New HVAC Tech Onboarding: A 90-Day Plan (2026)

A 90-day onboarding plan for new HVAC techs: paperwork, truck and tools, ride-alongs, weekly 1:1s, and a clear checklist for running solo.

Hiring a tech is hard. Losing one in the first few months because nobody had a plan for them is worse. Most new-hire problems come from the same few gaps: the truck wasn't ready, the tech didn't know how the software worked, nobody checked in, and "go run calls" happened before anyone agreed what "ready" meant.

This guide is a plan an owner or service manager can actually run: what to have done before day 1, what week 1 looks like, milestones for days 1–30, 31–60, and 61–90, how ride-alongs should progress, a truck stock and tool policy, safety basics, a 15-minute weekly check-in template, a "ready to run solo" checklist, and a printable table at the end.

Adjust the pace to the person. An experienced tech from another shop may move through this in a few weeks. A new tech out of school will need the full 90 days or more. Nothing here is legal, tax, or safety advice. Employment, licensing, and safety rules vary by state, so check with your accountant, payroll provider, insurance carrier, and a local attorney.

If you haven't hired yet, start with how to hire and keep HVAC technicians.

Why a written onboarding plan pays for itself

A new tech costs money every day before they're productive: wages, payroll taxes, insurance, a truck, tools, and the time of whoever trains them. If they quit in month two, you pay all of that again for the next hire. The free HVAC technician turnover cost calculator lets you put your own numbers on that. The HVAC labor burden calculator shows what an hour of that tech's time really costs you on top of the wage.

A plan doesn't have to be fancy. It has to be written down, so the new tech knows what's expected, the trainer knows what to teach, and you can tell at day 30 whether things are on track.

Before day 1

Get this done in the days between the offer and the start date. A tech who shows up to a ready truck and working logins feels like they joined a real company.

Paperwork

• Form I-9. Federal rules require the new employee to complete Section 1 of Form I-9 at the time of hire. The employer must examine the employee's documents and complete Section 2 within three business days of the hire. Source: 8 CFR § 274a.2(b)(1) (eCFR)
• Form W-4. The IRS says to ask all new employees for a signed Form W-4 when they start work and to make it effective with the first wage payment. If a new employee doesn't give you a completed W-4, the IRS says to withhold as if the employee is single. Source: IRS, Hiring employees
• State forms. Your state may have its own withholding form, new-hire reporting, and required notices. Your payroll provider or accountant can tell you what applies.
• Your own documents. Offer letter with pay plan, employee handbook acknowledgment, vehicle use policy, tool policy (see below), and direct deposit form.
• Driving record and license. If the tech will drive a company vehicle, confirm what your insurance carrier requires before they get the keys.
• Certifications on file. Copy any licenses and certifications the tech holds, including EPA Section 608. EPA rules require technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants to be certified. Source: EPA, Section 608 Technician Certification If the tech isn't certified yet, set a date for them to test, and don't let them handle refrigerant until they pass.

Truck, tools, and uniforms

• Truck. Cleaned out, serviced, registered, insured, fuel card assigned, and stocked to your standard list (see "Truck stock" below). Walk it yourself with the list before day 1.
• Company tools. Meters, gauges or digital manifold, recovery machine, vacuum pump, ladders, and anything else your shop provides, logged by serial number.
• Uniforms and PPE. Shirts in the right size, plus safety glasses, gloves, and any other protective equipment the work calls for.
• Keys, gate codes, supply house accounts. Add the tech to your supply house accounts with whatever purchase limits you set.

Software and logins

• Field service software account (on phone or tablet), with a test job so they can practice.
• Company email or messaging app, time clock, and any fleet tracking app.
• Price book access, set to the level you want them to see.
• Card reader or text-to-pay setup if techs collect payment in the field.

Week 1

The goal for week 1 is not production. It's a safe, confident tech who knows how your shop works.

• Day 1: welcome and setup. Meet the team, tour the shop and warehouse, finish paperwork, hand over the truck and tools, and test every login. End the day with a short sit-down: "Here's what the next 90 days look like."
• Day 1–2: how we do things here. Your call flow from booking to invoice. How dispatch assigns calls. How to clock in, take photos, write notes, build an estimate, and collect payment in the software.
• Day 2–5: shadow ride-alongs. The new tech rides with your trainer. They watch, carry, and ask questions. They don't run the call.
• Safety orientation (see "Safety basics" below) before they do any hands-on work.
• End of week 1: first 1:1. Use the template below.

Ride-along progression: shadow, assisted, solo with review

Move the tech through three stages. Don't move on by calendar alone. Move on when the trainer can say "yes" to the stage's checklist.

In the solo-with-review stage, start with simpler call types (maintenance visits, basic no-cool or no-heat calls) and add harder ones (intermittent problems, installs, commercial) as they prove out.

Pay attention to callbacks during this stage. A callback on a new tech's call is a training signal, not a reason to punish. The guide to reducing HVAC callbacks and rework covers checklists and quality habits you can teach from day 1.

Days 1–30: learn the shop

Goal: the tech knows your systems and runs calls with a trainer nearby.

• Finished all paperwork and certifications on file (or a test date set).
• Completed the safety orientation.
• Uses the field service software correctly on every call: status updates, notes, photos, estimates, payment.
• Knows your truck stock list and restocking routine.
• Moved from shadow to assisted ride-alongs.
• Knows your pricing method and can present options to a customer the way your shop does.
• Weekly 1:1s held every week.

Day 30 review: a 30-minute sit-down. What's going well, what's hard, and what the next 30 days focus on. Write it down and give the tech a copy.

Days 31–60: build independence

Goal: the tech runs most calls alone, with every ticket reviewed.

• Moved to solo-with-review on simpler call types.
• Diagnoses common problems in your area's typical equipment without calling for help each time.
• Notes, photos, and invoices meet your standard without being fixed by the office.
• Handles customer questions and objections politely, and knows when to call the office.
• Takes on-call or after-hours shifts only if your trainer agrees they're ready.
• Callbacks on their calls are reviewed together, with the fix agreed.

Day 60 review: same format as day 30. If they're behind, say so plainly and agree on what needs to change.

Days 61–90: run solo

Goal: the tech runs a full day of calls alone and meets the "ready to run solo" checklist.

• Runs a full schedule of mixed call types without a trainer.
• Ticket reviews drop from every ticket to spot checks.
• Keeps their truck stocked and clean to your standard.
• Knows your maintenance agreement offer and how to present it.
• Clear on how they're paid, including any commission or spiffs. If you use a pay plan, the technician commission and spiff pay plans guide covers common structures.

Day 90 review: decide together that onboarding is done, or set a clear, short extension with specific goals. Set the goals for the next quarter.

Truck stock and tool policy

Write these down and have the tech sign them in week 1. Unclear tool rules cause more arguments at the end of a job than almost anything else.

Truck stock

• Keep one standard stock list per truck type (service, install) with minimum quantities.
• Set a restock routine: a weekly count, or restocking from the day's used-parts list.
• Every part used goes on the ticket. That's how you bill it and how you know what to reorder.
• Do a truck inventory together at day 1 and again at day 90.

Tool policy

• List which tools the company provides and which the tech is expected to own.
• Company tools are logged by serial number and signed for.
• Say what happens if a company tool is lost, damaged, or stolen, and what happens to company tools if the tech leaves. Check your state's wage rules and ask your accountant or attorney before making any deduction from pay for tools or damage.
• If you offer a tool allowance or tool purchase program, put the terms in writing.

Safety basics

Cover these in week 1, before hands-on work, and keep a signed record of what was covered.

• Protective equipment. OSHA's general industry standard requires employers to assess the workplace for hazards that call for personal protective equipment, choose the right equipment, and train each employee who must use it on when it's needed, what's needed, how to put it on and take it off, its limits, and its care. Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132
• Lockout/tagout. OSHA's standard on the control of hazardous energy covers servicing and maintenance where unexpected startup or release of stored energy could hurt someone, and requires employers to train employees on their energy control program. Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 Teach your shop's steps for shutting off, locking, and verifying power before touching equipment.
• Heat. OSHA reports that almost half of heat-related deaths occur on a worker's first day on the job, and over 70 percent during a worker's first week. OSHA recommends that employers build new workers' heat tolerance gradually (acclimatization). Attics and rooftops in summer are exactly this risk for a new tech. Source: OSHA, Heat: Protecting New Workers Plan lighter attic and roof work for the first days, make water breaks normal, and teach the signs of heat illness.
• Refrigerant handling. No refrigerant work until the tech holds the right EPA Section 608 certification (see above). If your shop is moving to A2L refrigerants, see our A2L refrigerant transition guide.
• Ladders, driving, and electrical. Cover your shop's rules for ladder use, safe driving and phone use in the truck, and working around live electrical.
• Who to call. Make sure the tech knows exactly who to call if they're hurt or something goes wrong on a job.

Your insurance carrier may offer safety training materials. Check OSHA's site and your state's rules for what applies to your work.

Weekly 15-minute 1:1 template

Same day, same time, every week for the first 90 days. Keep it to 15 minutes. The trainer or service manager runs it. Write short notes and keep them.

1. How's it going? (2 min) Open question. Let them talk.
2. Wins this week. (2 min) One or two calls or moments that went well. Say it out loud.
3. What was hard? (4 min) A call, a tool, the software, a customer. What would have helped?
4. Review. (4 min) One or two tickets or callbacks from the week. What to repeat, what to change.
5. Next week. (2 min) One skill to focus on and which ride-along stage they're in.
6. Anything you need from me? (1 min) Tools, parts, schedule, questions about pay.

If the same problem comes up two weeks in a row, it's no longer a coaching note. Make a plan for it.

"Ready to run solo" checklist

The trainer and the owner or service manager both sign off. Every item should be a "yes."

• All required paperwork, licenses, and certifications on file
• Safety orientation completed and signed, including PPE, lockout/tagout, and heat
• Runs a full call on their own: greeting, diagnosis, options, approval, repair, clean-up, payment
• Diagnoses common problems on your typical equipment without calling for help each time
• Presents prices and options the way your shop does
• Notes, photos, and invoices meet your standard on the last several tickets reviewed
• Keeps truck stocked and uses the restock routine
• Knows when to call the office or a senior tech, and does it
• Callbacks on their recent calls reviewed, with no repeat pattern
• Trainer agrees they're ready; owner or manager agrees they're ready

Printable 90-day onboarding checklist

Print this page and check items off as you go.

Onboarding at shops your size

Ride-along setups and tool policies vary from shop to shop. Share your first-90-days checklist in the Growth Room Discord to see how others handle it.