Find a licensed HVAC contractor in Shelter Island, NY

Who licenses HVAC contractors in Shelter Island

• Suffolk's restricted license application lists Oil Burner and HVAC categories under Restricted Plumbing, and an Oil and Gas Burner category under Restricted Electrical.
• Anyone who intends to do electrical, plumbing or duct work in Suffolk homes must also apply for the required licenses among Restricted Electrical (HVAC), Restricted Plumbing (HVAC) and Home Improvement, the county's application says.
• Suffolk's home improvement law covers heating and ventilation ductwork but leaves out work in the electrical and plumbing fields.
• Suffolk charges a non-refundable $200.00 application fee for a restricted license.
• Shelter Island requires home improvements to be performed by a licensed contractor holding a Shelter Island license.
• Shelter Island's notice to contractors says every contractor or subcontractor working on the island, landscapers included, needs a town license.
• Shelter Island takes home improvement license applications online, and a new license needs a $250 check to the town, a liability certificate naming the town as certificate holder and, if applicable, a workers' compensation certificate.

State rules and the lookup steps: how to check an HVAC contractor's license.

What the Town of Shelter Island requires

• Shelter Island requires a permit for a generator or HVAC system because the equipment must conform to setbacks, and the town also asks for a New York State Board of Fire Underwriters certificate.
• In Zone A, Shelter Island's setback table requires a 40-foot front yard and 25-foot side and rear yards for principal buildings, heating, ventilation and air conditioning units included.
• Shelter Island's building permit application asks for the type of heat and the type of fuel used.
• Shelter Island's homeowners handbook says fuel storage tanks should be above ground, in an area that can hold a tank's full contents if it leaks.
• Shelter Island's handbook notes that some older properties still have underground tanks and tells owners to have one checked for leakage periodically.
• Shelter Island's permit application says HVAC units and generators placed in the yard may need separate permits and must also comply with setbacks.

The Town of Shelter Island Building Department handles permits (631-749-0772). Our Town of Shelter Island permit guide covers how to apply, inspections and certificates.

Homes in Shelter Island: what the Census shows

Across the Town of Shelter Island, villages included, the median home was built in 1980, and 28% of homes were built before 1960, 23% before 1940. Fuel oil heats 78% of occupied homes here, electricity 11% and propane 11%. With fuel oil in 78% of homes, ask early what a new system means for the oil tank.

What heating and cooling work costs here

Labor is a large part of any price. Long Island heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn a median $77,707 a year, from about $56,620 at entry level to $94,796 with experience. (New York State Department of Labor, wages updated to the first quarter of 2026.) Prices come from written estimates; more in the heating and cooling cost guide.

Before you hire in Shelter Island

• Ask for the license number the work needs here (see who licenses HVAC contractors above), and check it before you sign.
• Ask who files with the Town of Shelter Island Building Department, and who books the inspections.
• Will you do a heat loss or load calculation before you size the new system?
• What happens to the old equipment and to any oil tank, in writing?