HVAC Tech Classes in Virginia (Top Schools)

Picking a career in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning industry is a good choice, since those systems are parts of our everyday lives.

We are living in the era of technological boom that is why it is crucial that we have skilled HVAC technicians.

The systems are advancing, and there is a need to repair the old systems.

Thus, the demand for HVAC technicians is almost constantly high.

The job market is expected to grow drastically on the national level over the next decade.

Here is all the information you need on becoming and being a HVAC technician in Virginia.

Salary

The wage and the salaries do reflect the high demand for HVAC technicians.

Some HVAC technicians may earn an average salary of over $42,000.

The median wage is $22.77 per hour, with the beginner technicians earning between $13.88 and $31.99.

Virginia’s average median salary is $47,370.

This puts HVAC technician salaries in the high end of the national salary for technicians.

Here is what HVAC technician salaries look like in ten largest cities in Virginia:

Licensing Requirements

In Virginia there are three levels of licensing: journeyman, master, and contractor.

Similarly, there are three different classes of contractor licenses: A, B, and C.

For each of these you need to pass an appropriate exam.

You will need the contractor’s license to carry out any project the budget of which is over $1,000.

The Board will approve you as an applicant before you enter the licensing exam process.

If you already hold a journeyman or a master license in another state, then you may just supply a copy of that license or a card.

Then, you will be eligible to sit for the exam for the same level of the license.

Journeyman Licensing

To obtain a Journeyman license you need to meet a minimum of one of these requirements:

• Two years of trade experience and a degree or certification proving you have completed a two-year trade, tech, or community college program
• Four years of experience in the trade and 240 hours of vocational training
• Five years of trade experience and 160 hours of vocational training
• Six years of trade experience and 80 hours of vocational training
• A bachelor’s degree in an engineering-related curriculum and 1 year of hands-on experience
• Ten years of experience verified by affidavits from employers or others in the field

Master Licensing

Master license requirements stipulate that you must have either one year of experience as an in-state licensed journeyman, or ten years of experience which need to be verified by the affidavits from your employers or others who work in the HVAC field.

Class A Contractor Licensing

With a Class A Contractor License you can work unlimitedly on any project, no matter how large.

There are no limitations when it comes to the budget these projects have.

You need to:

• Complete an eight-hour pre-licensing course
• Submit an application to the state
• Minimum 5 years of experience, proof of that experience, and a net worth of > $45,000.
• Pass specialty exams required for the specific trade
• Pass the General, Advanced, and Law exams
• Carry insurance
• Pay $385 application fee

Class B Contractor Licensing

With this license you can carry out projects that are up to $120,000.

Additionally, you must not accumulate a total of over $750,000 with these projects.

Here are the requirements:

• Complete an eight-hour pre-licensing course
• Submit an application to the state
• Minimum 3 years of experience, proof of that experience, and a net worth of > $15,000.
• Pass specialty exams required for the specific trade
• Pass the General, Advanced, and Law exams
• Carry insurance
• Pay $370 application fee

Class C Contractor Licensing

This license enables you to work on projects the budget of which does not exceed $10,000.

The total accumulated worth of your projects must not exceed $150,000 annually.

Here are the requirements you need to meet:

• Complete an eight-hour pre-licensing course Submit an application to the state
• Minimum 2 years of experience
• Pass specialty exams required for the specific trade
• Pass the General, Advanced, and Law exams
• Pay $235 application fee

Application Process

In order to apply for any of the licenses you need to contact the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation State Board for Contractors at 1-804-367-8511.

Examination

Once you have got your application approved you need to schedule your exams.

If you have opted for a journeyman or a master HVAC exam there are two parts of the test you need to pass.

The first part is the traditional trade exam, and the second part is the statutory and regulatory exam.

The Exam

The HVAC exam for both the Master and Journeyman license is the same.

There will be 85 questions on the exam, and you will have 210 minutes to complete the exam.

The fee for the Journeyman license is $100, while the fee for the Master license is $125.

You will need to score 60% to pass for the journeyman license.

To pass the exam for the master license you will need to score a minimum of 64%.

Topics covered in the exam are the following:

• Warm air heating
• Ventilation
• Air conditioning
• Ducts
• Chimneys
• Flues
• Vents
• Piping
• Combustion air
• Insulation
• Refrigerants
• Standards for conduct
• Standards for practice
• Fire safety
• Licensure procedures and more.

This exam is administered by the PSI. You can schedule the exam with them at 1-800-733-9267.

In case you have opted for the Class A license you will need to take three more exams, and two for other classes of the license.

The fee you need to pay is $72 for two exams.

The fee for three exams is $85.

The exams are scheduled with the PSI.

Before you pass these tests you need to have passed the specialty exam in your field.

Contractor Class A and B Exam

The exam has 24 questions, and you will have 48 minutes to complete it.

To pass the test, you will need to score a minimum of 75%.

The topics covered on the test are:

• regulations,
• board rules,
• codes,
• and transaction recovery fund.

General Class A and B Exam

The exam has 50 questions that you need to complete within 100 minutes.

The score of at least 70% is needed to pass the exam.

Topics that are featured on the exam are:

• business organization,
• estimation, bidding,
• project and contract management,
• risk management,
• general safety,
• state labor laws,
• fiscal responsibility,
• taxes,
• and lien laws.

Advanced Class A Exam

This exam has 24 questions that need to be completed within 60 minutes.

To pass it, you need a minimum score of 71%.

The topics on the exam are the following:

• business organization,
• estimation,
• bidding,
• project and contract management,
• risk management,
• general safety,
• state labor laws,
• fiscal responsibility,
• taxes,
• and lien laws.

Class C Exam

There is no exam that you need to pass to obtain a Class C license.

However, you do need to pass the specialty exam in your field.

Schools

HVAC official training is great if you are searching for something that will prepare you for the testing as well as for the challenges you will meet on the job.

Since the HVAC approved programs have such curricula that match theory and practice ideally, you will gain valuable experience.

This may serve as an edge you have over other technicians and enable you to earn greater sums.

Here is a table of schools that offer HVAC approved training programs in Virginia:

Conclusion

In case you are in search of a higher paying job in the HVAC industry you should definitely obtain a journeyman or a master level license.

The job market is constantly growing, which can help you with growing your own business and earning higher.

Even though there is a lot of work and paperwork you need to invest into these licenses, it will pay off.

With them, you can start your own business and carry out larger projects.

HVAC Schools by City

• Richmond