Picking an HVAC company in Dallas usually happens in a hurry: the house is warm, the system is quiet and the first company that answers gets the job. The checks that protect you take only a few minutes, and they are easier to run before you need them. This guide walks through them in order: the state license, insurance, the written diagnosis and quote, city permits, reviews, and the questions worth asking every company.
A word about who is writing this. Dallas Air & Heating is a free phone line, not an HVAC company. When you call, an automated assistant takes your details and transfers you to one independent, locally owned heating and air conditioning company, and that company may pay the line a referral fee. The line does not rank companies, does not vouch for anyone's license or insurance, and you are always free to get other quotes. Use every check on this page on the company you reach through the line, too.
Start with the TDLR license lookup
In Texas, heating and cooling contractors are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, called TDLR. Under the state rules, a contracting company may use only licensed contractors, registered or certified technicians, or qualifying students for maintenance work.
- Get the license number. It should already be on the company's proposal, invoice and ads (more on that below). If not, ask for it.
- Open the TDLR license search. The search at tdlr.texas.gov lets you look up a license by type, number, name, city, county or ZIP code.
- Search by number, then by name. The number is the reliable search. Searching the business name as well shows whether the license really belongs to the company on your paperwork.
- Read the result. TDLR's database shows active licenses only. If the license cannot be found, call TDLR customer service at 800-803-9202 or ask the company to explain.
- Note the class. The license shows whether it is Class A or Class B. Both cover a typical house, as the table below explains.
- Class AAllows work on heating and cooling systems of any size.
- Class BCovers cooling systems of 25 tons and under and heating systems of 1.5 million BTUs per hour and under, far more than a typical house needs.
- Environmental air conditioning endorsementThe endorsement for treating air for human comfort: temperature, humidity, cleanliness, ventilation and circulation. This is the one that matters for a house.
Check the license yourself. In Texas, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), and the license number belongs on the company's quotes and invoices. Ask for it and look it up with the TDLR license search (opens in a new tab) before work starts. It is also fair to ask for a certificate of insurance.
Where the license number should already be printed
Texas rules for air conditioning contracting companies, 16 Texas Administrative Code section 75.71, require the license number to show up in plain sight. You can often check it without asking.
- Proposals and invoicesThe licensee's number must appear on all proposals and invoices for air conditioning and refrigeration work, along with a notice that the company is regulated by TDLR and how to reach TDLR.
- AdvertisingAds meant to win air conditioning or refrigeration business must include the license number.
- VehiclesThe company name and the licensee's number in letters at least two inches high on both sides of every vehicle used for the work.
Missing everywhere, plus reluctance to give it when asked, is a reason to stop.
Insurance: ask for the certificate
TDLR requires licensed contractors to carry general liability insurance. The floor is $100,000 per occurrence and $200,000 in total for a Class B license, and $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 in total for Class A, plus coverage for completed work.
The word "insured" on a website tells you little. A certificate of insurance names the insurance company, the policy dates and the limits, and you can call the insurer to confirm the policy is current. Ask for it before anyone climbs into your attic, cuts into a wall or sets new equipment.
Get the diagnosis and the quote in writing
A careful HVAC company tells you what failed and what it costs before it starts the repair. A written quote for a repair should name the part (a capacitor and a compressor are very different bills), the labor, any refrigerant with the amount in pounds, and the total. If there is a diagnostic or trip fee, find out the amount before the visit and whether it is credited toward the repair.
Then ask one question many people skip: is repair an option here, and what does it cost? If the company recommends replacement, it should be able to explain why repair does not make sense, with both prices side by side. A straight answer to that question is one of the clearest signals you will get. For a new system, the quote should list the indoor and outdoor model numbers, the efficiency rating, whether the permit is included, what happens to the old equipment and how long the labor warranty runs.
City of Dallas permits and contractor registration
Dallas has its own rules on top of the state license. The city's construction code says a mechanical contractor installing, altering or repairing mechanical systems must register with the city, and that registration is tied to the state license: it expires when the state license does. A company doing regular work inside Dallas city limits should be able to tell you it is registered.
Whether your job needs a permit depends on what is being done. The city's code lists some mechanical work as exempt, including replacing electric heating, ventilating or air conditioning equipment when no change in the rough-in is required, and replacing a component part that does not alter the original design. Work that changes ducts, flues, gas piping or wiring falls outside those exemptions. Because the line between the two is technical, ask the company plainly: does this job need a permit, who pulls it, and is it in the price? You can confirm with Dallas Development Services at 214-948-4480. If you live in one of the suburbs, its building department sets its own rules.
When a permit is pulled, a city inspector looks at the finished work. A company that offers a discount for skipping a required permit is offering to skip the one independent check on its own work.
Sizing comes before price
For a replacement, the size of the system matters more than the brand. The Air Conditioning Contractors of America publishes Manual J, the ANSI recognized method for working out how much heating and cooling a house needs room by room, using insulation, windows, air leaks and duct location. ACCA notes that national building codes and most local jurisdictions require a proper load calculation.
Matching the old unit's tonnage or using a square foot rule skips all of that. An oversized system cools quickly, shuts off and leaves the house cool but clammy. Ask to see the load calculation next to the size being quoted.
Red flags and green flags
The same patterns show up again and again. One red flag is not always a deal breaker, but two or three together usually are.
Red flags
- Pressure to replace now. A price that expires when the salesperson leaves, or "your system could die any minute" on a system that is running.
- A refrigerant deadline scare. "R-410A is banned, so you have to replace." The EPA removed the January 1, 2026 installation date in May 2026, and repairs on R-410A systems were never restricted.
- No license number anywhere. Not on the proposal, the invoice, the website or the truck, and vague answers when you ask.
- Cash only. No card, no check, no invoice. It leaves you with no paper trail if the work fails.
- A system size quoted over the phone. Nobody can size a house they have not looked at.
- Refrigerant top-offs with no leak search. Air conditioners do not use up refrigerant. Low refrigerant means a leak.
- A bid far below the others. Usually something is missing: the permit, a matching indoor coil, the line set or a labor warranty.
Green flags
- License number on the paperwork, matching an active license in the TDLR search.
- A certificate of insurance offered without fuss.
- Diagnosis first, price second, with the failed part named and the price in writing before work starts.
- A repair price next to any replacement price, so you can see the choice for yourself.
- A plain answer about permits and who pulls them.
- A load calculation for any new system, and model numbers on the quote.
- Patience. Time to think, a second opinion and questions all welcomed.
Reading reviews and BBB profiles
Star averages are the least useful part of a review page. The Federal Trade Commission's advice on online reviews points to a few habits that help: look at several sites rather than one, check how recent the reviews are, and be wary of a burst of reviews posted over a short period. It also warns that fake reviews are not always glowing, and that dishonest businesses sometimes pay to appear at the top of search results.
- Sort by newest. Owners and staff change. Last month matters more than four years ago.
- Read the middle reviews. Three and four star reviews tend to describe what actually happened.
- Look for specifics. "Showed me the burned wire and gave me the price first" says more than "great service."
- Read the company's replies. A calm, specific answer to a complaint is a good sign. Silence or an argument is not.
The Better Business Bureau rates businesses whether or not they are accredited, and complaint history is the first factor in its rating. Two things to keep in mind: BBB says a rating is not a promise about a company's reliability or performance, and accredited businesses pay BBB annual dues. Read the actual complaints and how they were answered, not just the letter grade.
Why "best HVAC company" lists deserve a second look
When you search for the best HVAC company in Dallas, many of the results are lists, directories and lead sites. Before trusting one, look for how it makes money. If companies pay to be listed, pay for placement or pay a fee for each call or lead, the list is advertising. That can be perfectly fine, as long as it is disclosed. The FTC's 2024 rule on fake reviews goes further for the worst cases: a business may not present a review site it controls as independent when that site reviews its own services.
This line is in the paid group, which is why it says so on every page. The companies it connects you with may pay it a referral fee. What the line gives you is a quick, free way to reach one local company, any hour. What it does not give you is a ranking or a promise about that company. The license lookup, the certificate of insurance and the written quote are still yours to check, and nothing stops you from calling other companies for comparison.
The question checklist
Screenshot this section or print the page. Ask every company the same questions so the answers line up.
Before the visit
- What is your TDLR contractor license number?
- Are you registered with the city where I live?
- Is there a diagnostic or trip fee, and how much?
- Is that fee credited if I go ahead with the repair?
- Do evening or weekend visits cost more, and how much?
After the diagnosis
- Which part failed, and how did you confirm it?
- Can I have the diagnosis and price in writing?
- Is repair an option, and what does it cost?
- If the refrigerant is low, where is the leak?
- What warranty covers the part and the labor?
For a new system
- Will you do a load calculation in the house, and can I see it?
- What are the indoor and outdoor model numbers?
- Does this job need a permit, and is it in the price?
- May I see your certificate of insurance?
- How long is the labor warranty, in writing?
- Do you take part in Oncor's or another utility's efficiency program?
If something goes wrong
Start with a call to the owner or service manager, with your proposal and invoice in hand. If they do not, and you believe the work broke the rules (unlicensed work, a skipped permit or work that does not meet code), TDLR takes complaints about air conditioning contractors through its online form, and it also accepts complaints by mail. Gather the company name, the license number, the paperwork, photos, texts and dates first. TDLR can act against a license; getting money back is a separate matter, often for justice court.
The short version
Verify the license, ask for the certificate of insurance, get the diagnosis and the price in writing, ask whether repair is an option, find out who handles any permit, insist on a load calculation for a new system, and slow down whenever the urgency comes from the salesperson instead of the equipment. If someone tells you a refrigerant rule forces a replacement, read the free refrigerant guide first.
- Call any hourAn automated assistant answers (469) 649-7066 and asks whether it is about cooling or heating.
- Describe the problemGive your name, a callback number, your city or ZIP and what the system is doing.
- Get put throughThe call goes to an independent, locally owned heating and air conditioning company, which hears a short summary before it picks up.
- Deal with them directlyThat company diagnoses, quotes, does the work and is paid by you. If it cannot answer, it gets your details to call back.
How this line works: Dallas Air & Heating is a free phone line, not an HVAC company. It answers your call and connects you with an independent local heating and air conditioning company, which inspects, quotes and does the work, and which you pay directly. The line holds no HVAC license and does not repair, install or schedule anything itself. Those companies may pay Dallas Air & Heating a referral fee. You never pay the line. How it works.
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Calling from elsewhere in Dallas-Fort Worth
Suburbs set their own permit rules and some have their own electric utility. Pick your city for what is different there.