HVAC companies in Phoenix: how many there are, how to vet one and how to reach them

This report is for two groups. Homeowners, property managers and facility teams who need to choose an HVAC contractor in the Phoenix area will find how many there are, how to shortlist them and how to check a license. Suppliers, distributors, software vendors and other businesses that sell to HVAC contractors will find the market's size, where it's concentrated and how to approach it.

How many HVAC companies are in Phoenix

The US Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (CBP) counts HVAC firms together with plumbers in one industry, NAICS 238220, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors. There's no federal count of HVAC-only firms, so read these figures as the combined trade.

Average annual pay is payroll divided by employees, so it mixes technicians, apprentices, office staff and owners on payroll.

How big Phoenix HVAC and plumbing contractors are

That's 1,507 establishments with 1 to 19 employees, 183 with 20 to 99 and 47 with 100 or more. The small end is owner-operators and two- or three-truck shops. The 47 large establishments are the multi-crew residential brands and commercial mechanical contractors.

Maricopa County versus Pinal County

Maricopa County averages about 15 employees per establishment; Pinal County fewer than 4. Pinal's contractors are almost all small local shops, while the larger operations base themselves in Maricopa and send crews outward.

What the count doesn't show

• Establishments, not companies. Each location with paid employees counts once, so a contractor with branches in Mesa and Glendale counts twice.
• No one-person businesses without payroll. Self-employed technicians working alone are excluded.
• Plumbing is mixed in. Some of the 1,737 do only plumbing; others do both.
• Timing. Employment is for the week of March 12, 2023, released in 2025. Commercial directories that track HVAC firms alone will show different totals.

How to check a Phoenix HVAC contractor's license

In Arizona, contractors are licensed by the Registrar of Contractors (ROC), and the license classification tells you what work a contractor may do. These are the classifications for heating and cooling work, from the state's rules:

Plumbing has its own classes (C-37 commercial, R-37R residential, CR-37 dual). Look any contractor up in the ROC contractor search and check three things: the license is active, the class matches your job (residential or commercial), and the business name matches the one on your estimate.

Arizona law lets unlicensed people do only casual or minor work under $1,000 in total, and that exemption doesn't apply if the work needs a building permit or is part of a larger job (A.R.S. 32-1121). A typical system replacement costs more than that and needs a permit, so it doesn't qualify. Separately, federal rules require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants to hold EPA Section 608 certification.

A shortlist checklist for homeowners and facility managers

1. Pull three to five names from the ROC search filtered to your city and the right class, plus any your neighbors or building managers recommend.
2. Confirm each license is active and in the right class for your job.
3. Ask who pulls the permit. Equipment replacements typically need a city permit; in Phoenix, permits come from the Planning and Development Department.
4. Get written estimates that name the equipment model, the scope and the warranty terms, so quotes are comparable.
5. Ask for proof of insurance and the technicians' refrigerant certification.

Where to find Phoenix HVAC companies by name

Selling to Phoenix HVAC contractors

The size table is your guide to who decides:

• 1 to 9 employees (1,319): the owner, who is often on a roof during the day. Call early or late, keep it short.
• 10 to 49 employees (324): an owner plus an operations or service manager who runs dispatch, fleet and purchasing.
• 50 or more (94): a general manager, purchasing lead or controller, often with multiple branches.

Timing matters more here than in most trades. Phoenix contractors are flat out in the cooling season, so the months after it are when owners have time to change suppliers, software or fleet plans. Lead with something specific: a new branch, a commercial contract, hiring technicians.

Worked example: a van upfitter targeting growing shops

Illustrative example. The company, people and rates are fictional, to show the method.

Copperline Upfit (copperline.example) fits shelving, ladder racks and refrigerant storage in service vans. Its best customers are contractors with 10 to 49 employees who add vans every year.

• Establishments with 10 to 49 employees: 188 + 136 = 324.
• Copperline assumes 60% do HVAC work rather than plumbing only: about 194.
• If one in five adds vans in a given year, that's about 39 buyers a year, or three a month.
• Copperline wants to reach those 39 before the cooling season, which means contacting all 194 in the cooler months and following up with any that are hiring technicians.

Finding which shops are hiring or opening a branch is the research that takes time. Bebop searches for companies that match a description like "Phoenix HVAC contractors with 10 to 49 employees hiring service technicians" and gives you the contact and the reason to call.

Hi [first name], it's [your name] from Copperline Upfit.

I saw [Company] is hiring [number] service techs. Usually that means new vans before the summer rush.

We fit out vans for Valley HVAC shops in two days, with refrigerant cylinder racks built in. Is that something you're planning for this winter, or is the fleet sorted?

Next step: if you sell to contractors across Arizona and beyond, see the construction companies industry guide.