A homeowner books a no-heat call at 7 a.m. Your office texts a confirmation, then a review request, then a spring tune-up offer eight months later. Those are three different messages under CASL, and only one of them skips the consent step. This page sorts HVAC and plumbing messages by the rule that applies, with a checker for the text you are about to send.
An HVAC company needs consent before sending promotions, and implied consent covers 2 years after a purchase and 6 months after an inquiry. Booking confirmations, requested quotes and safety notices are exempt from consent. Every message still has to name your company, give contact details and include a working opt-out.
Which HVAC messages need consent under CASL?
| HVAC message | Consent step | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmation of a visit the customer booked | Not needed | Confirms a transaction they agreed to (s. 6(6)) |
| Quote for a furnace or AC install they asked for | Not needed | Requested quote or estimate (s. 6(6)) |
| Recall, warranty or carbon monoxide safety notice | Not needed | Safety and warranty information (s. 6(6)) |
| Renewal date for an active maintenance plan | Not needed if purely factual | Factual notice about an ongoing account (s. 6(6)) |
| Spring tune-up or seasonal offer to past customers | Needed | Promotion: implied within 2 years of purchase, or express |
| Follow-up to an unbooked inquiry | Needed | Implied for 6 months after the inquiry |
| Review request after a job | Needed (our reading) | Treat as a commercial message and use the same windows |
| Promotion to a bought or scraped list | Express consent first | The sender must be able to prove consent |
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What does a compliant HVAC text look like?
| Version | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Compliant | "[Company] here. Your technician arrives Tuesday between 8 and 10. Questions: [phone]. Reply STOP to opt out." | Confirms a booked visit, names the company, gives contact and opt-out |
| Compliant | "[Company]: your AC tune-up is due. Book at [link] or call [phone]. Reply STOP to opt out." | Promotion to a customer inside the 2-year window |
| Not compliant | "Furnace sale! 15% off installs, this week only." | No company name, no opt-out, sent to a list with no consent record |
| Not compliant | "Hi Sam, thanks again! Leave us a review and enter to win a tune-up." | Sent to a customer whose last job was over 2 years ago, with no opt-out |
Missed-call replies sit in the same bucket as an inquiry. Our missed call text back templates and review request templates carry the wording above. To see what unanswered calls cost a trade business, run the HVAC missed call cost calculator.
What does every HVAC message have to include?
Name your company and anyone you send on behalf of, such as a franchise or a lead-gen partner. Give a phone number or mailing address the customer can use, and keep it valid for 60 days after sending. Offer an unsubscribe that works, such as replying STOP, and act on it within 10 business days, per the CRTC FAQ. Live voice calls are outside CASL, but the same FAQ points to the CRTC's separate telemarketing rules.
You carry the burden of showing consent, so log the job date, each opt-in and each stop request in your dispatch software. The implied consent timer works out the last safe date for a customer, and the express consent form checker tests a sign-up form. The CRTC FAQ lists penalty ceilings of $1 million per violation for individuals and $10 million for businesses.
How does this apply to an AI receptionist for HVAC?
You are the sender, whichever system types the message. An AI receptionist that texts after-hours callers must use your company name, contact line and opt-out, and stop on STOP. It should book and route, and hand emergencies such as a gas smell or no heat in winter to a person on call. See AI employees for HVAC and how missed calls cost HVAC companies jobs. Law firms have a parallel guide in CASL for law firms.
HVAC CASL FAQ
Does CASL apply to an HVAC company texting customers?
Yes. CASL covers commercial messages sent by email and by SMS to mobile devices, so a tune-up promotion or a review request from an HVAC company counts. A message that only does an exempt job, such as confirming a booked visit, skips the consent step but still needs your name, contact details and an unsubscribe.
Can I text a homeowner who just asked for a furnace quote?
Yes. A quote or estimate the person requested is exempt from the consent requirement under section 6(6), as long as the message does only that. Name the company, give a phone number and include an opt-out. Add a sales pitch and it is no longer exempt.
How long can I send tune-up reminders to past customers?
The CRTC gives implied consent for 2 years after a purchase of goods or services, and for 6 months after an inquiry. A written contract that is still in force, or ended within the last 2 years, also counts. After the window closes you need express consent.
Is a maintenance plan renewal notice a promotion?
A factual notice about an ongoing account, such as the renewal date and price, falls under a section 6(6) exemption. If the same message pushes an upgrade or a discount, it is a commercial message and needs consent. Keep the renewal notice plain.
Do safety or recall notices need consent?
No. Section 6(6) exempts a message that solely provides warranty, product recall, or safety or security information about a product the person bought or uses. It still has to identify you and include an unsubscribe mechanism.
What happens if a customer replies STOP?
Stop sending commercial messages as soon as you can, and no later than 10 business days after the request, whatever type of consent you had. Log the date. Exempt service messages such as a confirmation for a visit they booked are separate from promotions.
Sources
- Justice Laws: Canada's anti-spam legislation, section 6 (identification, unsubscribe, 60 days, s. 6(6) exemptions).
- CRTC: Guidance on implied and express consent (2-year and 6-month windows, contracts, no expiry for express consent, 10 business days).
- CRTC: CASL frequently asked questions (penalty ceilings, 60-day validity, texts covered, voice calls excluded).
General information for Canadian trade businesses, not legal advice. Last verified October 2026 by Aniket Gandhi, AGNT/01.
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