Heating & Air in the SouthShore corridor

Air conditioning in south Hillsborough is not a comfort item; it is the machine the house runs on. Florida licenses the trade, the energy code tells the contractor how to size the system, the county wants a permit and two inspections for a change-out, and the federal rules on refrigerant changed in 2025 and again in 2026. This page is the parts of that a homeowner can actually use.

Three classes of license, and what each may do

Florida splits air-conditioning contractors into classes (§ 489.105(3)). Class A is unlimited. Class B is capped at 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system. Class C is limited by statute to “the servicing of” systems; the words install, fabricate, alter and design appear only in the Class A, Class B and mechanical-contractor definitions, and nobody new has been licensed in Class C since 1988. A mechanical contractor can do everything Class A can and more. On the license number, CAC and CMC are state-certified air-conditioning and mechanical contractors, valid statewide (§ 489.105(8)); RA and RM are locally registered and valid only where registered (§ 489.117(1)(b); DBPR license codes).

The statute also draws the line on what an AC contractor may touch. They may replace or reconnect the power wiring on the dedicated AC disconnect, replace breakers on the dedicated circuit with a lock-out, run low-voltage control wiring, and run a condensate drain to an approved waste, but not straight into the sanitary system. They may not run potable water, sewer, pool piping, or general electrical power wiring, which is an electrician’s license (§ 489.105(3)(f), (g), (i)). Plug-in units of three tons or less with no ducts are outside the license entirely (§ 489.103(14)).

The change-out permit in Hillsborough

Replacing a system is permitted work. The county’s inspection list shows a mechanical final and an electrical final, both listed as necessary for an AC change-out (hcfl.gov, virtual inspections), and its Notice of Commencement page names a project that only repairs or replaces an existing heating or air-conditioning system as a mechanical-permit job. The exempt-work list covers portable units, replacement of a part that does not change the equipment’s approval, and small self-contained refrigeration; it does not cover a system replacement, and the county’s under-$7,500 exemption expressly excludes mechanical work (hcfl.gov). A Notice of Commencement is required when an HVAC-only job is $15,000 or more (hcfl.gov; § 713.135(1)).

The county’s residential alterations checklist asks for a Manual J load calculation from the mechanical contractor, and Form R402 or R405 if mechanical equipment is retrofitted (hcfl.gov); we found no separate change-out checklist. Working without a required permit is itself a violation of the contractor law (§ 489.127(1)(h)).

Sizing: the code forbids sizing for future expansion

Florida’s energy code says equipment shall be sized by ACCA Manual S from loads calculated by ACCA Manual J or another approved method, and then says what most people don’t expect: the code does not allow designer safety factors or provisions for future expansion (FBC-Energy Conservation R403.7.1). Cooling capacity may not exceed 1.15 times the calculated load, or the nearest size the manufacturer makes, and the equipment’s latent capacity must cover the calculated moisture load (R403.7.1.1). UF/IFAS explains why it matters: a unit sized close to the real load runs longer per cycle with the coil at its coldest, which is what pulls water out of the air, and many high-SEER units have poorer humidity removal, so the contractor has to check the latent figure, not just the tonnage (UF/IFAS FCS3262). The Florida Department of Health’s mold guidance puts the target at indoor humidity under 60 percent, and says that if you need a dehumidifier to get there with the AC running, the system should be examined for problems (floridahealth.gov).

Two other code points. The code requires duct leakage testing (R403.3.3) by a Class A, Class B or mechanical contractor or a certified rater (R403.3.2), with a written report to the building official (R403.3). A report published by the Florida Building Commission says this carries over to new duct systems in alterations, with exceptions for short duct runs and for ducts entirely inside the conditioned space, so ask whether it applies to your job. And in Climate Zone 2, which is where Tampa sits, electric resistance may not be the primary heat on a complete central replacement (R501.7.2, DBPR brochure); exemptions exist for some small jobs.

Efficiency minimums and the rebate

Florida is in the Department of Energy’s Southeast region, and the regional rule applies at installation: a split-system air conditioner under 45,000 Btu/h installed here must be at least 14.3 SEER2, larger ones 13.8 SEER2 (10 CFR 430.32(c)(6)). An outdoor unit whose rated combination falls below the regional minimum may not be installed in the region. Split heat pumps have a national minimum of 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2 (§ 430.32(c)(5)). The federal 25C tax credit ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025 (IRS), so any offer of it for a 2026 install is out of date.

Tampa Electric pays a rebate for replacing an old, inefficient system with a new, ducted, qualifying one: $40 at 15.2 SEER2 or better, $550 at 16.2 SEER2 or better, per condensing unit, capped at the invoice, on a paid invoice and AHRI certificate filed within 90 days of installation. If the contractor handles it, they must be registered with TECO and show the rebate as a separate line-item deduction on your invoice. Ductless mini-splits do not qualify (tampaelectric.com). TECO also runs a duct-sealing program through approved contractors after a TECO pre-inspection (tampaelectric.com). Those are the utility’s own figures on the day we checked; confirm them before you count on them.

Refrigerant: what changed in 2025, and again in 2026

Any technician who attaches gauges or adds or removes refrigerant must hold an EPA Section 608 card, Type II or Universal for a home split system; the cards never expire, and EPA itself does not issue them (epa.gov, requirements; epa.gov, certification). Under the AIM Act, new residential systems manufactured or imported from January 1, 2025 must use a refrigerant with a global-warming potential of 700 or less. R-410A is 2,090. EPA’s SNAP list includes R-454B (470) and R-32 (675) as acceptable for new equipment; both are mildly flammable A2L refrigerants listed for new equipment only, not as retrofits for existing systems (EPA SNAP).

The part that changed in May 2026: EPA removed the January 1, 2026 deadline for installing R-410A systems whose components were all made before 2025, so pre-2025 inventory may now be installed until it runs out (EPA fact sheet, May 2026; sector table). Components used to repair existing systems are not subject to the restrictions, and an existing system may be serviced and repaired throughout its useful life (EPA fact sheet). So in 2026 a new system may legally be either. Ask which refrigerant the unit you are quoted uses.

Wind, warranty and the four-point

The Florida Building Code has long required mechanical equipment exposed to wind to be designed and installed to resist the wind pressures set by the building code (FBC-Mechanical § 301.15, 2014 text). It is a performance requirement, not a named strap, so ask how the condenser will be anchored. On warranties: federal law does not require a written warranty, but once one is offered it must be titled full or limited, be available to read before the sale, and may not require you to use a particular company’s parts or service to keep it, unless that is provided free (FTC, Magnuson-Moss). And Citizens Property Insurance requires a four-point inspection on any home more than twenty years old (citizensfla.com); the form asks the system’s age, whether it is in good working order, and whether the air handler, condensate line or drain pan shows blockage, leakage or water damage, with a photo of the dated manufacturer’s plate (form Insp4pt 03/25).

Before you hire

• A CAC, RA, CMC or RM number on the quote, checked on the DBPR portal. A Class C license is limited by statute to “the servicing of” systems; ask how that covers a replacement.
• Who pulls the mechanical permit; expect a mechanical final and an electrical final from the county.
• A Manual J load calculation and Manual S selection, in writing, with the latent capacity shown.
• The refrigerant of the new unit, R-410A or an A2L such as R-454B or R-32, and the EPA 608 card of whoever charges it.
• The SEER2 figure and the AHRI certificate: at least 14.3 SEER2 for a split air conditioner under 45,000 Btu/h installed in Florida, and 14.3 SEER2 / 7.5 HSPF2 for a split heat pump.
• Whether a duct leakage test and written report apply to your job, if any ductwork is new or replaced.
• If it is 15.2 SEER2 or better and ducted: the TECO rebate as a line item, if the contractor applies for it.
• Insurance certificate ($100,000 liability, $25,000 property damage) and workers’ comp if they have employees; on a home job over $2,500, the lien-law notice in the contract (§ 713.015).

Florida licenses this trade. Heating and air is a licensed trade in Florida. Class A is unlimited; Class B is capped at 25 tons of cooling; Class C covers servicing only, and no new Class C licenses have been issued since 1988.

License numbers for this trade start with CAC or RA or CMC or RM. A C prefix is certified and valid anywhere in Florida; an R prefix is registered and valid only in the county that issued it.

Source: Fla. Stat. ch. 489, Part I. Check a license ›