What's going on in the HVAC industry?

[42yrs exp]

I live in Northeast Philadelphia and have been in this business for a very long time (over 44 years). In May of 2004 I went in my own business (Big Mistake). It seems there are about about 20 HVACR trucks within a Five mile area of where I live. Is everyone and their Grandmother going in this business?

I can't believe how many trucks I see in this business.What about some of the other areas. Has anyone else experienced this mass enterance to the HVAC business. What's going on?
Are there no other jobs out there? With so much competition
how do these guys make a living. GOOD GRIEF!

[berad]

My area is like this to. Contractors don'tpay the greatest in my area, but techs see the tickets they bring back to the shop and figure they might as well go to work for themselves and collect the entire amount of the ticket instead of just their hourly pay. As you stated, big mistake. There is much more to it than it appears on the surface as you found out. So as a result, many of these guys go back to working for a shop. It seem like companies show up and melt away just like the winter snow around here.

[rockdean]

Why didn't you notice the trucks when you worked for other people all those years?

[cool-blew]

I've noticed that as well, about 5 new guys on there own just this month. Maybe the state makes it too easy to get licensed!?

We have about 60-80K living in our county, and we have about 60 HVAC companies now.

[beenthere]

Now you know why your boss was always cranky.

We're in PA, anybody can call himself an hvacer, so you'll have lots of competition.

[oilman]

You know what the problem is with this business? It's too easy to get into. You need a business that requires a large piece of equipment, etc. That keeps out everyone and his brother.

[bluetooth751]

Same situation in our area HVAC guys pop up everywhere.

Be patient they will soon be out of work. Also as the industry becomes more technical it becomes more difficult for just anyone to aquire the skills.

[andserco]

[i] Be patient they will soon be out of work. Also as the industry becomes more technical it becomes more difficult for just anyone to aquire the skills. [/B]

I would have to disagree-- there will always be parts and equipment changers............

[splus]

The state i live in does not require anybody to take a test or anything to get into the business.Every time a factory moves over seas the janitor and maint. guy go into the hvac field.

[bornriding]

This is one reason that I ( & my wife ) work alone.
If you ever get a good tech or get a good tech trained, he will invariably leave you, go into his own business, and become your competition. Will even take some of your customers with him.
Have seen 7-10 new businesses start up here in the last 5 years. At least three are now out of business.

[coolwhip]

As long as you provide dependable quality service, word gets around and the phone will ring. Here in the metro detroit area there are more companies than carter has pills. No worries though, the hacks will be sifted out.

[robertee]

HVAC is just like any other business that is easy to enter. Too many bad ones making it hard for the good knowlegable worker to compete. How does the home owner know what he is getting? They need knowlege. This forum provides a great service for home owners so they can question the contractor about what he provides. If the home owner has an idea of good work practice and can have it put in writing he may get one of the good HVAC people.

[mike d373]

The school I went to about 10 years ago had 30 new students per class. Now I heard they're booming and have over 125 per class.

They haven't found a way to ship our jobs to India yet.

[tinknocker service tech]

it seems in jersey being on your own is the thing to do
even if they dont have a clue
everyone wants to be a chief and not an indian
we need to license hvac contractors and make it harder to be on your own. i have lost track of how much schooling and training i have but learned one real lesson
big differance between side jobs and running a co.
as a service manager and on the road tech i here all the time when guys bring in the checks each morning. man look at what i just gave you for the boss. if i had a truck it would be mine. not. if they only knew where that monie realy goes and they dont hear when you try to tell them.
guess we all have to lear a lesson the hard way or not at all

[beenthere]

I hear the same thing all the time.

[dave82323]

I ran into a guy while doing a waranty service call and got to talking to him. Ends up he owns a hvac company in arizona, I asked how long he has been doing hvac and why he couldnt remount his stat himself, his reply was that he doesnt know a thing about AC but he saw a great oportunity to make a lot of money having a few techs work for him. I dont blame him there is a lack of good companys in AZ, there are also good ones but it is luck of the draw..

[framehvac]

Originally posted by cool-blew
I've noticed that as well, about 5 new guys on there own just this month. Maybe the state makes it too easy to get licensed!?

We have about 60-80K living in our county, and we have about 60 HVAC companies now.

They shouldn't make a test to keep people out of hvac that would just be wrong,they make it so,they know you can do the work but it is just a book test.

[framehvac]

Originally posted by coolwhip
As long as you provide dependable quality service, word gets around and the phone will ring. Here in the metro detroit area there are more companies than carter has pills. No worries though, the hacks will be sifted out.

We had some big out of state companies come in last year new van,new everything.They are gone now,they didn't make it,they provide dependable quality services to.Just someone forgot to tell them that their was no work in WV.Some of them are on this website sorry guys no one told you I guest it is a write off.

[hockey]

Here in Massachusetts it seems the hiring is mostly word-of-mouth. Yup, the schools are bulging with students too. HVAC requires the least amount of time to get a job. Electrical/plumbing takes too long for a license.

[berad]

I agree with everyone that it is to easy to get into due to nolicesnse requirements. Buy I keep hearing here about schools brimming with students. In HVACR News and other periodicle publications about the lack of schools, students, and workers in the industry. What the hay are they talking about.Show me a firefighter that doesn't do hvac on the side.