How do you check an HVAC contractor’s ROC license?
Look the contractor up on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors site at roc.az.gov. Search by the license number on the quote or by the company name, and read the record before you sign. It takes a few minutes and tells you more than any sales pitch. Climate Pros Tucson matches you with licensed pros, and you can check every one of them this way.
This page is the lookup itself. For the rest of the hiring checklist (permits, quotes, warranties), see how to choose an HVAC contractor in Tucson.
What should the record show?
- The name. The business name on the record matches the name on your quote and contract. A different name is a different company.
- The status. Active, not suspended or expired.
- The class. It fits the job (see the table below).
- The history. Any complaints or disciplinary actions. If you can’t tell what an entry means, ask the ROC.
Search by the number first. A name search can return look-alike companies, and a number that comes back under another name is a red flag on its own.
Which license class fits your job?
Residential heating and cooling falls under ROC class R-39, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Including Solar. The rule describes it as installing and repairing comfort air conditioning, including refrigeration, evaporative cooling, ventilating and heating. There are also narrower R-39R subclassifications. Match the class on the record to the work:
| Your job | Class to look for |
|---|---|
| AC or heat pump replacement or repair | R-39, or the R-39R Air Conditioning and Refrigeration subclass |
| Furnace work | R-39, or the R-39R Warm Air Heating, Evaporative Cooling and Ventilating subclass |
| Evaporative cooler only | R-39, or an R-39R evaporative cooling subclass |
| Thermostat and controls | R-39, or the R-39R Temperature Control Systems subclass |
| A new service panel or sub-panel for a heat pump | Not R-39. The class may add a circuit to an existing panel but may not install a new panel, so ask who will do that part |
A cooler-only license isn’t a license to install a heat pump. When a job crosses two classes, ask who holds the license for each part.
What if the person says they don’t need a license?
Arizona’s handyman exemption covers casual, minor work under $1,000 in total, and it’s lost when the job needs a local building permit. In the City of Tucson a new or replacement furnace, heat pump or AC needs a permit, so no HVAC replacement fits the exemption. Anyone offering to skip the permit is telling you something.
What does the Recovery Fund do?
The ROC runs a Residential Contractors’ Recovery Fund for homeowners harmed by a licensed residential contractor. It only helps if the contractor was licensed, which is one more reason to run the lookup. The ROC site explains what it covers and how to claim.
Which red flags mean walk away?
- No license number, or a number that comes back under a different name.
- A class that doesn’t cover the job.
- Pressure to pay in full up front, or in cash.
- No permit on a replacement.
- A quote with no written scope.
Ready for a licensed pro?
Every pro we send is licensed, and you can still check any of them at roc.az.gov. Call (520) 353-2520 and we’ll match you with a licensed local pro. See AC repair, the Tucson hub, or the permit guide for the permit side.