Michigan licenses mechanical contractors by work classification under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 8. The HVAC Equipment classification — MCL 339.5807(2)(b) — is examined by PSI in an open-book sitting of 150 questions in 3 hours, with a minimum passing score of 75%. The PassProfessor Michigan Mechanical Contractor — HVAC Equipment program prepares candidates for that classification examination and for the Michigan code and statute layer it tests.
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What this credential certifies
A Michigan Mechanical Contractor license is issued for specific work classifications, and the holder may perform only the work those classifications cover. Article 8 lists ten classifications at MCL 339.5807(2), from hydronic heating and cooling and process piping through HVAC equipment, ductwork, refrigeration, the service classifications, fire suppression, and specialty. A separate examination is required for each classification sought.
This program builds only one of those ten: HVAC Equipment — forced-air heating and cooling, heat pumps, rooftop units, duct systems, gas piping and venting as that examination frames them, not refrigeration, hydronic work, or the service classifications as standalone subjects.
The issuing authority is the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, principally its Bureau of Construction Codes. The Board of Mechanical Rules — the state fire marshal or a designee plus fourteen Michigan residents appointed by the governor, including a representative of each work classification — recommends Michigan Mechanical Code rules to the State Construction Code Commission, and its powers and duties were transferred to the Department by Executive Reorganization Order 2017-1. The candidate’s route therefore runs through the Department first, and only then to PSI.
Article 8 creates no journeyman mechanic, no master mechanic, and no apprentice licence for mechanical work. The only licensee is the mechanical contractor, licensed by classification, and every other worker performs work under a licence holder designated as the contractor of record.
The examination at a glance
| Item | Verified position |
|---|---|
| Program | Michigan Mechanical Contractor — HVAC Equipment: the HVAC Equipment classification examination only |
| Regulator | Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes |
| Statute | Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 8, MCL 339.5801 to 339.5819 |
| Examination | HVAC Equipment (includes ductwork and gas piping) — 150 questions, 3 hours, open book |
| Passing standard | Minimum passing score 75% |
| Vendor | PSI Services LLC, at PSI computer examination centres in Michigan |
| Tested references | LARA reference list, Rev. 08/01/2024 — see the tested-editions section below |
| Administrator note | PassProfessor is independent and is not affiliated with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs |
The specialty layer — and why HVAC Equipment holders stand apart from it
Inside the specialty classification, R 339.5161 lists five specialty licences: solar heating and cooling; solid fuel and vented decorative gas appliances; LP distribution piping; fuel gas piping; and fuel gas piping and venting. A specialty licence is limited to its specific installation type, and is not required if the work is covered under a different classification.
For this program’s candidates, one rule deserves direct emphasis: a holder of an HVAC Equipment licence is not required to obtain a specialty licence listed in that rule. That position fits the examination title itself — HVAC Equipment (includes ductwork and gas piping).
Who may sit: eligibility and the two experience routes
Eligibility is determined by the Department, not by PSI. On approval, the candidate receives a notification letter with instructions to pay for and schedule the examination, and notification is also sent to PSI.
To take a classification examination, an applicant must meet the requirements of Article 2, possess good moral character, and satisfy one of two experience routes. The first is experience in the classification sought: a minimum of 3 years or 6,000 hours, or an equivalent acceptable to the board, proven by a statement signed under penalty of perjury from each contractor of record who is a present or former employer, with a detailed, specific description of the work performed and its duration.
The second route is crossover from a held classification: an applicant who has continuously held an active licence for at least 3 years immediately before applying in one classification may use it toward specified others. An HVAC Equipment licence supports ductwork, limited heating service, limited refrigeration and air conditioning service, unlimited heating service, unlimited refrigeration and air conditioning service, and specialty. Candidates planning a second classification should read that list carefully — it is a defined set, not a general credit.
Education and military service can count toward the first route, within limits. A 2-year or equivalent HVAC program at a recognised trade school, community college, or university, or a Department of Labor-approved 2-year HVAC training program, is credited capped at 1 year or 2,000 hours. Armed-forces service documented by DD Form 214 or DD Form 215 showing an honourable discharge (or a discharge under honourable conditions), with an affidavit or letter from a commanding officer, supervisor, or military superior with direct knowledge, also qualifies.
The sitting itself
The HVAC Equipment examination is delivered by computer, with a tutorial available, at PSI examination centres. It is open book: 150 questions, 3 hours, and a minimum passing score of 75%. The score is displayed on screen at the end, and a score report is provided; a failing candidate’s report includes a diagnostic report by examination type. Commenting on questions through the Comments link is the only review of examination materials available.
Candidates must pass within one year of the eligibility date. A candidate who does not pass within that year must re-apply with the Department. Within the one-year period, a candidate who fails may retest an unlimited number of times. Examination fees are not refundable or transferable, are valid for one year from the date of payment, and are paid to PSI at scheduling.
Exam-day discipline is strict. Arrive fifteen minutes early with one government-issued, current identification bearing a photograph and signature; temporary identification is not accepted. Cancelling or rescheduling without forfeiting the fee requires notice two days before the appointment, and voice mail or email is not an acceptable cancellation. Late cancellation, a no-show, late arrival, or lack of proper identification forfeits the fee.
What the examination covers
The bulletin describes the examination as covering heating and cooling principles and theories; installation of HVAC equipment and systems; installation of ductwork, gas piping, and venting; and knowledge of codes and standards. No percentage weights are published, and this program invents none.
The experience narrative behind the outline is concrete: forced-air heating and cooling in residential and commercial applications, including heat pumps, mini splits, rooftop units from 2 to 25 tons, geothermal systems, commercial kitchen exhaust systems, complete duct systems, Type B vents, gas piping systems using natural gas, propane, and fuel oil, layout and installation of CSST piping, and exhaust and special venting systems.
Every Michigan mechanical contractor examination also includes questions on the Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, and the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, 1972 PA 230. Statute knowledge is therefore not an optional supplement to code study — it sits inside every sitting, including this one.
Tested editions — the list that governs the sitting
Candidates are tested on the editions the Department lists for the examination, and for Michigan that list is the LARA document titled Mechanical Contractor and Mechanical Inspector/Plan Reviewer Licensing Exam Reference Materials, Rev. 08/01/2024. For HVAC Equipment that list is: Michigan Mechanical Code 2021; Michigan Residential Code 2015, with related referenced standards; ACCA Manual J-2011; ACCA Manual D-2016; ANSI/SMACNA 006-2020, HVAC Duct Construction Standards — Metal and Flexible, 4th edition; SMACNA Fibrous Glass Duct Construction Standards, 2010, 7th edition; International Fuel Gas Code 2021; 2016 PA 407; and 1972 PA 230.
The PSI bulletin itself prints no edition lists — it defers to that Department document. Preparation should be keyed to the list above, edition by edition.
The field layer is separate. Part 9A of the State Construction Code, R 408.30901a, effective March 12, 2024, adopts by reference the International Mechanical Code, 2021 edition, with enumerated Michigan exceptions, as the field mechanical code. Tested and field layers are stated separately in this program even where editions coincide, because the examination basis is fixed by the Department’s reference list, not by field adoption alone. A proposal that would adopt a later mechanical code edition for the field is pending only; it is not an adopted edition and it is not a tested edition, and no part of this program is built on it.
Open book, Michigan style: the reference-handling rules
Open book in Michigan does not mean annotated book. All reference material must be bound; materials printed from the Bureau website must be bound by three staples on the left edge, in separate documents. Candidates bring their own listed materials, which may not contain any highlights, underlining, marking, or tabs, and are allowed only as published, with no additional papers. A candidate caught marking materials before or during the examination will be reported to the Bureau. Fluency must therefore live in the candidate, not in marks on the page.
Fees, in their separate layers
Michigan’s dollars sit in distinct instruments. The PSI examination fee for HVAC Equipment is $100, paid to PSI at scheduling; extra time of time-and-a-half is $50 per examination, also at the vendor layer. Separately, the initial and per-year licence fee is $100, payable to the Department, and the nonrefundable application fee is the initial licence fee for the cycle. Adding a classification likewise requires the Department’s application and a nonrefundable application fee. Budget by layer: vendor charges to PSI, licence charges to the Department.
After passing: the licence, its cycle, and the contractor of record
A mechanical contractor’s licence expires on August 31 every third year and is renewable by application and licence fee on or before October 31. An initial licence sought outside that window is charged yearly pro rata to the end of the cycle; renewal fees are not prorated. A licence not renewed is void for obtaining a permit; relicensure is by reinstatement application plus the licence fee, and a filing within three years after voiding does not require reexamination.
No continuing-education hour requirement for mechanical contractors was found in the statute or rules retrieved for this program, and this program states that position only in that form. Likewise, no general-liability insurance or surety-bond requirement for this licence, and no reciprocity or endorsement provision, was found in the sources pulled; eligibility runs through the experience routes in MCL 339.5807 for every applicant.
The working duties matter as much as the cycle. A person shall not perform installations, alterations, or servicing of the regulated classifications unless the person, or an employee of the person, holds a mechanical contractor’s licence that is not revoked or suspended, classified for that work, and the licence holder has secured the appropriate permit. The licence holder shall be designated the contractor of record, with written notice to the Department; that holder need not personally perform the work in a facility that regularly employs a qualified maintenance crew. Except for replacement of minor parts, work shall not start until a permit is issued. The minimal standard of acceptable practice is 1972 PA 230, and deviation may constitute incompetence.
Two narrow exceptions mark where the licensing duty stops: an owner-occupant of a single-family dwelling may perform mechanical work without a licence but must still secure a permit, and security-alarm providers need no mechanical licence or permit for thermostat work on HVAC or hydronic systems.
What the PassProfessor program will cover
One classification, studied whole. The program is built to the HVAC Equipment examination as sourced: heating and cooling principles, equipment installation, ductwork, gas piping and venting, and the codes and standards layer, together with the two statutes every Michigan mechanical sitting includes. Material for the other nine classifications is framework only — enough to place HVAC Equipment correctly inside the system, never presented as preparation for those other examinations.
Tested-edition discipline. Practice is keyed to the Rev. 08/01/2024 reference list, and the field layer is taught as a separate layer, so a candidate never answers a sitting question from a field-adoption fact or the reverse.
Independence, stated plainly. PassProfessor is an independent preparation provider, not affiliated with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs or with PSI. Completing this program confers no licence and no eligibility; the Department alone determines eligibility and issues licences, and candidates register for examinations through PSI after Department approval.
Tell me when enrollment opens. The Michigan Mechanical Contractor — HVAC Equipment program is in the works and enrollment is not yet open. Leave an email address and PassProfessor will write to you when the program is ready — and only about this program. For the full examination route, reference handling, and study sequence, read the companion guide: Michigan Mechanical Contractor — HVAC Equipment Exam Guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which Michigan classification does this program prepare for?
Only HVAC Equipment, at MCL 339.5807(2)(b). Michigan issues the Mechanical Contractor licence across ten classifications, each with its own examination, and this program builds no other classification’s examination content.
How many questions are on the HVAC Equipment examination, and how long is it?
150 questions in 3 hours. The examination is open book, and the minimum passing score is 75%.
Does Michigan have a journeyman or master tier for mechanical work?
No. Article 8 creates no journeyman mechanic, master mechanic, or apprentice licence for mechanical work. The mechanical contractor, licensed by classification, is the only licensee, and other workers perform work under a designated contractor of record.
What experience does an HVAC Equipment applicant need?
Either 3 years or 6,000 hours in the classification, proven as described on this page, or the crossover route from a continuously held active licence in another classification for at least 3 years. Education credit is capped at 1 year or 2,000 hours.
Which code editions are tested?
The Rev. 08/01/2024 Department reference list on this page, including Michigan Mechanical Code 2021, Michigan Residential Code 2015, International Fuel Gas Code 2021, Manual D-2016, and ANSI/SMACNA 006-2020.
May I highlight or tab my reference books?
No. Materials must be bound and clean — no highlights, underlining, marking, or tabs — and a candidate caught marking materials before or during the examination will be reported to the Bureau of Construction Codes.
Who decides whether I am eligible to test?
The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. PSI administers the sitting after the Department approves the application and notifies both the candidate and PSI.
How often may I retest?
Within the one-year eligibility window, an unlimited number of times. A candidate who does not pass within one year of the eligibility date must re-apply with the Department.
Does an HVAC Equipment holder need a separate specialty licence for fuel gas piping?
No. A holder of an HVAC Equipment licence is not required to obtain a specialty licence listed in R 339.5161(1).
Is PassProfessor affiliated with the Department or PSI?
No. PassProfessor is independent. The Department determines eligibility and issues licences; PSI administers the examination.
When does enrollment open?
The program is in the works and enrollment is not yet open. Leave an email address on this page and PassProfessor will write to you when the program is ready — and only about this program.