Florida’s DBPR licensing structure for HVAC and refrigeration contractors uses three primary license types (CMC, CAC, CFC) and Class A/B/C scope distinctions. Knowing which license your contractor holds and what it authorizes is the difference between a legal install and a permit headache.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) issues contractor licenses for mechanical, air conditioning, refrigeration, and other building trades. The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) governs.
State-certified licenses authorize work statewide. State-registered licenses authorize work only in counties or municipalities where the contractor has registered.
For commercial refrigeration and commercial HVAC work in Tampa Bay, the working licenses are CMC, CAC, and CFC at the Class A level for state-certified contractors.
CMC authorizes the broadest scope: heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, ventilation, gas piping, fuel oil systems, ductwork, and process piping. Class A scope covers commercial and industrial work without size restrictions.
CMC license holders perform full mechanical-system work — the integrated package of HVAC, refrigeration, ventilation, and process. For specialty contractors that handle one part of the mechanical scope, narrower licenses fit better.
CMC holders can pull permits for the broadest range of mechanical work in Florida.
CAC Class A authorizes air conditioning work without size restrictions — commercial rooftop units, split systems, VRF, chillers, and the refrigeration that’s integral to A/C systems.
Class A is the working classification for commercial work. Class B has size limits (typically 25 tons cooling / 500,000 BTU heating); Class C is residential-scale.
For commercial HVAC work in Tampa Bay, Class A CAC is the operative license.
Daniel E. Reyes (founder of Suncoast Cold Systems) holds State Certified Class A Air Conditioning Contractor under FL license #CAC1824642. That license covers the commercial HVAC and integrated refrigeration scope we deliver.
CFC Class A authorizes commercial refrigeration work — walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers, supermarket racks, ice machines, prep tables, reach-ins, and related refrigeration-specific equipment.
CFC is narrower than CMC — doesn’t authorize HVAC or full mechanical scope — but appropriate for refrigeration-specialty contractors.
For pure-commercial-refrigeration contractors, CFC Class A is the operative license. For contractors that span HVAC and refrigeration, CAC or CMC at Class A typically suffices since A/C scope includes integral refrigeration.
Class A: unlimited size. Commercial and industrial work without tonnage or BTU caps.
Class B: limited — typically up to 25 tons cooling and 500,000 BTU heating. Light commercial scope.
Class C: residential scope. Single-family dwellings and small multi-family.
For commercial work — grocery, hotels, c-store, foodservice, manufacturing, institutional — Class A is the appropriate classification. A Class B contractor working a 30-ton supermarket rack is operating outside license scope.
State-certified: examination passed, statewide authorization, prefix C in license (CAC, CMC, CFC).
State-registered: county- or municipality-level registration, no examination required at state level. Prefix R in license (RAC, RMC, RFC). Authorization limited to registered jurisdictions.
For multi-county Tampa Bay work — Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco — state-certified is the practical license type. State-registered contractors must register in each jurisdiction they intend to work in.
License number on contracts, invoices, and proposals. Contractors with active licenses include the number per state law.
License status: active, current on continuing education, current on insurance and bonding requirements. Use the DBPR license search at myfloridalicense.com (we have a separate field note on the search walkthrough).
License scope: confirm the license type matches the work. CMC or CAC Class A for commercial HVAC; CMC or CFC Class A for commercial refrigeration; both for integrated scope.
Insurance: General Liability ($1M / $2M minimum for commercial work), Workers’ Comp on the contractor’s employees, Auto coverage on service vehicles. Suncoast carries appropriate commercial insurance.
EPA 608 technician certification (federal, technician-level) is separate from contractor licensing. We have a separate note on EPA 608 types.
OSHA training (OSHA 10, OSHA 30) is separate from licensing. Daniel E. Reyes holds OSHA 30 Construction.
Manufacturer authorizations (Hoshizaki, Manitowoc, Bitzer, Hill Phoenix, etc.) are separate from state licensing. Authorized service contractor relationships matter for warranty work and major service.
Bonding requirements and additional commercial-job qualifications are separate financial / insurance considerations.
State Certified Class A Air Conditioning Contractor, FL License #CAC1824642 (Daniel E. Reyes, founder).
EPA 608 Universal certification on lead technicians.
OSHA 30 Construction.
Commercial general liability, workers’ compensation, and auto insurance current and verifiable.
Authorized service relationships with major commercial refrigeration manufacturers as appropriate to the equipment we service.
Verify any of these on request — we provide license, insurance, and certification documentation as part of any commercial proposal.
CMC (Certified Mechanical) covers full mechanical scope including HVAC, refrigeration, gas piping, and process piping. CAC (Certified Air Conditioning) is specific to A/C and integral refrigeration. Both at Class A authorize commercial work.
Yes. State Certified Class A Air Conditioning Contractor, FL License #CAC1824642, held by founder Daniel E. Reyes.
DBPR license search at myfloridalicense.com. Enter license number or contractor name. Status, classification, and continuing-education compliance are visible.
Class B has tonnage and BTU limits typically capped at 25 tons / 500,000 BTU. Most full-scope commercial work exceeds Class B scope; Class A is required.
No. EPA 608 is federal technician certification under §608 of the Clean Air Act. State licensing (CMC, CAC, CFC) is contractor-level state regulation under DBPR.
Commercial general liability ($1M/$2M minimum), workers’ compensation, and commercial auto. Bonding may apply for specific job sizes.
Suncoast Cold Systems services commercial refrigeration and HVAC across Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon, Riverview, Temple Terrace, and Wesley Chapel. 24/7 dispatch. Specific response targets are agreed in writing for service-contract customers, by site tier and severity. State Certified Class A Air Conditioning Contractor (FL #CAC1824642), EPA 608 Universal, OSHA 30 Construction.
How to verify your contractor’s license and status.
Federal technician certification alongside state licensing.
Safety training that complements licensing.