 'only [for] the mechanical installation, mechanical maintenance, or mechanical repair work.' | S-MI-MCL-2403Source S-MI-MCL-2403 — Michigan Legislature — Michigan Compiled Laws (legislature.mi.gov)MCL 339.2403 — Acting as a residential builder or M&A contractor without a license (the exemptions, incl. the $600 anti-splitting rule) — MCL 339.2403(g)-(i) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-339-2403 Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Verbatim exemptions (a)-(i): authorized representatives of government; an owner of property as to a structure for the owner's own use and occupancy; an owner of rental property as to maintenance and alteration of that rental property; an officer of a court within scope; a person (other than a salesperson) working solely under contract with a licensed RB or M&A contractor; 'a person that is working on 1 undertaking or project by 1 or more contracts, if the aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00' — void where the work is part of a larger or major operation or the operation is divided into sub-$600 contracts 'to evade this act'; licensed electrical contractors (Art. 7) for electrical work only; licensed plumbing contractors (Art. 11) for plumbing work only; licensed mechanical contractors (Art. 8) for mechanical work only. Amended 2016 PA 412, effective 2017-04-04. |
| Detroit issues its own electrical licences and registrations locally 'NOTE: Applications for electrical licensing examinations' verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | permit | LARA's electrical page verbatim: 'If you live in the City of Detroit, they issue their own licenses and registrations locally. Please reach out to them directly.' The City of Detroit is therefore the one verified local licensing carve-out read this phase — electrical work inside Detroit runs on Detroit's own licensing and registration instead of the state Article 7 credential. | S-MI-LARA-ELECSource S-MI-LARA-ELEC — Electrical Administrative Board (Article 7, Skilled Trades Regulation Act)Electrical Examination, Licensing/Registration & Application Information (LARA BCC) — 'NOTE: Applications for electrical licensing examinations' verbatim (read 2026-10-05) Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Verbatim: 'Electrical Contractor License — This is required if you want to do business as an electrician'; requires an associated Master Electrician (a master may associate with only one contractor; without a master the contractor license 'is put on hold'); 'There is no test required to be an Electrical Contractor, but you still have to apply for the license'; header note 'we no longer require an examination for Electrical Contractor, Fire Alarm Contractor, or Sign Contractor license. Examinations are conducted by PSI' — while the linked application is titled 'Application for Electrical/Fire Alarm/Sign Contractor Examination and License' and MCL 339.5707(1) prices a $100 examination fee (CONFLICT-MI-001). 'Michigan does not hold reciprocity with any other state/country.' 'If you live in the City of Detroit, they issue their own licenses and registrations locally.' Exams based on the 2023 National Electrical Code / 2023 Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8. |
| Michigan issues no statewide general-contractor licence — Article 24 covers residential structures MCL 339.2401(c) + LARA Residential Builders page (read 2026-10-05) | license | MCL 339.2401 (read verbatim 2026-10-05) defines the Michigan contractor surface as the 'residential builder' and the 'residential maintenance and alteration contractor' over a 'residential structure' — a detached 1- or 2-family dwelling with appurtenant facilities or a townhouse of not more than 3 stories above the grade plane. LARA's Residential Builders page quotes Article 24's purpose as licensing persons 'engaged in the construction of a residential structure or combination residential and commercial structure, or persons who undertake the repair, alteration, addition, subtraction or improvement of a residential structure … for compensation other than wages for personal labor.' No official Michigan page read issues a statewide general-contractor or commercial contractor licence, so commercial contracting credentials — where a locality requires them — are LOCAL (research §G item 1). | S-MI-MCL-2401Source S-MI-MCL-2401 — Michigan Legislature — Michigan Compiled Laws (legislature.mi.gov)MCL 339.2401 — Definitions (residential builder, residential maintenance and alteration contractor, residential structure, salesperson, wages) — MCL 339.2401(c) + LARA Residential Builders page (read 2026-10-05) https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-339-2401 Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Verbatim: 'residential builder' covers a person who for compensation 'other than wages for personal labor only' undertakes the erection, construction, replacement, repair, alteration, or addition to, subtraction from, improvement, wrecking of, or demolition of a residential structure (plus prefab/shell housing dealers and erecters other than for own use); 'residential maintenance and alteration contractor' covers repair/alteration/improvement/wrecking/demolition, building a garage, laying of concrete on residential property, and the serial-flipper rule (same structure resold more than twice in one calendar year); 'residential structure' = detached 1- or 2-family dwelling with appurtenant facilities OR a townhouse of not more than 3 stories above the grade plane with separate means of egress; 'salesperson' = employee/agent of a licensed RB or M&A except occasional and incidental sales. Act 341 of 2020 applies the section retroactively to 2019-01-01. |
06 Rule: MI-MECHANICAL-CONTRACTOR
Mechanical Contractor licence (Skilled Trades Reg. Act Art. 8): 'INITIAL Mechanical Contractor License/Classification $300.00'; adding a classification $300/$200/$100 by cycle year; PSI examination with the exam fee paid to PSI; renewal every three years by 8/31 at $300 (+$100 late); re-apply and re-test beyond 3 years expired (LARA). MCL 339.2403(i) exempts the licensee from Article 24 for mechanical work only.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| mechanical-business | mechanical_contractor_license_required |
|
| expired-over-3-years | reapply_and_retest |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-MECH-APPS-MI-LARA-RENEWALS
07 Rule: MI-ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR
LARA verbatim: 'Electrical Contractor License — This is required if you want to do business as an electrician.' The licence needs an associated Master Electrician (one master per contractor; without one the licence is on hold), costs $300 for the three-year cycle expiring December 31 of every third year (MCL 339.5707(7)), and is the licence MCL 339.2403(g) exempts from Article 24 for electrical work only.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| electrical-business | electrical_contractor_license_required |
|
| master-not-associated | license_on_hold |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-LARA-ELECS-MI-MCL-5707
08 Rule: MI-RB-LICENSE
Article 24 licensing: a person may act as a residential builder or M&A contractor without a licence ONLY inside MCL 339.2403's nine exemptions (MI-EXEMPTIONS). RB covers the erection, construction, repair, alteration or addition of a residential structure for compensation other than wages for personal labor only; M&A covers repair, alteration or improvement, building a garage, laying concrete on residential property and serial flipping, carrying the twelve statutory crafts.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| construction-new-or-whole | residential_builder_license_required |
|
| repair-alteration | ma_license_required |
|
| labor-only-wages | outside_license_scope |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-MCL-2403S-MI-MCL-2401S-MI-MCL-2404
09 Rule: MI-EXEMPTIONS
MCL 339.2403(a)-(i), verbatim: a person may act as a residential builder or M&A contractor without a licence if they are (a) an authorized government representative; (b) an owner acting on a structure for the owner's own use and occupancy; (c) an owner of rental property for maintenance and alteration of that rental property; (d) a court officer within scope; (e) a person working solely under contract with a licensed RB or M&A contractor; (f) on an undertaking with aggregate contract price under $600.00 (anti-splitting); (g) a licensed electrical contractor — electrical work only; (h) a licensed plumbing contractor — plumbing work only; (i) a licensed mechanical contractor — mechanical work only.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| enumerated-exemption | license_not_required |
|
| no-exemption | license_required |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-MCL-2403
10 Rule: MI-DETROIT-LOCAL-ELECTRICAL
LARA's electrical page verbatim: 'If you live in the City of Detroit, they issue their own licenses and registrations locally. Please reach out to them directly.' Detroit is the one verified local licensing carve-out read this phase — electrical work inside Detroit runs on Detroit's own credential instead of the state Article 7 licence.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| detroit-electrical | local_license_required |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-LARA-ELEC
11 Rule: MI-NO-GC-LICENSE
Verified absence: Michigan issues NO statewide general-contractor licence. It issues an INDIVIDUAL Residential Builder licence and an individual Maintenance & Alteration Contractor licence (Article 24 of Act 299, LARA BCC) over a 'residential structure' — a detached 1- or 2-family dwelling or a ≤3-story townhouse — licenses entities through a qualifying officer, and licenses the skilled trades separately. A caller reporting a 'Michigan general contractor licence' holds an RB/M&A licence, a skilled-trade contractor licence, an out-of-state credential or a local licence (Detroit electrical is local) — there is no statewide GC licence to look up, and commercial contracting credentials are local.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| no-statewide-gc | no_statewide_general_contractor_license |
|
| claims-state-gc-license | unrecognized_state_credential |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MI-MCL-2401S-MI-LARA-RB
12 The credential split for HVAC
| Question | Michigan answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The mechanical scope | Mechanical Contractor licence/classification — $300 initial, add-classification $300/$200/$100 by cycle year, PSI exam, renewal every 3 years by 8/31 | S-MI-MECH-APP |
| Disconnect / reconnect / new circuit | Electrical Contractor licence with an associated Master Electrician | S-MI-LARA-ELEC |
| Does Article 24 also apply? | a licensed mechanical contractor is exempt only for the mechanical scope — structural or general residential work still needs RB or M&A | S-MI-MCL-2403 |
| Is there a state GC licence? | no statewide general-contractor licence exists (verified absence) | S-MI-MCL-2401 |
| Working in Detroit? | Detroit issues its own electrical licences and registrations locally | S-MI-LARA-ELEC |
| Contractor examination? | CONFLICT-MI-001 — LARA says no test for electrical contractors while the statute prices a $100 examination fee | S-MI-LARA-ELEC |
Note: the $600 anti-splitting exemption (Project under $600 aggregate contract price — licence not required, with the anti-splitting rule)and the local permit layer (Building permits are local, under the Michigan Residential Code) are stated in full on the Michigan jurisdiction page.