I have been an hvac tech for 20 years in Massachusetts. I started as an oil burner technician and started advancing in my career over time, only to realize there are so many restrictions keeping me from being able to offer the services customers need in an efficient and cost effective manner. 

In Massachusetts, HVAC doesn't mean anything anymore. You must be a plumber to connect gas and vent/intake piping. You must have a sheet metal license to connect to, make changes to, or even repair ductwork. You need a refrigeration license if you work on anything over 10 tons of refrigerant. As on oil burner technician, I am allowed to do a complete boiler installation which includes part of my own wiring, all the heat piping, but not the cold water feed to a boiler if I am replacing the backflow preventer. At one point we were also allowed to do our own sheet metal as well. 

Now, even as a residential hvac technician, if I want to install or replace a gas fired furnace or boiler, I am supposed to have a plumbing or gas fitting license and/or a sheet metal license. This limits/hinders any residential hvac company from being able to obtain enough income through the year to stay in business or grow. You have to rely on multiple subcontractors or worse, work under a plumbing company for 5 years to get your license only to quit to work for a sheet metal company for 5 years to get your sheet metal license. That is not fair to you for having to take pay cuts and not fair to the companies you had to use together your license. It's also not fair to your customers because plumbers and sheet metal workers do not specialize in heat or ac meaning that even through the 10 years of training while getting your licenses you may never have even worked on residential heating or ac equipment. 

At this time I believe there should be a residential hvac license, as there is in other states, that includes oil burners, gas burners, and heat pumps, and all the associated direct work needed to service and install them. 

I also believe that anyone in the field should be grandfathered I'm this license with proof of work in the field as they did this with sheet metal licensing in the past as well. Thank you for the consideration. 

P.s. the amount of skilled tradesmen is in decline. Creating this License will entice new labor into the trade as there will be less confusion when it comes to jurisdiction of hvac as well as a reason to enter into a career that won't be dead ended without a plumbing or sheet metal license.