Questions State Facilities Should Ask HVAC Contractors
Zachary (Zack) Butler
The most useful questions a state facility can ask an HVAC contractor are the ones whose answers can be checked: the license number on the proposal, who will physically be on site and how they are registered, which refrigerant the new equipment uses, how the design will meet the state energy standard, and what records the agency will hold at closeout. Ask every bidder the same questions in the same order, write the answers down and file them with the scoresheet.
This list is for facility managers, procurement staff and VetHUB coordinators at Texas agencies, and for prime contractors choosing a mechanical subcontractor on state work. It builds on our earlier guide, How to Evaluate HVAC Contractors for State Facilities, which covers license class, bonding and the VetHUB subcontracting plan.
Licensing and the people on site
1. Is your TDLR license number on the proposal? It should be. Under TDLR rule 75.71, a contractor's proposal and invoice must carry the license number, the company name, address and phone number, and the Department's contact information. The TDLR penalties and sanctions page lists each of these as an enforceable violation, as is a missing company name and license number on vehicles and job-site signs. Confirm the number in the TDLR License Search.
2. Who will be on site, and how is each person registered? In Texas, any person who assists a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor with maintenance or repair work must be registered or certified as a technician with TDLR, must work under the contractor's supervision and may not advertise services on their own, according to the TDLR technician registration page. Registration is valid for one year, so ask for current registration or certification numbers for the whole crew, not just the license holder.
3. Which EPA Section 608 certification types do your technicians hold? EPA Section 608 certification is required for anyone who services equipment containing regulated refrigerants. Type II covers high-pressure equipment such as rooftop units and split systems, and Type III covers low-pressure equipment such as many centrifugal chillers.
4. Who is the named project manager, and how do you supervise partner trades? If electrical or plumbing work is subcontracted, ask who inspects it, who signs off and who the agency calls when something fails at 2 a.m.
Equipment and refrigerants
5. Which refrigerant will the new equipment use? Under the EPA's Technology Transitions program, new comfort-cooling chillers and new residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump systems have been limited to refrigerants with a global warming potential (GWP) of 700 or less since January 1, 2025. Variable refrigerant flow systems and data center, computer room and IT equipment cooling follow on January 1, 2027. The EPA's restricted systems by sector table lists each date. Components used to repair existing systems are not restricted, and systems whose components were all manufactured or imported before the compliance date can still be installed under the rule's exceptions. Ask the bidder to name the refrigerant and confirm the equipment's compliance date in writing.
6. What training has your crew had on the newer refrigerants? Many of the lower-GWP options are classified as mildly flammable and are handled differently. Ask for the training record.
7. How do you recover refrigerant, and what records will we receive? Ask for a sample of the recovery and leak records an environmental reviewer may request months after the job.
The state energy standard and design
8. How will the equipment selection meet the SECO standard? The State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) sets ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2016 as the minimum energy standard for new construction and major renovation of state buildings, with the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code as an alternative, under 34 Texas Administrative Code §19.32, effective January 1, 2021. The SECO state-funded buildings page explains the rule and the forms. Ask the bidder how the proposed units, controls and economizers meet the standard.
9. Who prepares the compliance certification? Before construction starts, the agency must submit to SECO a compliance certification from the design architect or engineer, with engineering documentation. If the contractor is handling design-build or equipment substitutions, ask who is responsible for keeping that certification accurate when the equipment changes.
Keeping the building running during the work
10. How will you phase the work around our operating hours? Ask for a day-by-day sequence for the first two weeks, including which spaces lose cooling and for how long.
11. What temporary cooling or power do you provide if equipment comes offline? Spot coolers, portable chillers and generators are normal on occupied state buildings. Ask whether the bidder provides them, sizes them and includes them in the price, or expects the agency to arrange them.
12. How do you handle a change in scope? Ask how change orders are priced, who approves them and how fast the agency gets a written number.
Commissioning, closeout and records
13. What will we receive at closeout? A short list is enough to compare bidders: as-built drawings, a controls point list, equipment startup reports, test and balance results, manufacturer warranty registrations and training for the agency's maintenance staff. Ask which are included in the price.
14. How do you document the condition of existing equipment before you start? Photographs, nameplate data and a written condition note for each unit protect both sides when an old system is touched during a replacement. Some contractors now capture this as structured condition evidence from HVAC inspections so it can be reused for planning later.
15. What is the warranty, and who services it? Separate the manufacturer's equipment warranty from the contractor's labor warranty, and ask who the agency calls for each.
Performance history
16. Do you have reports in the Vendor Performance Tracking System? The Comptroller's Vendor Performance Tracking System (VPTS) is the state's record of how vendors performed on past contracts. State agencies are required to use it when deciding whether to award a contract, and must report vendor performance for any purchase of goods or services over $25,000 within 30 days of the reporting event. Grades run from A to F.
17. Which three comparable public buildings can we call? Ask the references about schedule, change orders and communication, and whether they would hire the contractor again.
How to use the list
- Send the questions with the solicitation or at the pre-bid meeting so every bidder answers in writing.
- Verify the checkable answers: license number, technician registrations, Section 608 types, refrigerant and compliance date, VPTS reports.
- Score the judgment answers (phasing, temporary cooling, closeout, references) on the same scale for every bidder.
- File the answers with the scoresheet so the award is easy to explain later.
Frequently asked questions
Does a contractor have to put the license number on a proposal?
Yes. TDLR rule 75.71 requires the license number, company name, address and phone number, and TDLR's contact information on proposals and invoices. Missing items are listed violations.
Do helpers on an HVAC crew need their own TDLR registration?
Yes. Anyone who assists a licensed contractor with air conditioning and refrigeration maintenance or repair work must be a registered or certified technician working under the contractor's supervision, with limited exceptions listed by TDLR.
What energy standard applies to new state buildings in Texas?
ASHRAE 90.1-2016, or the 2018 IECC as an alternative, under 34 TAC §19.32. The design architect or engineer certifies compliance to SECO before construction begins.
Is the Vendor Performance Tracking System mandatory?
State agencies must use VPTS when deciding on an award and must report performance for purchases over $25,000 within 30 days of the reporting event.
About Zebrix Group Inc.
Zebrix Group Inc. is an SBA-certified service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) and a Texas VetHUB-certified vendor (VID 21829539), active on the CMBL and SAM.gov. We hold TDLR Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license TACLA00169073C and self-perform HVAC and mechanical work. We deliver complete MEP scopes, with electrical and plumbing handled by licensed partner trades under Zebrix management, and we rent generators, spot coolers and portable chillers for occupied buildings. Based in The Woodlands, TX, we serve Greater Houston and Texas, led by Brandon Walker's 35+ years of field experience. Review our capabilities or the capability statement, or contact us to discuss an upcoming project.
About the author: Zachary (Zack) Butler is the founder and CEO of Zebrix Group Inc. and a U.S. Navy veteran. He builds Pulsix AI, one system for a building owner's buildings, work, money and risk.
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