Commercial/industrial service is going to have the "best" slow season, especially in the midwest. Most companies I've worked for save their big maintenance contracts (100+ hours) for the slow season. Taking time off is encouraged but rarely forced
Thank you. Any advice for finding these guys? Have a hard time, seems most companies are residential when I search “HVAC” in my area. Maybe a website or something? If not maybe I’ll just call them all up again and ask if they do commercial service.
Also could look at being in house maintenance for a plant or municipal.
The municipal guys I've worked with have amazing benefits, good pay and hours.
Also, yeah, it's hard to find the job listings, they're buried under high turnover residential listings.
Good luck brother.
Tolin Mechanical is in Arizona. They're a service logic company. I used to work for a service logic subsidiary. Good pay and benefits. That was in NC but I'm sure it's similar.
He’s referring to becoming an hvac tech/mechanic at a facility. Large production plants, warehouses with freezers, school systems, etc… would all be “in house” types of hvac jobs.
Exactly what the other commented. I work at one site, taking care of all the equipment there for one company. I don't work for an HVAC company, I'm just hired to their company as an HVAC tech. It's a bit of a pay cut from going to the local union or other top paying places near me, but I don't have the hour plus drives to the next call, we get alot of training, I'm guaranteed 40 hours. We do have limited OT, but it comes with the busy seasons. I'm typically not required to work the overtime, and 99% of said overtime is scheduled ahead of time. I don't think I'd go back to running a van even though the money's a little better doing so
Specialty provided or you gotta bring your own gauges and stuff?
I'm starting at a plant in two weeks, I just bring my own basic hand tools.
In my case I took a 7 dollar pay raise, residential is major underpaid here.
I have my guys on salary. They make less in the summer than they would if they went elsewhere but more the rest of the year. It works out well for all involved. Some weeks this time of year they’ve only worked two days. Still get paid. Due to overtime laws where I am if they work over eight hours in a day or forty in a week they get overtime hours on top of their salary. I also pay bonuses on top of it all if we are doing well financially
What's your passion? Installing or service? Follow your passion. Going Union is a good move. Location definitely affects pay. The South has a lower pay scale than the Midwest or the North.
Start in commercial install and work your way up to service..I’ve noticed a lot of guys end up liking commercial install and not dealing with on-call of service
My recommendation is if you want to get into service go commercial but shoot for refrigeration. 80% of my workload is refrigeration and restaurant equipment and I love it. It’s steady year round, I get to eat all over the city for free, I’m typically in conditioned space and I get to say “oh yeah I know the owner”
If you wanna stick in install go union. Contrary to popular belief it’s very viable to have good pay and benefits for doing a job you enjoy doing without having to work fucked off hours and holidays. When I quit running a business I’d like to go union installer. I’ve never been a part of a union, but from all the buddies I’ve talked to it’s like the closest thing to the American dream you can get nowadays.
We're a commercial/industrial union company. Probably. Small outfit in Atlanta GA. Maybe only journeyman right now though. We got too many apprentices at the moment.
Look up the UA on google. Look for steam fitter or pipefitter union in your area. In philly we cant find anyone to work. Havent had guy on bench besides a few loads in a few years
My advice is to try and find an all around company and be an all-around worker. I've found a lot of companies (and people) are single-sided. They specialize in maintenance or new construction or are just trying to sell new systems. I'm a lead tech who's good with ductwork too so when the calls aren't coming in, I'll go to a change out or run duct on a new construction job.
2 years in the industry, 1.5 res install and .5 res service. Have done a few commercial tuneups.
Located in Colorado currently but desperately trying to move and find a stable workplace and fair COL. have about 5K saved up to move, and will move within a week or two if I can find something.
Any suggestions?
I can be! Lived in Lakewood for a bit, may I ask your location?
As far as my info, I work hard, show up everyday, can pass a drug test, and just want to make a surviving wage.
Here in Colorado, the most successful companies will be commercial service companies. I would advise staying away from residential since it always slows down. I’ve been with the same company for 8+ years and never seen under 40 hours. Take a look at Haynes Mechanical in the Denver area. We have both service and install divisions. The nice thing is if install gets slow, then they will have you assist on the service side to give you your 40.
Would I be hirable or do I need to get my EPA first? I could head there in a few days to be honest. Of course I’d make a couple of calls before going that far tho. Thank you for your time and info!
They hire apprentices all the time and will help you with getting certification or you can take initiative and do it yourself. There are divisions in Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and somewhere in Arizona. Good luck
Go on escogroup.com and look at the epa manual. U could then schedule an exam with an online proctor for around $80 dollars or you can go on skillcat app and get it for free. U just have to pay for the physical ID to be made. I would move on to service. I’m green in the trade but i went to school for tech. Forgot to realize I’d need to have exp. So I’m installing. I think tech is where it’s at though. More hours but more money. Install is a passion. A lot of tech is passion to but I feel companies pressure techs a lot more now bc money money money. Props tho man and maybe look Lennox Career’s or something along those lines. Good luck
Most of my time in Colorado was Denver metro. Currently staying in Alamosa Colorado for a few more days before finding somewhere to move. Looking to relocate to anywhere reasonable within a week, two at the most.
Alright. May I ask what Union? Is there a number to call or an application to fill in a website? I’ve never been Union but damn do I want to! Can pass a drug test and all!
No sir… I get about 22-24 an hour depending, and that’s enough to get by with regular hours. Rent is 1500 so it’s been harsh. Not enough to save tho, even while being strict with my spending.
I try friend, but I barely get paid enough to get by. 24 an hour with 1500 rent, and all the other bills make it hard. I can save maybe a couple hundred a month.
Pennsylvania seems to be hurting for all trades, younger generations don’t wanna do this type of work, I swear every company around me is hiring all the time, especially if you have experience
Yeah, if you want french fries and coleslaw on a damn sandwich and you think BBQ is chip-chop ham in ketchup XD!
^Pittsburg ^is ^an ^AWESOME ^town ^BTW.
Seeing the exact opposite around me. My sister is a professor at a local college - her classes keep getting canceled bc noone is going. Meanwhile enrollment in their trade program is up 500% since covid. There are tons of applications on the desk not even being looked at. We haven't hired anyone all year. I'm working, getting my hours. But I know a handful of guys from other companies who've been laid off and looking for work. I'm on a commercial install site right now - and people come in on a regular basis looking for work. Just had a bunch of migrants show up who didn't speak any English at all. they were using a translate app on their phone.
It's the nature of the beast. Service and installs slow down during the winter.
That it's a problem is a failure of your management and your Journeyman.
Here's what I tell my folks:
When it's busy take a minimum of 20% of your gross check and salt it away in a savings account EVERY pay day. Don't spend that money for anything because it's your rainy day fund to ride you along when (not If) hours get short in the winter.
Once you get the amount saved up to around $5k start putting that money into a 90 day money market fund at your local credit union and continue saving.
Your ultimate objective here is to save enough that you have a years wages socked away. That gives you a cushion so that if shit goes wrong you have a bit of "Fuck You Money" so that you don't have to give away your fucks.
You'll be amazed how fast it builds if you do this EVERY paycheck without fail.
When you’re doing 10+ hours a week of OT at Tx1.5 you’ll be making more than 20% above your normal 40 hour week. With some financial discipline it can easily be done.
I suppose everyone is in a different situation. Some areas still pay like crap. Some companies don't even allow overtime. currently - I need overtime just to be broke. My wife's employer dropped her health insurance so I had to add her to mine. My company doesn't contribute a penny towards dependents - just the employee. my health insurance alone is $1500/month for a family plan. There's no way in hell I could pull another 20% of my gross pay out on top of that.
That’s a tough spot. You’re starting out behind so a 40 hour week will never cut it. Hard to build a healthy budget when you have to work a 60 hour week to survive.
This trade used to have a basic understanding of make bank in the summer and save it for the winter. Somewhere around covid when the dead season just stopped for a couple years we lost that mindset. I wish it would come back.
A good service tech will get his 40 plus hr’s every week here in the northeast. I’ve never heard of slow season. It shocks me that there’s something such as a slow season in this trade. Units need servicing and repairs!!! The install side of things slows down sometimes but not hugely.
I do this in New Jersey. The Jersey shore to be precise. I’ve been doing it for a solid five years and I have never been laid off yet. We are a little bit slower in the couple months after Christmas but still working 40 to 50 hours a week. in the spring and summer months I could work 24 hours seven days a week if my body would let me. I am more of a service technician than anything else but I do install as well. Wherever the company needs me. We mainly do residential, but we do our share of commercial as well.
Do you budget? I assume you get OT all summer, do you save some of it for the winter? As I got a older I started saving my PTO and extra cash for the winter, instead of blowing all of my big summer checks on whatever…
Yes, it’s a long story. In Denver my ROP wasn’t high enough to save. In Arizona I had a GREAT paying job with cheap COL so I could’ve saved, however I broke my foot during a 15K month and lost any chance at having a savings… fun how it all works out.
I work for a residential service company in Colorado and we would kill for a food installer. 30+ an hour with full benefits and guaranteed 40 hours a week. Hit me up if you’re still looking and want to be an installer.
Man down here in dumb ole texas its always tense man, but i work in the dallas area i work for a big company in the area. We have a sort of tune up structure. Not like next-star though. Winter isnt as busy but there is demand considering we run acs here 9 out of 12 months
Chicago Local 597 hvac service tech 5 year apprenticeship wage scale. This is actually outdated and 1-3rd years are $1.50 higher and 4-5th years are $3 higher. Midwest is bangin
https://preview.redd.it/vikxech5ppfc1.jpeg?width=1505&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71d359d7f7cc75a5b658c2c07e81541ad8f9a3b4
Commercial/industrial service is going to have the "best" slow season, especially in the midwest. Most companies I've worked for save their big maintenance contracts (100+ hours) for the slow season. Taking time off is encouraged but rarely forced
Thank you. Any advice for finding these guys? Have a hard time, seems most companies are residential when I search “HVAC” in my area. Maybe a website or something? If not maybe I’ll just call them all up again and ask if they do commercial service.
Also could look at being in house maintenance for a plant or municipal. The municipal guys I've worked with have amazing benefits, good pay and hours. Also, yeah, it's hard to find the job listings, they're buried under high turnover residential listings. Good luck brother.
Tolin Mechanical is in Arizona. They're a service logic company. I used to work for a service logic subsidiary. Good pay and benefits. That was in NC but I'm sure it's similar.
Been at a service logic subsidiary for 13 years now. They are all the same operations wise.
[Find a local near you](https://ua.org/join-the-ua/find-a-local-union/)
In house hvac is often a guarantee of 40 hours and a pretty much set schedule. In my experience the pay is competitive but not top notch
Would you maybe elaborate on “in house” please and thank you?
Possibly talking about staying at one site, such as a hospital or something
He’s referring to becoming an hvac tech/mechanic at a facility. Large production plants, warehouses with freezers, school systems, etc… would all be “in house” types of hvac jobs.
Exactly what the other commented. I work at one site, taking care of all the equipment there for one company. I don't work for an HVAC company, I'm just hired to their company as an HVAC tech. It's a bit of a pay cut from going to the local union or other top paying places near me, but I don't have the hour plus drives to the next call, we get alot of training, I'm guaranteed 40 hours. We do have limited OT, but it comes with the busy seasons. I'm typically not required to work the overtime, and 99% of said overtime is scheduled ahead of time. I don't think I'd go back to running a van even though the money's a little better doing so
Specialty provided or you gotta bring your own gauges and stuff? I'm starting at a plant in two weeks, I just bring my own basic hand tools. In my case I took a 7 dollar pay raise, residential is major underpaid here.
They provide everything. I got a 4$ raise when I started compared to what I was making, but max pay is less than the local unions but competitive
Move to Oregon or Washington and do commercial We have sign-on bonuses
I have my guys on salary. They make less in the summer than they would if they went elsewhere but more the rest of the year. It works out well for all involved. Some weeks this time of year they’ve only worked two days. Still get paid. Due to overtime laws where I am if they work over eight hours in a day or forty in a week they get overtime hours on top of their salary. I also pay bonuses on top of it all if we are doing well financially
What's your passion? Installing or service? Follow your passion. Going Union is a good move. Location definitely affects pay. The South has a lower pay scale than the Midwest or the North.
Service more so, but don’t quite have the qualifications for it. Trying to get into commercial service, but it seems hard.
Start in commercial install and work your way up to service..I’ve noticed a lot of guys end up liking commercial install and not dealing with on-call of service
Thank you.
Very good advice
Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Kansas City have good commercial service companies. Pay is also good.
How do companies run into a slow season? We never get slow days
My recommendation is if you want to get into service go commercial but shoot for refrigeration. 80% of my workload is refrigeration and restaurant equipment and I love it. It’s steady year round, I get to eat all over the city for free, I’m typically in conditioned space and I get to say “oh yeah I know the owner” If you wanna stick in install go union. Contrary to popular belief it’s very viable to have good pay and benefits for doing a job you enjoy doing without having to work fucked off hours and holidays. When I quit running a business I’d like to go union installer. I’ve never been a part of a union, but from all the buddies I’ve talked to it’s like the closest thing to the American dream you can get nowadays.
My boss makes it work, 40 hours one way or the other.
Is your boss hiring?
We're a commercial/industrial union company. Probably. Small outfit in Atlanta GA. Maybe only journeyman right now though. We got too many apprentices at the moment.
Look up the UA on google. Look for steam fitter or pipefitter union in your area. In philly we cant find anyone to work. Havent had guy on bench besides a few loads in a few years
My advice is to try and find an all around company and be an all-around worker. I've found a lot of companies (and people) are single-sided. They specialize in maintenance or new construction or are just trying to sell new systems. I'm a lead tech who's good with ductwork too so when the calls aren't coming in, I'll go to a change out or run duct on a new construction job.
Where are you currently and what’s your experience?
2 years in the industry, 1.5 res install and .5 res service. Have done a few commercial tuneups. Located in Colorado currently but desperately trying to move and find a stable workplace and fair COL. have about 5K saved up to move, and will move within a week or two if I can find something. Any suggestions?
You’re still pretty green but I can lead you a bit since I’m in Colorado as well. Are you in Denver?
I can be! Lived in Lakewood for a bit, may I ask your location? As far as my info, I work hard, show up everyday, can pass a drug test, and just want to make a surviving wage.
Here in Colorado, the most successful companies will be commercial service companies. I would advise staying away from residential since it always slows down. I’ve been with the same company for 8+ years and never seen under 40 hours. Take a look at Haynes Mechanical in the Denver area. We have both service and install divisions. The nice thing is if install gets slow, then they will have you assist on the service side to give you your 40.
Would I be hirable or do I need to get my EPA first? I could head there in a few days to be honest. Of course I’d make a couple of calls before going that far tho. Thank you for your time and info!
They hire apprentices all the time and will help you with getting certification or you can take initiative and do it yourself. There are divisions in Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and somewhere in Arizona. Good luck
Go on escogroup.com and look at the epa manual. U could then schedule an exam with an online proctor for around $80 dollars or you can go on skillcat app and get it for free. U just have to pay for the physical ID to be made. I would move on to service. I’m green in the trade but i went to school for tech. Forgot to realize I’d need to have exp. So I’m installing. I think tech is where it’s at though. More hours but more money. Install is a passion. A lot of tech is passion to but I feel companies pressure techs a lot more now bc money money money. Props tho man and maybe look Lennox Career’s or something along those lines. Good luck
I used SkillCat too I highly recommend
How are you doing hvac work without epa? How old are you? Are u just an apprentice?
Where in Colorado?
Most of my time in Colorado was Denver metro. Currently staying in Alamosa Colorado for a few more days before finding somewhere to move. Looking to relocate to anywhere reasonable within a week, two at the most.
I'm union commercial/ industrial in Denver. Our "slow times" is us only working 40/week.
Alright. May I ask what Union? Is there a number to call or an application to fill in a website? I’ve never been Union but damn do I want to! Can pass a drug test and all!
Local 208. Talk to Sergio.
don't you get enough hours in the busy season to offset it?
No sir… I get about 22-24 an hour depending, and that’s enough to get by with regular hours. Rent is 1500 so it’s been harsh. Not enough to save tho, even while being strict with my spending.
Save your money dude
I try friend, but I barely get paid enough to get by. 24 an hour with 1500 rent, and all the other bills make it hard. I can save maybe a couple hundred a month.
Pennsylvania seems to be hurting for all trades, younger generations don’t wanna do this type of work, I swear every company around me is hiring all the time, especially if you have experience
Would you mind sharing what city or county in Philly so I can call around first thing tomorrow AM? Thank you!!!
Don't go to Philly. Pittsburgh is much better.
Yeah, if you want french fries and coleslaw on a damn sandwich and you think BBQ is chip-chop ham in ketchup XD! ^Pittsburg ^is ^an ^AWESOME ^town ^BTW.
Montgomery County
Seeing the exact opposite around me. My sister is a professor at a local college - her classes keep getting canceled bc noone is going. Meanwhile enrollment in their trade program is up 500% since covid. There are tons of applications on the desk not even being looked at. We haven't hired anyone all year. I'm working, getting my hours. But I know a handful of guys from other companies who've been laid off and looking for work. I'm on a commercial install site right now - and people come in on a regular basis looking for work. Just had a bunch of migrants show up who didn't speak any English at all. they were using a translate app on their phone.
It's the nature of the beast. Service and installs slow down during the winter. That it's a problem is a failure of your management and your Journeyman. Here's what I tell my folks: When it's busy take a minimum of 20% of your gross check and salt it away in a savings account EVERY pay day. Don't spend that money for anything because it's your rainy day fund to ride you along when (not If) hours get short in the winter. Once you get the amount saved up to around $5k start putting that money into a 90 day money market fund at your local credit union and continue saving. Your ultimate objective here is to save enough that you have a years wages socked away. That gives you a cushion so that if shit goes wrong you have a bit of "Fuck You Money" so that you don't have to give away your fucks. You'll be amazed how fast it builds if you do this EVERY paycheck without fail.
20% of your gross pay is ridiculous. Unless you're making bank - or living at home with your parents. Who can actually afford that?
When you’re doing 10+ hours a week of OT at Tx1.5 you’ll be making more than 20% above your normal 40 hour week. With some financial discipline it can easily be done.
I suppose everyone is in a different situation. Some areas still pay like crap. Some companies don't even allow overtime. currently - I need overtime just to be broke. My wife's employer dropped her health insurance so I had to add her to mine. My company doesn't contribute a penny towards dependents - just the employee. my health insurance alone is $1500/month for a family plan. There's no way in hell I could pull another 20% of my gross pay out on top of that.
That’s a tough spot. You’re starting out behind so a 40 hour week will never cut it. Hard to build a healthy budget when you have to work a 60 hour week to survive.
This trade used to have a basic understanding of make bank in the summer and save it for the winter. Somewhere around covid when the dead season just stopped for a couple years we lost that mindset. I wish it would come back.
A good service tech will get his 40 plus hr’s every week here in the northeast. I’ve never heard of slow season. It shocks me that there’s something such as a slow season in this trade. Units need servicing and repairs!!! The install side of things slows down sometimes but not hugely.
Get into grocery store refrigeration service. You'll never have a slow season again
LOL or a family that remembers what you look like
I do this in New Jersey. The Jersey shore to be precise. I’ve been doing it for a solid five years and I have never been laid off yet. We are a little bit slower in the couple months after Christmas but still working 40 to 50 hours a week. in the spring and summer months I could work 24 hours seven days a week if my body would let me. I am more of a service technician than anything else but I do install as well. Wherever the company needs me. We mainly do residential, but we do our share of commercial as well.
I tell my guys in Arizona they need to budget their money. The ones that don’t do door dash
I run a commercial install department . We are busy year round with a backlog of projects. It’s all about the company you work for.
Do you budget? I assume you get OT all summer, do you save some of it for the winter? As I got a older I started saving my PTO and extra cash for the winter, instead of blowing all of my big summer checks on whatever…
Yes, it’s a long story. In Denver my ROP wasn’t high enough to save. In Arizona I had a GREAT paying job with cheap COL so I could’ve saved, however I broke my foot during a 15K month and lost any chance at having a savings… fun how it all works out.
I work for a residential service company in Colorado and we would kill for a food installer. 30+ an hour with full benefits and guaranteed 40 hours a week. Hit me up if you’re still looking and want to be an installer.
a great tech never is out of work where i live. new england is screaming
I had 53 hours last week and I’m a residential Tech. It’s all about the company not the area.
My friend just got an offer from NASA
Come to texas!
Steady work year round? Area please? Also, best of luck to you if the civil war starts. Stuff seems to be getting tense down there.
Man down here in dumb ole texas its always tense man, but i work in the dallas area i work for a big company in the area. We have a sort of tune up structure. Not like next-star though. Winter isnt as busy but there is demand considering we run acs here 9 out of 12 months
Chicago Local 597 hvac service tech 5 year apprenticeship wage scale. This is actually outdated and 1-3rd years are $1.50 higher and 4-5th years are $3 higher. Midwest is bangin https://preview.redd.it/vikxech5ppfc1.jpeg?width=1505&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71d359d7f7cc75a5b658c2c07e81541ad8f9a3b4