What needs a mechanical permit in Minneapolis
The City's Mechanical & Heating Permits page sets the rule; its exempt list is short: portable or self-contained heating, cooling and ventilation appliances, evaporative coolers, self-contained refrigeration, "Replacement of any minor part that does not alter approval of equipment", and "Capping an open gas line" (both read 23 October 2026). A window unit is exempt. Anything piped, ducted or vented is not.
For an existing one- or two-family home, the Mechanical Permit Application sorts the work into three flat-fee levels, priced on the existing residential fee schedule:
| Level | What it covers (from the application) | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1, "Misc. HVAC work with no burner" | A/C or heat pump add-on or replacement, bath fans, kitchen vent, dryer vent, HRV/ERV, humidifier, gas piping, up to six supply or return openings | $84.20 |
| Level 2 | Change out a furnace (plenum work included) or boiler (incidental piping included), add or replace a space heater | $132.40 |
| Level 3 | Remove the existing system and install a new one; extend it into unconditioned space; seven or more openings | $216.60 |
| State surcharge | Every permit application | $1.00 |
Each level includes the ones below it, so a furnace and A/C swapped together is one Level 2 permit. The electrical side is separate: Minneapolis does not issue electrical permits, which come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (Types of Construction Permits).
Who can pull it
A City-licensed mechanical contractor, listed on the City's mechanical and heating contractor list. Owners have a narrow exemption: the Permit Applicants page lets someone who owns and lives in a single-family home do their own mechanical work, then says "You are not allowed to work on gas-fired heating equipment". The application adds that "All gas piping and gas venting for heating appliances must be done by a licensed gas installer and requires a separate permit". In practice, a homeowner can permit a bath fan or a duct run; a gas furnace goes to a contractor.
How to apply and what the inspector checks
- Contractors the City has pre-approved use express permits, which cover "Installing or replacing heating, ventilation, or cooling (HVAC) system or components" on an existing one- or two-family home.
- Otherwise, email the completed application to Development@minneapolismn.gov. Repairs need no plans; equipment replacement plans are "upon request".
- Inspections, from the City's residential mechanical bulletin: a rough-in on any concealed work and on attic installs before the ducts are insulated, with duct blaster results; and at the end, for any new gas, oil or fuel burner, a heat test record (ORSAT) with the installer's competency card number, a heat loss calculation and the operating manual.
- Old houses: on a complete system replacement, the City asks the inspector to check the old heating plant for asbestos, or for an abatement permit or clean-up report before the first inspection.
The bulletin says it is "acceptable for homeowners to schedule inspections and meet with the inspector on most projects", while the permit holder stays responsible for requesting them on time.
What 18,180 Minneapolis HVAC permits show
| Measure | Minneapolis HVAC and gas |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 18,180 |
| Firms that pulled them | 298 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 221 |
| Closed (permits a year or more old) | 75.6% |
| Usual days from issue to close | 85 |
| Closed share, 10th / 90th percentile firm (firms with 10+ permits) | 57.5% / 93.6% |
| Share of permits held by the five busiest firms | 27.2% |
| Busiest month / quietest month | July (index 116) / March (81) |
The spread between firms is the useful number. Among the 141 firms with 10 or more permits, 40 closed fewer than 70%, and the 10th-percentile firm closed 57.5%. An open mechanical permit usually means the heat test paperwork or final never reached the inspector; ask for the closed permit before the final payment. Minneapolis HVAC permits carry no job value; national prices are in HVAC replacement cost. Counts by year are on Minneapolis permit statistics.
See every Minneapolis HVAC contractor by permits closed →
Before you hire
Find the firm on the Minneapolis HVAC list, then confirm its City mechanical license and State bond (Minneapolis contractor license lookup). Other cities' rules are in do I need a permit for HVAC replacement; past permits on your address are in Minneapolis building permit search.
What this does not tell you
Our Minneapolis file has no electrical permits, so the wiring half of an A/C install is not here. A closed permit means the City closed it after inspection, not that the system was sized well. Fees change on City Council action; the invoice is the final figure.
How we know this
Permit rules, levels and the homeowner restriction are quoted from City of Minneapolis Mechanical & Heating Permits, Work Exempt from Permit and Permit Applicants pages, the Mechanical Permit Application and Bulletin 2016-01, read 23 October 2026; fees from the City's existing residential mechanical fee schedule as published that day. Permit counts are City of Minneapolis CCS permits classified as HVAC and gas, October 2023 to September 2026; closed share uses permits a year or more old, and days to close is the median from issue to completion date.
Numbers come from City of Minneapolis construction permits (CCS), data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace a furnace in Minneapolis?
Yes. A furnace or boiler change-out is a Level 2 mechanical permit on the City's application, and the City says most heating, air conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration and gas piping work requires a permit. Only portable equipment and minor parts that do not alter the equipment's approval are exempt.
- How much is a furnace permit in Minneapolis?
The City's existing-residential mechanical fee schedule lists $132.40 for a Level 2 permit (replacing a furnace or boiler), $84.20 for Level 1 work with no burner, such as an A/C or heat pump replacement, and $216.60 for Level 3, a whole new system, plus a $1.00 state surcharge.
- Can a homeowner replace their own furnace in Minneapolis?
Not a gas one. Owners who live in a single-family home can do their own mechanical work, but the City says 'You are not allowed to work on gas-fired heating equipment', and gas piping and venting for heating appliances must be done by a licensed gas installer.
- Does a new A/C need an electrical permit in Minneapolis?
Any wiring for it is a separate electrical permit, and Minneapolis does not issue those: the City says electrical permits come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
- How long does an HVAC permit take to close in Minneapolis?
The usual Minneapolis HVAC and gas permit in our file closed 85 days after it was issued, and 75.6% of permits a year or more old were closed.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Minneapolis building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Ames building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Ames? Yes: what is exempt, homeowner permits, the $56.23 base fee and inspections
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Anaheim? The mechanical permit for a furnace or AC change-out, fees and inspections
- Do I need an HVAC permit in San Diego? AC and furnace swaps, the HERS test and the fees
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Scottsdale? The like-for-like AC swap, the $121 Minimum Mechanical Permit, and what needs plans
For one city
- Mechanical & Heating Permits — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Mechanical Permit Application (updated 3 June 2024) — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Existing residential mechanical permit fee schedule — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Residential Mechanical Permits and Inspections, Bulletin 2016-01 — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Work Exempt from Permit — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Permit Applicants — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Types of Construction Permits — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Limited Permits for Contractors — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)