HVAC Contractor Permit Requirements in Des Moines, IA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Iowa Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Permit

   Required for businesses selling taxable goods or services in Iowa. The state rate is 6%, and local option sales tax of up to 1% may apply. Iowa taxes about 75 enumerated services, so check whether your service is taxable before assuming you need a permit. Register with the Iowa Department of Revenue online.

   Official government source

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit·Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit

   Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

2. EPA Section 608 Certification (for refrigerants)

   Technicians who purchase, recover, or handle refrigerants must hold EPA Section 608 certification. Required by federal law regardless of state.

   Official government source

   $20–$100 (exam)·1–2 days

   $20–$100 (exam)

   1–2 days

1. Iowa DIAL - HVAC/Mechanical Contractor License

   An HVAC contractor in Des Moines holds a state Contractor License from the Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Board within the Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing (DIAL), which absorbed the old Iowa Division of Labor in 2023. The contractor license is paired with a contractor registration, and a licensed master must be on staff. EPA Section 608 certification is separately required under federal law for handling refrigerants.

   Official government source

   $400 for a full three-year period ($250 contractor license plus $150 contractor registration), prorated if you apply mid-cycle; individual master license $240 per three years·Three-year cycle ending June 30; roughly 4-8 weeks to process a new application

   $400 for a full three-year period ($250 contractor license plus $150 contractor registration), prorated if you apply mid-cycle; individual master license $240 per three years

   Three-year cycle ending June 30; roughly 4-8 weeks to process a new application

2. No Des Moines General Business License Required

   Des Moines has no general or blanket business license, and the Development Services Department does not issue one. The City Clerk's Office licenses only specific regulated activities - alcohol, tobacco, transient merchants, mobile food vendors, peddlers, pawnbrokers, theaters, coin-operated machines, solid waste haulers and similar categories. Most businesses need nothing from the Clerk. What a commercial tenant does need is a Certificate of Occupancy for the space, issued by the Permit and Development Center, and home-based businesses go through home occupation review with Zoning Enforcement.

   Official government source

   Nothing - there is no such license. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $51.50·Not applicable

   Nothing - there is no such license. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $51.50

   Not applicable

3. Des Moines Mechanical Permit (per project)

   Every HVAC installation or major repair in Des Moines takes its own mechanical permit from the Permit and Development Center, pulled by the licensed contractor, with inspections required at completion. Polk County does not permit work inside the city limits.

   Official government source

   Commercial work: $77.25 base fee plus unit fees, such as $15.50 per furnace or heat-producing appliance and $31.00 per Type I commercial kitchen hood. Residential: $128.75 for mechanical work in a new dwelling, $77.25 for alterations and additions·Trade permits are typically issued within about a week; inspections are scheduled as the work proceeds

   Commercial work: $77.25 base fee plus unit fees, such as $15.50 per furnace or heat-producing appliance and $31.00 per Type I commercial kitchen hood. Residential: $128.75 for mechanical work in a new dwelling, $77.25 for alterations and additions

   Trade permits are typically issued within about a week; inspections are scheduled as the work proceeds

Official Sources

• Iowa Division of Labor — HVAC Mechanical Contractor License
• City of Des Moines Development Services Department

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