HVAC Replacement Requirements in New Jersey
New Jersey HVAC replacement: the Master HVACR Contractor licence (N.J.A.C. 13:32A) binds at ANY price — five years in the HVACR contracting business (four-year apprenticeship or approved training plus one year as an HVACR journeyperson, or the rule's degree pathways), $160 biennial, five CE credits, entities behind a pressure seal with the master as bona fide representative — while the circulating $7,500 contract threshold is WITHHELD under CONFLICT-NJ-001 (N.J.A.C. 13:32A as machine-read carries none; the statute page that might carry it was unreadable). Add the electrical half if the work touches wiring (five-year contractor, separate triennial business permit, 34 CE credits incl. a 10-hour in-person NEC course), the LP-gas notice layer where applicable (the 250-gallon water-column installation notice, the 2,000-gallon permit split), and the mechanical/fuel-gas subcode permit through the construction official. Every claim sourced.
01 The requirements, sourced
- Master HVACR contractor: five years (four-year apprenticeship + one year journeyperson, or a degree), $160 biennial, five CE credits — N.J.A.C. 13:32A-1.2 (Cornell, verbatim): a Master HVACR contractor is 'a person licensed by the Board who obtains a pressure seal and offers or undertakes HVACR contracting work; for an entity, the individual acting as master HVACR contractor must be its BFR'. Entry (13:32A-2.2): five years in the HVACR contracting business — four or more years in a DOL-approved apprenticeship or other approved training program followed by at least one year as an HVACR journeyperson — or the rule's degree pathways. Fees (13:32A-6.1): $100 application, $160/$80 initial by biennial year, $160 biennial renewal, $50 late, $150 reinstatement, $25 pressure seal. CE (13:32A-4.1): five approved credits per biennium, first renewal exempt. Supervision (13:32A-5.3): constant on-site supervision below two years' experience, with the stated preventive-maintenance exception. The HVACR JOURNEYPERSON is a supervised-worker definition (13:32A-1.2), not a licence (REQ-NJ-NO-HVACR-TRADE-001). S-NJ-AC-13-32A
- The circulating HVACR '$7,500' contract threshold is NOT PUBLISHED — withheld under CONFLICT-NJ-001 — The formulation 'no person shall engage in or offer to engage in the business of HVAC contracting … contracts of $7,500 or more' could NOT be found in N.J.A.C. 13:32A as machine-read 2026-10-12 (Cornell) — the chapter's definitions (13:32A-1.2) and contracting provisions carry NO dollar threshold — and the statutory page that might carry it (N.J.S.A. 45:16) was not readable this session. NO dollar floor or ceiling for HVACR licensure is seeded. CONFLICT-NJ-001 holds both sides (the circulating formulation vs the chapter as read) and the rule engine publishes the licence duty with this caveat instead of a threshold. S-NJ-AC-13-32A
- No separate HVACR journeyperson or technician licence/registration exists (verified absence) — N.J.A.C. 13:32A-1.2 (machine-read 2026-10-12) defines the HVACR JOURNEYPERSON as a supervised worker — one who installs, alters, repairs, services, maintains or renovates HVACR systems 'under a Master HVACR contractor's supervision' — and does NOT establish a separate journeyperson licence. The 13:32A-6.1 fee schedule read prices only the master HVACR contractor lane (and master hearth specialists); no technician registration fee or provision appears in the chapter. S-NJ-AC-13-32A
- Electrical contractor: five years in electrical construction and installation, $225 triennial, separate business permit, 34 CE credits — N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.3(b)(1) (Cornell, verbatim): the applicant must have 'been, for a period of at least five years immediately preceding the submission of the application, employed or engaged in the business of electrical construction and installation' — a four-year DOL-accredited apprenticeship followed by at least one year of journeyman experience, defined as 2,000 hours. Fees (13:31-1.6): $100 application for all licences, $225/$150/$75 initial licence by year of the triennial, $225 triennial renewal, PLUS the separate electrical BUSINESS PERMIT at $150/$100/$50 with $150 renewal and $25 late; $50 late renewal within 30 days, $100 reinstatement, suspension thereafter. CE (13:31-1.7): 34 credits per triennial including a 10-hour in-person NEC course (nine hours code + one hour NJ statutes and rules), first triennium exempt. Supervision (13:31-3.4): the qualifying licensee takes 'full responsibility for the inspection and supervision'; constant on-site supervision below 3½ years' experience; breach is 'occupational misconduct'. S-NJ-AC-13-31
- LP-gas: the 250-gallon-W.C. installation notice to DCA, the 2,000-gallon permit split, and the CETP exemptions — DCA LP-Gas Safety FAQ (nj.gov, machine-read 2026-10-12): 'A Notice of LP Gas Installation shall be filed with the DCA/LP-Gas safety unit for all systems of 250gal W.C. or more'; vapor systems over 2,000 gallons water capacity run DCA permits and inspections, 2,000 gallons or less through the local enforcing agency; interior vapor piping requires a local permit; and 'A licensed master plumber, licensed HVACR contractor, and a single-family homeowner who owns their equipment and performs the work are exempt from the CETP requirements' (the propane training requirement — an exemption from TRAINING, not from permits or safety rules). S-NJ-DCA-LPGAS
- Statewide UCC permit mandate: no regulated work without an application to the construction official (municipalities issue) — N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14(a) (Cornell, verbatim): 'It shall be unlawful to construct, enlarge, repair, renovate, alter, reconstruct or demolish a structure, or change the use of a building or structure, or portion thereof, or to install or alter any equipment for which provision is made or the installation of which is regulated by this chapter without first filing an application with the construction official, or the appropriate subcode official where the construction involves only one subcode, in writing and obtaining the required permit therefor.' Exceptions include ordinary maintenance and the listed minor-work items, so the mandate is not literally universal. Subcodes run building / electrical / plumbing / fire protection (+ mechanical, fuel gas, energy, one- and two-family dwelling, elevator components — DCA's current-code index, S-NJ-DCA-CODES). The STATE reviews construction documents where applicable; the MUNICIPALITY issues the permits and performs the inspections (DCA BCPR, S-NJ-DCA-BCPR), and a registered HIC's registration number goes on the permit application (5:23-2.15). S-NJ-AC-5-23-2-14
02 Which credentials this project can touch
| Credential | Relation | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master HVACR Contractor (Board of Examiners of HVAC Contractors) | may require | NJ-HVACR-CONTRACTOR | S-NJ-AC-13-32A |
| Electrical Contractor (Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors) | component basis | NJ-ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
Each row is one (project, classification, relation) triple the research record can source — the rendered sections and the seeded evidence can never disagree.
03 Deterministic rules applied
- NJ-HVACR-CONTRACTOR
- NJ-ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR
- NJ-LP-GAS
- NJ-UCC-PERMIT
- NJ-NO-STATE-GC
New Jersey carries 1 conflict row — CONFLICT-NJ-001, the withheld HVACR $7,500 threshold — published beside every answer rather than resolved by guesswork; the fees page carries the by-name withheld list.
04 What it costs
| Fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Home improvement contractor registration — initial 13:45A-17.14 verbatim (Cornell): 'Initial registration fee $110.00'. | $110 | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
| Home improvement contractor registration — ANNUAL renewal (April 1 – March 31) 13:45A-17.14: 'Renewal registration fee $90.00'; the ANNUAL period is 13:45A-17.5 (April 1 – March 31) — New Jersey's HIC renewal is annual, not biennial (research §D). Late $25, reinstatement $50, duplicate certificate $20 on the same schedule. | $90 | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
| Master plumber — late renewal (within 30 days) 13:32-5.1 late fee; 13:32-2.6 sets the 30-day window (licence stays valid inside it) and the suspension-without-hearing consequence after it. Reinstatement $150 (see FEE-NJ-PLUMB-REINSTATEMENT-001). | $50 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Master plumber — reinstatement 13:32-5.1: reinstatement $150; initial/replacement pressure seal $25, duplicate licence $25, replacement wall certificate $40 on the same schedule. | $150 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Electrical — application fee, ALL licences 13:31-1.6 (Cornell): 'application fee for all licenses' — $100. | $100 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Electrical contractor — initial licence ($225 / $150 / $75 by triennial year) 13:31-1.6: $225 first year, $150 second, $75 third of the triennial (proration by year paid). | $225 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Electrical contractor — triennial renewal (34 CE credits incl. 10-h in-person NEC) 13:31-1.6 renewal $225 triennial; CE 34 credits per triennial incl. the 10-hour in-person NEC course, first triennium exempt (13:31-1.7). $50 late within 30 days, $100 reinstatement. | $225 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Electrical BUSINESS PERMIT — separate triennial ($150 / $100 / $50; $150 renewal) 13:31-1.6 lists the business permit SEPARATELY from the contractor licence: $150/$100/$50 initial by triennial year, $150 renewal, $25 late — a New Jersey quirk: the electrical business owes two triennial payments, the licence and the permit. | $150 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Class A journeyman electrician — initial licence ($150 / $100 / $50; $150 renewal) 13:31-1.6: $150/$100/$50 initial by triennial year; $150 renewal; 15 CE credits per triennial (13:31-5.5). | $150 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Electrical — late renewal (within 30 days) $50; reinstatement $100 13:31-1.6 / 13:31-2.4: $50 late within the 30-day window (licence stays valid inside it), suspension without hearing after; reinstatement $100. | $50 | S-NJ-AC-13-31 |
| Master HVACR contractor — application 13:32A-6.1 (Cornell): application $100. | $100 | S-NJ-AC-13-32A |
| Master HVACR contractor — initial licence ($160 first biennial year / $80 second) 13:32A-6.1: $160 first year, $80 second year of the biennium (proration). | $160 | S-NJ-AC-13-32A |
| Master HVACR contractor — biennial renewal (five CE credits per period) 13:32A-6.1 renewal $160 biennial; CE five credits per biennium, first renewal exempt (13:32A-4.1); renewal within 30 days on fee + $50 late, then suspension without hearing (13:32A-3.1). | $160 | S-NJ-AC-13-32A |
| Master HVACR contractor — late renewal (within 30 days) $50; reinstatement $150; pressure seal $25 13:32A-6.1: $50 late, $150 reinstatement, $25 initial/replacement pressure seal, $25 duplicate licence, $40 replacement wall certificate. | $50 | S-NJ-AC-13-32A |
| HIC registration — replacement/duplicate certificate 13:45A-17.14: 'Replacement or duplicate certificate fee $20.00'. | $20 | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
| Master plumber — application ($50 with prior registration) 13:32-5.1 (Cornell): $100 without prior registration; $50 with prior registration. The EXAMINATION fee is not on this schedule (research §O.4) — no second amount is asserted. | $100 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Master plumber — initial licence ($160 in the first biennial year / $80 in the second) 13:32-5.1: $160 first year, $80 second year of the biennium (proration). | $160 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Master plumber — biennial renewal (five CE credits per period) 13:32-5.1 renewal $160 biennial; CE five credits per biennium, first renewal exempt (13:32-6.1); renewal within 30 days on fee + $50 late, then suspension without hearing (13:32-2.6). The fixed calendar expiry date is search-level only (§O.7) and is NOT seeded. | $160 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Journeyman plumber — registration ($50 with prior registration) 13:32-5.1: $75 without prior registration; $50 with prior registration. | $75 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| Apprentice plumber — registration 13:32-5.1: 'registration as an apprentice plumber', $50. | $50 | S-NJ-AC-13-32 |
| HIC registration — late fee 13:45A-17.14: 'Late fee $25.00'. | $25 | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
| HIC registration — reinstatement 13:45A-17.14: 'Reinstatement fee $50.00'. On lapse/revocation/nonrenewal the contractor must return the certificate and remove the registration number from vehicles, advertising and displays (13:45A-17.11). | $50 | S-NJ-AC-1345A-17 |
| Newark Building Contractor licence (local) — 'Price: $200+' + $20 police-record check newarknj.gov prints 'Price: $200+' as a FLOOR, not a fixed figure (machine-read 2026-10-12), plus a separate '$20' police-record-check fee; the amount here records the published floor and this note keeps the exact wording. New Jersey has NO statewide general contractor licence — this is the local layer (REQ-NJ-LOCAL-LAYER-001). Jersey City and Passaic figures did not extract (research §O.9) and are NOT seeded. | $200 | S-NJ-NEWARK-BC |