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Denver, CO

Commercial HVAC in Denver

Facility First manages commercial HVAC in Denver for retail stores, restaurants and offices, with heating checked before winter and cooling checked before summer. Work goes to vetted mechanical contractors who hold the City and County of Denver licenses the job requires and pull the City permits each replacement needs.

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What is covered in Denver

Under a Facility First program, commercial HVAC in Denver covers:

No-heat and no-cooling calls on rooftop units, split systems, furnaces, unit heaters and evaporative coolers
Boiler and hydronic heating repair, including pumps, controls and zone valves
Make-up air units and kitchen exhaust equipment at restaurants
Seasonal start-up and tune-up visits for heating in the fall and cooling in the spring
Filter, belt, coil, drain and refrigerant service on a set schedule
Replacement planning, including the permit path, energy code review and the move to lower-GWP refrigerants

Licensing and permits in Denver

The City and County of Denver licenses mechanical contractors through Community Planning and Development (CPD). Building Permit Policy 25-DCBC 120A sets out the license classes and requires a supervisor certificate for the particular work before a contractor license is issued.

Requirement	Agency	Level	Official source
Heating and Ventilating Contractor Class A license for warm air heating, ventilation, evaporative cooling, exhaust systems, ductwork, gas piping and self-contained comfort cooling up to 50 tons (not systems with pre-charged lines, separate air-cooled condensers or chilled water)	Denver Community Planning and Development	City	CPD: 25-DCBC 120A, Classification of Licenses
Refrigeration Contractor Class A license for refrigeration systems and appurtenant cooling towers	Denver Community Planning and Development	City	CPD: 25-DCBC 120A
Steam and Hot Water Contractor license for boilers, steam and hydronic heating and related gas piping	Denver Community Planning and Development	City	CPD: 25-DCBC 120A
Supervisor certificate matching each contractor license class	Denver Community Planning and Development	City	CPD: 25-DCBC 120A
Mechanical permit for equipment replacement: Quick Permit for an emergency like-for-like replacement or one-to-one units at or below 300 MBH; Express Review for larger equipment	Denver Community Planning and Development	City	CPD: Commercial Building Equipment Replacement Guide
Electrical quick permit, pulled by an electrical contractor, where power is reconnected to replaced equipment	Denver Community Planning and Development	City	CPD: Commercial Building Equipment Replacement Guide
Landmark Preservation review for exterior equipment work that needs a mechanical or electrical permit at a property in a historic district or an individual landmark	Denver Community Planning and Development	City	CPD: Commercial Building Equipment Replacement Guide

The same policy sets minimum workers’ compensation and general liability coverage. Each provider’s City license, supervisor certificate and insurance are checked before work is assigned.

Codes and local rules

Building and mechanical code. On June 13, 2025, Denver adopted the 2025 Denver Building and Fire Code, which incorporates the 2024 International Mechanical Code and Fuel Gas Code with Denver amendments. Projects first submitted after December 31, 2025, must be designed to it.

Energy code. The Denver Energy Code still incorporates the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code. It defines an emergency replacement as one failing piece of equipment replaced at the same capacity with no other change to the central system. Non-emergency replacements above 300 MBH go to Express Review with cut sheets and stamped load calculations, an electrification retrofit feasibility report or a gas piping test letter.

Replacement reviews. Since September 15, 2026, a one-to-one replacement under 300 MBH, including a gas-fired rooftop unit replaced with a heat pump, can use a Quick Permit. A condenser in a new outdoor location needs zoning review and cannot sit in a setback, and a unit more than 5 percent heavier than the old one and over 250 pounds triggers structural review.

Refrigerant transition. CPD’s A2L refrigerant policy notes that under EPA rules, air conditioning and heat pump products using refrigerant with a global warming potential above 700 could not be manufactured after January 1, 2025, and must be installed before January 1, 2027, and that Colorado Regulation Number 22 already requires low-GWP refrigerants in chillers installed after January 1, 2024. A2L systems under the 2025 code must comply with ASHRAE 15-2024.

Energize Denver. Denver’s building performance policy covers commercial and multifamily buildings of 5,000 square feet and larger. The City states that it is not a mandate to electrify heating or cooling or to replace equipment before the end of its useful life.

Refrigerant records. EPA’s Section 608 leak repair provisions now apply only to ozone-depleting refrigerants, not HFCs. Providers record refrigerant added or recovered on every visit.

Preventive maintenance schedule for HVAC

Many no-heat and no-cooling calls trace back to skipped filters, dirty coils, blocked drains or worn belts. In Denver, the fall heating visit and the spring cooling start-up head off calls at the start of each season, extend equipment life and build a service record by unit for warranties, landlords and replacement decisions.

Task	Recommended frequency	Basis
Replace or clean air filters	Monthly during peak heating and cooling seasons	ENERGY STAR
Pre-season tune-up (heating before winter, cooling before summer)	Twice a year, under an annual maintenance agreement	ENERGY STAR
Clean evaporator and condenser coils	At least once a year, more often at sites with heavy dust or cooking exhaust	Task: ENERGY STAR. Frequency: Facility First program default, adjusted per site
Calibrate thermostats and check seasonal set points	Twice a year, at seasonal changeover	Task: ENERGY STAR. Frequency: Facility First program default, adjusted per site
Inspect burners, heat exchangers and venting on gas-fired units	Once a year, before the heating season	Manufacturer instructions; Facility First program default, adjusted per site
Check, adjust or replace belts and pulleys	Quarterly	Facility First program default, adjusted per site
Clear condensate drains, traps and pans	Quarterly, and before the cooling season	Facility First program default, adjusted per site
Drain, clean and winterize evaporative coolers; restart in spring	Twice a year	Manufacturer instructions; Facility First program default, adjusted per site
Repair refrigerant leaks and record refrigerant added or recovered	At every visit where a leak is found; ozone-depleting refrigerant appliances follow EPA leak rate thresholds	U.S. EPA Section 608 (ozone-depleting refrigerants); Facility First program default, adjusted per site

The authority having jurisdiction, the equipment manufacturer and the property’s insurer can require more frequent service, and each location’s schedule is set in its program and recorded on every visit.

Seasonal and local conditions

Freeze risk. Snow and freezing temperatures make heating checks part of every Denver program. A heating failure in a closed store can freeze water and sprinkler piping, so no-heat calls at vacant or after-hours sites are flagged at intake and the site’s plumbing provider is alerted.
Rooftop access in winter. Snow slows access to rooftop units, so roof paths and hatches are in the winter plan.
Cooling start-up. Idle units are checked in spring and evaporative coolers recommissioned before warm weather.

Where Facility First works in Denver

Facility First manages HVAC for locations across Denver’s main retail and business areas, including Cherry Creek Shopping Center and Cherry Creek North, Larimer Square, Union Station and LoDo, and, to the south, the Denver Tech Center and Park Meadows. Park Meadows and much of the Tech Center sit outside the City and County of Denver, where the local city’s mechanical licensing and permits apply instead. Equipment ranges from rooftop units on freestanding stores and restaurants to tenant systems tied into central plants in towers and enclosed centers, where the lease decides who services what. Typical clients are retail and luxury retail, restaurants and corporate offices.

How HVAC requests are handled

Request. The location submits the request through the platform or by phone, with the unit, symptoms and indoor temperature.
Triage. Facility First confirms priority, equipment warranty, landlord responsibility and roof access.
Dispatch. A vetted Denver mechanical contractor holding the City license for the work receives the work order and pulls any mechanical permit.
Photo close-out. The technician records readings, parts replaced and photos of the unit before and after.
Verification and invoice. The work is checked against the request and invoiced in one format, with the record stored by unit and location.

Routine repairs proceed within the approval limits the client sets. Larger repairs and replacements are quoted for approval first.

Security by McCray in Denver

Where an equipment failure forces a location to close or leaves it unsecured, McCray can post an officer until the work is complete. Security services in Denver

Frequently asked questions

Does an HVAC contractor need a Denver license?

Yes. Denver Community Planning and Development issues contractor licenses by class, including Heating and Ventilating Class A, Refrigeration Class A and Steam and Hot Water, and each license requires a matching supervisor certificate.

Is a permit needed to replace a rooftop unit in Denver?

Yes. CPD’s equipment replacement guide allows a Quick Permit for an emergency like-for-like replacement or one-to-one units at or below 300 MBH, while larger equipment goes through Express Review. An electrical permit is also needed where power is reconnected.

Which mechanical code applies in Denver?

Projects submitted after December 31, 2025, are designed to the 2025 Denver Building and Fire Code, which incorporates the 2024 International Mechanical Code and Fuel Gas Code with Denver amendments.

Does Energize Denver require replacing gas heating equipment?

The City states that Energize Denver is an energy efficiency requirement for buildings of 5,000 square feet and larger, not a requirement to electrify or to replace HVAC equipment before the end of its useful life.

How often should commercial HVAC in Denver be serviced?

ENERGY STAR recommends pre-season tune-ups before each heating and cooling season under an annual maintenance contract, with filters changed or cleaned monthly during peak seasons.

Sources

Checked November 2026.

Heating and cooling for every Denver location, on one schedule and one record.