Doing Business in Michigan

Licensing Rules in Michigan

Michigan requires a license for doing all mechanical contracting work, including HVAC, in the state. Applications for a license can be obtained from the Department of Labor at http://www.michigan.gov/cis/.

There are also six types of specialty licenses: solar, solid fuel, LP tank and pipe, underground tank and pipe, gas piping, and gas piping and venting.

Contractors will have to pass an exam to get a license. Contractors need at least three years of experience or Board-approved equivalent in one or more of these classifications to qualify to take the exam. If you have Board-approved education you can apply up to one year of that education to the three-year work experience requirement.

The exams are based on the provisions of the state mechanical code, related laws, instructions, rules, general theories and practices. All of the exams use the Michigan Mechanical Code as a reference. This book is available for purchase, and contractors should check with the Board for price details.

Mechanical contractor's license fees cost $25 for an exam, but applicants can take as many trade exams at one time as they want for that fee. A license costs $75, and applicants also have to pay $50 to the Construction Lien Recovery Fund to get licensed after they pass the exams. A license is good for one year, but all licenses expire on December 31 of that year. (Note: If an applicant can prove he/she has a valid license in a state with qualifications at least equal to Michigan's (and his/her home state extends reciprocal licenses to Michigan mechanical contractors), the applicant may be eligible for a Michigan license without taking the exam – but the applicant will still need to pay the fee.)