Launch checklist

File Articles of Organization for Sun Valley Mechanical LLC with the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) using the Arizona Business Center online portal; select member-managed structure and appoint a statutory agent with a Maricopa County address.

Authority:

Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division

Cost:

$50 standard / $85 expedited

Duration:

14–16 business days standard; 3–5 business days expedited

Link:

https://azcc.gov/corporations/forms/llc-forms

Confirm LLC publication exemption: because the statutory agent address is in Maricopa County, the ACC automatically publishes the formation notice in its Public Notice database at no charge, no newspaper publication is required; retain the ACC approval letter as proof.

Authority:

Arizona Corporation Commission

Cost:

Free

Duration:

Automatic upon ACC approval

Link:

https://azcc.gov

Apply for a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) for Sun Valley Mechanical LLC via the IRS online application; EIN is required before opening a business bank account, registering for Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT), and running payroll.

Authority:

Internal Revenue Service

Cost:

Free

Duration:

Same day online

Link:

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online

Draft and sign a single-member LLC Operating Agreement for Sun Valley Mechanical LLC; Arizona does not require filing it with the ACC, but the document must exist and be signed before opening the business bank account.

Authority:

Internal, no state filing required

Cost:

$0 self-drafted / $150–$500 attorney-drafted

Duration:

1–3 days

Open a dedicated business checking account in the name of Sun Valley Mechanical LLC using the ACC approval letter and EIN; keep all business revenue and expenses separate from personal accounts from day one.

Authority:

Commercial bank or credit union of your choice

Cost:

$0–$25/month

Duration:

1–2 business days

Start the Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application process at week one; SBA 7(a) loans require 60–90 days from application to funding, so submit the application immediately to align with the August 15, 2026 launch target.

Authority:

U.S. Small Business Administration / SBA-approved lender

Cost:

Varies by loan amount; SBA guarantee fee 0.25%–3.75% of guaranteed portion

Duration:

60–90 days from complete application to funding

Link:

https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans

Verify the existing Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) license is in the name of or properly associated with Sun Valley Mechanical LLC (not a prior sole-proprietor or prior entity), confirm the HVAC classification (CR-39 for commercial specialty or the applicable residential/dual classification), and log the next renewal date and any continuing-education requirements.

Authority:

Arizona Registrar of Contractors

Cost:

Free to verify; renewal fees vary by classification

Duration:

1–2 business days

Link:

https://roc.az.gov

Confirm the ROC contractor license bond is active, filed in the name of Sun Valley Mechanical LLC, and at the correct amount for the license classification and projected annual gross volume; residential specialty bond amounts run $4,250–$7,500 and commercial specialty $2,500–$50,000, with dual-license amounts combined; if the bond is under a prior entity name, obtain a new bond and file it with the ROC before the first job.

Authority:

Arizona Registrar of Contractors (bond filed here); surety carrier of your choice

Cost:

$50–$500/year premium depending on bond amount and credit

Duration:

Same day to 3 business days

Link:

https://roc.az.gov/bond-information

Verify that every technician who will open a refrigerant circuit, including the owner, holds a current EPA Section 608 Universal Certification under 40 CFR Part 82; this is a federal requirement for anyone who maintains, services, repairs, or disposes of equipment containing refrigerants; confirm the physical card is on file and the issuing organization's records match the technician's name.

Authority:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; certification issued by approved organizations such as ESCO Institute or HVAC Excellence

Cost:

$60–$90 per technician if re-testing is needed

Duration:

Same day (online proctored exam available); physical card arrives in 2–4 weeks

Link:

https://www.epa.gov/section608

Register for Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) by submitting Form JT-1/UC-001 (Joint Tax Application) to the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR); because Sun Valley Mechanical LLC is a construction contractor, the online AZTaxes.gov path is not available, submit the paper JT-1 by mail or in person; include both the prime contracting classification (for new installs and modification work) and confirm whether MRRA-only service and repair work requires a separate business code; also add Phoenix as a city TPT location.

Authority:

Arizona Department of Revenue

Cost:

$12 per license location

Duration:

Same day in person; 7–10 business days by mail

Link:

https://azdor.gov/business/transaction-privilege-tax/tpt-license

Register for Arizona Unemployment Insurance (UI) tax and state income-tax withholding by submitting Form JT-1/UC-001 to ADOR; ADOR forwards the form to the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES), which will issue a Determination of UI Liability and an 8-digit Arizona UI employer account number; withholding registration is also completed through this same joint application.

Authority:

Arizona Department of Revenue (form submission) and Arizona Department of Economic Security (UI account)

Cost:

Free

Duration:

2–4 weeks for DES determination letter

Link:

https://des.az.gov/content/applying-unemployment-insurance-tax-account-number

Confirm no separate City of Phoenix general business license is required: Phoenix does not issue a general business license; the state TPT license with Phoenix added as a city location satisfies the city-level tax registration obligation; confirm with the City of Phoenix Finance Department if any trade-specific city permit applies to HVAC contractors operating from a commercial address.

Authority:

City of Phoenix Finance Department

Cost:

Free to confirm; city privilege tax license included in TPT registration

Duration:

1 business day

Link:

https://www.phoenix.gov/administration/departments/cityclerk/programs-services/license-services.html

Obtain commercial general liability (CGL) insurance for Sun Valley Mechanical LLC; for a business serving both residential and commercial customers, target minimum limits of $2,000,000 per occurrence / $4,000,000 aggregate; confirm the policy covers HVAC installation and service work and lists Sun Valley Mechanical LLC as the named insured.

Authority:

Licensed commercial insurance carrier or broker of your choice

Cost:

$1,800–$4,500/year depending on revenue and limits

Duration:

1–5 business days to bind

Obtain workers' compensation insurance covering all W-2 employees before the first employee's first day of work; Arizona requires workers' comp for any employer with one or more employees; obtain coverage through a commercial carrier or CopperPoint Insurance Companies (Arizona's state-associated workers' comp carrier).

Authority:

Commercial carrier or CopperPoint Insurance Companies

Cost:

$3,000–$8,000/year for 1–3 W-2 employees in HVAC, depending on payroll and experience modifier

Duration:

3–7 business days to bind

Link:

https://www.copperpoint.com

Obtain commercial auto insurance on each company truck titled in the name of Sun Valley Mechanical LLC; personal auto policies exclude business use; confirm coverage for tools and equipment in the vehicle if not covered under a separate inland marine policy; obtain a DOT number if any truck has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) over 10,001 lbs or crosses state lines for commercial purposes.

Authority:

Licensed commercial auto insurance carrier; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for DOT number if applicable

Cost:

$1,500–$3,500/year per truck

Duration:

1–3 business days to bind

Obtain a commercial umbrella or excess liability policy at a minimum of $1,000,000 limit sitting above the CGL and commercial auto policies; commercial customers and general contractors will commonly require umbrella coverage on certificates of insurance before awarding work.

Authority:

Licensed commercial insurance carrier or broker of your choice

Cost:

$600–$1,500/year for $1M umbrella

Duration:

1–3 business days to bind

Obtain an inland marine / tools-and-equipment policy covering HVAC tools, gauges, recovery machines, and any equipment transported in company trucks; standard CGL policies do not cover tools in transit.

Authority:

Licensed commercial insurance carrier or broker of your choice

Cost:

$400–$1,200/year depending on equipment value

Duration:

1–3 business days to bind

Confirm the business bank account is fully operational, the EIN is linked, and a business credit card or line of credit is established for materials purchasing; set up owner-draw procedures consistent with single-member LLC tax treatment.

Authority:

Commercial bank or credit union of your choice

Cost:

$0–$100 setup

Duration:

1–5 business days

Set up Decision Built for scheduling, dispatch, and job management; configure service types for residential install, light commercial install, service and repair, maintenance plans, heat pumps, and mini-splits; add technician profiles and truck assignments before the first job.

Authority:

Decision Built (software vendor)

Cost:

Varies by plan; confirm current pricing with Decision Built directly

Duration:

1–3 days to configure

Set up invoicing and payment processing integrated with or alongside Decision Built; configure invoice templates to include the ROC license number (required on all Arizona contractor invoices), TPT license number, and payment terms; enable ACH and credit card acceptance for residential customers and net-30 invoicing for commercial accounts.

Authority:

Payment processor of your choice (e.g., Stripe, Square, or processor integrated with Decision Built)

Cost:

2.6%–2.9% per card transaction; ACH typically $0.25–$1.50 per transaction

Duration:

1–2 days to configure

Set up accounting software and connect it to the business bank account and payment processor; configure a chart of accounts that separates residential revenue, commercial revenue, maintenance-plan revenue, materials cost of goods sold, and payroll; establish a mileage log starting on day one for any personal vehicle use.

Authority:

Accounting software vendor of your choice

Cost:

$30–$80/month

Duration:

1–2 days to configure

Set up a payroll provider to run W-2 payroll for 1–3 employees; configure Arizona state income-tax withholding using the rates from the Arizona Department of Revenue, UI tax deposits to DES, and federal payroll tax deposits to the IRS; complete I-9 and W-4 forms for each employee before the first paycheck; post required federal and Arizona labor law posters at the primary work location.

Authority:

Payroll provider of your choice; Arizona Department of Revenue (withholding); Arizona Department of Economic Security (UI); U.S. Department of Labor (federal posters)

Cost:

$50–$150/month for 1–3 employees depending on provider

Duration:

2–5 days to configure and verify tax accounts

Set up time-tracking for W-2 field technicians integrated with or alongside Decision Built; configure clock-in/clock-out by job so labor costs are captured per job for gross-margin tracking.

Authority:

Time-tracking software vendor of your choice or Decision Built native feature

Cost:

$0–$10/user/month

Duration:

1 day to configure

Register a domain name for Sun Valley Mechanical LLC and set up a business email address on that domain (e.g., [email protected]); a domain-based email is required for Google Local Service Ads (LSA) verification and presents professionally to commercial customers.

Authority:

Domain registrar of your choice (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains)

Cost:

$12–$20/year for domain; $6–$12/month for business email

Duration:

Same day

Create and fully optimize a Google Business Profile for Sun Valley Mechanical LLC in Phoenix; add all services (residential install, light commercial install, service and repair, maintenance plans, heat pumps, mini-splits), service area, business hours, and photos; this profile is the foundation for both organic local search and LSA.

Authority:

Google Business Profile (Google LLC)

Cost:

Free

Duration:

1–3 days to create and verify

Link:

https://business.google.com

Apply for Google Local Service Ads (LSA) for Sun Valley Mechanical LLC; complete the Google background check, upload the ROC license number, and upload certificates of insurance (CGL and workers' comp) to pass the Google Guarantee verification; LSA ads do not run until all three documents are verified.

Authority:

Google Local Services (Google LLC)

Cost:

$0 to apply; pay-per-lead pricing varies by market ($25–$80/lead for HVAC in Phoenix)

Duration:

1–3 weeks for background check and document verification

Link:

https://ads.google.com/local-services-ads

Set up a referral-partner program: create a one-page referral agreement template and a tracking method (spreadsheet or CRM field) to log referral source for every lead; identify the first five referral partners (plumbers, electricians, real estate agents, property managers) and deliver a physical introduction packet before launch.

Authority:

Internal, no state filing required

Cost:

$0–$200 for printed materials

Duration:

1–2 weeks

Configure certificate-of-insurance (COI) issuance workflow with the insurance broker so COIs naming a commercial customer or general contractor as additional insured can be issued within 24 hours of request; commercial customers will require this before awarding any job.

Authority:

Your commercial insurance broker

Cost:

Free (included in policy service)

Duration:

1 business day to set up the workflow

Build a job-photo and review-request workflow in Decision Built: at job close, technician uploads before-and-after photos to the job record, and an automated or manual text/email is sent to the customer requesting a Google review; reviews directly affect LSA ranking and word-of-mouth credibility.

Authority:

Decision Built; Google Business Profile

Cost:

$0 (uses existing tools)

Duration:

1 day to configure

Schedule and complete the first week of jobs: confirm at least two booked jobs before the August 15, 2026 launch date, verify each job address has a pulled permit if required by the City of Phoenix for HVAC installation or replacement work, and confirm the technician assigned holds a current EPA Section 608 certification on file.

Authority:

City of Phoenix Planning and Development Department (permits); Arizona Registrar of Contractors (license on job site)

Cost:

Permit fees vary by job value; typically $50–$300 for residential HVAC replacement in Phoenix

Duration:

Permits: 1–5 business days for standard residential; longer for commercial

Link:

https://www.phoenix.gov/pdd