How to write an HVAC technician job ad, and the BC and Ontario posting rules

The five things a technician looks for first

Put these in the first five lines of every HVAC job ad, in roughly this order.

1. The role and the ticket. "Residential service technician, Gasfitter Class B" is clear. "HVAC professional" is not.
2. The work mix. Service or install, residential or commercial, and the main equipment: furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, rooftop units, walk-in coolers.
3. The truck. Take-home or shop pickup, who stocks it, and whether tools are supplied.
4. The schedule. Regular hours, how the on-call rotation works, and what happens in the first cold week of winter.
5. The pay. Stated as a range or a specific figure, in the units you actually pay (hourly or annual).

Everything else, including your history, values and benefits, comes after these.

A template you can adapt

[Role] — [Ticket required] — [Town or service area]

[Company name] is hiring a [role] for [residential / commercial / both] [service / install] work across [area]. You'll work mainly on [equipment types]. [Take-home truck / shop pickup], [stocked by / tools supplied by] [who]. Hours are [schedule], with on-call [frequency and how it is paid or handled]. Pay: [range or amount, per hour or per year].

What you'll need: [ticket], [driver's licence class], [anything else genuinely required].

What we offer: [training budget, ticket sponsorship, tool allowance, schedule details, anything specific and true].

To apply: Call or text [name] at [number], or email [address].

Keep it under 350 words. Long ads are not more convincing; they are more tiring.

Common mistakes that cost you applicants

These are the patterns we see most often in HVAC postings across Canada.

• Experience minimums in place of tickets. "Five years required" screens out strong apprentices close to certification and tells a reader nothing. Ask for the ticket, then describe the level of independence you expect.
• A wall of duties. Thirty bullet points about "maintaining a professional appearance" make the job look like a mess. List the six duties that fill most of the week.
• Pay hidden or vague. Even where it isn't legally required, ads without pay lose to ads with pay.
• No mention of on-call. Every experienced tech will ask. Answer first.
• No phone number. Technicians on a job site would rather call or text than sit down to an online application. Give them a number.
• Generic photos. A stock image of a smiling model in a clean uniform says "we didn't try". A phone photo of your own van says more.

British Columbia: wage or salary information in public postings

As of October 2026, the Province of BC's guidance (last updated February 24, 2026) says section 2 of the Pay Transparency Act applies to all employers with employees in BC, except federally regulated employers. Here is what that page says, in our words:

• What must be included. Publicly advertised job postings must include wage or salary information. The page describes this as the employer's reasonable expectation of pay for the job at the time of posting.
• What counts. A range with both ends, or a specific amount, meets the requirement. Open-ended phrases such as "up to" a figure or a figure "and up" do not, and neither does "competitive wage".
• Range width. The page says the Province currently sets no limit on how wide a range can be.
• What is "publicly advertised". Postings on the employer's own public website and postings by third parties such as job boards on the employer's behalf. Ads placed outside BC are covered if the role is open to BC residents and can be filled in BC, in person or remotely.
• What is excluded. General "help wanted" posters, general recruitment campaigns that don't mention specific jobs, and jobs not posted publicly.
• Optional extras. Bonuses, overtime, commissions, tips and benefits don't have to be listed, though you may include them.

What it means for your ad: in BC, every public posting for a specific HVAC role needs a real pay figure or range. That includes the role page on your careers section, Job Bank, any board, and a social post about a specific opening.

Ontario: publicly advertised job postings

Ontario's rules took effect for postings made on or after January 1, 2026. According to the Ontario government's guide, as of October 2026:

• Who is covered. Employers with 25 or more employees on the day the posting goes up. Each part-time and casual employee counts as one, and employees across all Ontario locations are included.
• Pay. The posting must include the expected compensation or a range. A range can be no wider than $50,000 a year, and the requirement doesn't apply where the expected pay or the top of the range is above $200,000 a year.
• AI disclosure. If artificial intelligence is used to screen, assess or select applicants, the posting must say so. A simple statement is enough.
• Vacancy. The posting must say whether it is for an existing vacancy.
• Canadian experience. Postings and application forms can't require Canadian work experience. The page notes that professional licensing or registration requirements are not covered by this ban, so you can still require an Ontario certificate where one applies.
• After interviews. Interviewed applicants must be told within 45 days of their last interview whether a hiring decision has been made. Phone, email, text or a status update all count.
• Records. Postings and related application forms must be kept for three years after the posting comes down.
• Exclusions. General recruitment campaigns or help-wanted signs not tied to a specific position, internal-only postings, and work done entirely outside Ontario.

What it means for your ad: if you have 25 or more employees in Ontario, add a pay line, a vacancy line and, if you use AI screening tools, a disclosure line to every public posting for a specific role. Then set a calendar reminder to follow up with interviewees inside 45 days.

A checklist before you publish

Run through this list for every HVAC posting:

1. Role, ticket and town in the headline
2. Work mix and main equipment in the first paragraph
3. Truck and tool arrangement stated
4. Schedule and on-call described
5. Pay stated as a range or specific amount
6. BC or Ontario requirements checked, if the role is in either province
7. A phone number to call or text, plus an email address
8. A link to the role's own page on your careers section
9. One honest photo of your crew, van or shop
10. A closing date, or a plan to take the ad down when the role is filled

Where to go from here

A good ad is the start, not the finish. It needs a page to land on, which the job-posting markup and Job Bank guide covers, and for apprentices it needs a clear path to a ticket, which the apprenticeship guide explains.

If you would rather have the ad written for you, our job ad service does exactly that. Provinces beyond BC and Ontario have their own context, covered on the areas pages. Call, text or email with the ad you are running now and we will tell you what we would change.