C-20 — Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning License
Also known as: C-20 licenseHVAC licenseCSLB C-20
C-20 is the California Contractors State License Board classification for HVAC contractors — Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning. It authorizes work involving the installation, repair, and maintenance of heating and cooling systems including furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, ductwork, and associated mechanical equipment.
What C-20 covers: - Heat pump HVAC installation (the unit itself, refrigerant line set, indoor and outdoor coils, condenser pad) - Air conditioner installation - Furnace installation - Ductwork - Manual J load calculation (HVAC equipment sizing) - AHRI certification documentation for installed equipment
What C-20 does NOT cover: - The electrical infrastructure powering the equipment (that's C-10) - Heat pump water heaters in some jurisdictions (sometimes plumbing/C-36 takes part of this scope)
When you install a heat pump, two contractors coordinate. The C-20 HVAC contractor installs the equipment, sizes it via Manual J, and provides the AHRI certificate. The C-10 electrical contractor (Sunrise) runs the dedicated circuit, installs the disconnect, pulls the electrical permit, and verifies the panel can support the new load. Both inspect their own scope.
Sunrise does NOT hold a C-20 license. We don't install heat pumps. When you ask us about a heat pump install, we'll honestly tell you what we do (the electrical side) and what we don't (the HVAC equipment itself). Customers often want a single contractor handling everything; that's a "general contractor" arrangement with sub-licenses, not what we do. We coordinate with HVAC contractors; we don't replace them.
Met this term in a quote or inspection report?
A free whole-home inspection turns jargon into a written assessment of your actual house — you keep the report either way.