Happened again this month, so I'll write it down. A homeowner called us for a no-cool on a mini-split installed last year. Not our install. A helper from another shop put it in on weekends, cash. No permit, no proper evacuation, flare connections leaking. The homeowner wanted to know who to call about it, and the answer was nobody.
What it looks like from my side:
- The homeowner pays twice, once to him and once to us
- If your own boss gets that call, you're probably done there
- Handling refrigerant without your 608 is its own problem, and having the card doesn't make an unpermitted install legal
- You have no insurance, so whatever goes wrong is on you
I'm not telling anyone what to do on their own time. I'm telling you what it costs when it goes wrong.
Electrical inspector (former contractor) · 26 years · Ocean County, NJ
Mentor
Not legal advice, just how I'd look at it. On the electrical side of these, I see the disconnect and the circuit done wrong more than anything else. When unpermitted work turns up later, at a sale or after a problem, the homeowner is usually the one left holding the bill. Check which code edition is in effect and what the town requires before anyone touches a line set.
HVAC contractor, owner · 25 years · Middlesex County, NJ
Mentor
And for the no-refrigerant side jobs, like cleaning coils and changing filters for neighbors, it's a smaller exposure but the same basic problem:
- You're still uninsured if you fall off a ladder or break something
- "Just cleaning coils" turns into "while you're here, can you look at this" fast
- Your boss may see it as taking his customers
Ask your boss if the shop wants the maintenance work. Usually they do, and you get the hours.