Key points at a glance
- In Austria, "Installateur" (plumber) is not a trade of its own. Most businesses combine Gas- und Sanitärtechnik (gas and sanitary engineering, § 94 no. 25 GewO) with Heizungstechnik (heating engineering, § 94 no. 31). Ventilation and refrigeration/air conditioning are separate regulated trades.
- Gas and sanitary engineering falls under § 95 GewO: reliability check, start only with a final decision (Bescheid). Heating engineering, like other regulated trades, you may carry out from registration.
- Gas installations are governed by state laws. In Vienna, for example, the authorised person must report commissioning to the distribution grid operator, and the inspection report must be available within six months.
- Anyone working on the refrigerant circuit of heat pumps or air conditioners needs a personal certificate under the F-Gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573, and the business a company certificate.
- For tools, measuring devices, a van and stock, plan for roughly €35,000 to €75,000 (as of November 2026).
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change: check the details with your economic chamber or chamber of crafts, your trade guild or your tax adviser.
Which trade licence you need: four building blocks
The van says "Installateur", but the trade register usually lists two or three different trades. The combination you choose decides what you may offer.
| Trade | Type | Typical work | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas and sanitary engineering (no. 25) | regulated, § 95 | Drinking water, waste water, sanitary, gas pipes and appliances, flue systems, hot water | Qualifying exam or access regulation |
| Heating engineering (no. 31) | linked craft | Heating systems for gas, oil, wood, heat pumps, solar thermal | Master craftsman exam or access regulation |
| Ventilation engineering (no. 31) | linked craft | Ventilation, heat recovery, air conditioning systems | Master craftsman exam or access regulation |
| Refrigeration and air conditioning (no. 37) | craft | Refrigeration systems, air conditioners | Master craftsman exam or access regulation |
According to the federal guild (Bundesinnung), the core scope of heating and ventilation engineering also includes some refrigeration and air conditioning work. Gas and sanitary engineering in turn partly covers hot water with heat pumps and controlled home ventilation. The boundaries are blurred. Have the Landesinnung (regional trade guild) for sanitary, heating and ventilation engineering confirm whether your planned services match your combination of trades.
Qualification: exam, school or individual case
For gas and sanitary engineering you take a Befähigungsprüfung (qualifying exam), for heating and ventilation engineering a Meisterprüfung (master craftsman exam). Both consist of five modules. The Meisterprüfungsstelle (exam office) of your regional chamber decides which modules are waived based on your apprenticeship, HTL (technical college) or Werkmeisterschule. If you can show relevant training plus practice, the access regulations get you the licence without an exam.
For experienced fitters without a matching qualification, there is the individual proof of competence under § 19 GewO. The authority decides at its discretion and can limit the licence to certain activities. If you have no qualification at all, you can appoint a gewerberechtlicher Geschäftsführer (qualified managing director under trade law). For gas and sanitary engineering, the authority must approve this appointment.
Gas installations: state law and grid operators
The Gewerbeordnung says who may install gas systems. How a new or modified system is put into operation is governed by the gas laws of the federal states. The Wiener Gasgesetz 2006 (Vienna Gas Act) is a good example of the logic:
- New or substantially modified gas installations must be inspected before commissioning; the result goes into the inspection report (Überprüfungsbefund).
- An authorised person may commission the installation before the report is available if it complies with the rules. They must then report the commissioning to the distribution grid operator.
- If the report is not with the installation within six months, operation must stop and the installation must be shut off.
Other federal states have their own rules, forms and responsibilities. Ask the gas grid operator in your area how you are registered as a new business and which documents it expects for new installations and appliance replacements. In practice, the ÖVGW technical guidelines count as the state of the art. Keep the current versions in the business.
Heat pumps and air conditioning: the F-gas certificate
Since 11 March 2024, the new F-Gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 applies. For you this means: anyone who works on the refrigerant circuit of heat pumps or air conditioners needs a personal certificate, and the business a company certificate. In Austria, personal certificates are issued by the relevant guilds of the Wirtschaftskammer (WKO, Austrian Economic Chamber). Certificates from other EU countries are recognised.
The regulation gradually restricts which refrigerants are allowed in new appliances. Heat pumps with natural refrigerants such as propane are gaining market share as a result. Train yourself and your team early in handling flammable refrigerants. With monobloc units delivered pre-assembled, there is often no need to open the refrigerant circuit. Split units, on the other hand, require the certificate.
The heating replacement market depends heavily on grants. Federal and state conditions change frequently, sometimes during the year. Point customers to the current call at Umweltförderung and your state funding office instead of writing grant amounts into your quote.
Emergency service as a business model
A 24/7 emergency service brings new customers who later have you do their bathroom or heating. But it also brings nights on the phone and arguments about invoices. These points decide whether it pays off:
- Clear prices up front: state the call-out fee, hourly rate and night and weekend surcharges on your website and on the phone. Surprising invoices end up in bad reviews and sometimes at the Arbeiterkammer (Chamber of Labour, which also advises consumers).
- Cost estimate: for consumers, a cost estimate is binding under § 5 KSchG (Consumer Protection Act) unless you expressly state otherwise. You may only charge for it if you said so beforehand.
- Organise on-call duty: with employees you need clear agreements on standby and rest periods. Ask the guild about the current collective agreement.
- Parts in the van: press fittings, seals, traps, common boiler parts. If you can repair on the first visit instead of just turning off the water, you get recommended.
How to get it right
- State emergency hours and surcharges openly on your website
- Add your phone number to your Google profile and be reachable
- After the job, take photos and write a short record for the customer and the insurer
- Actively ask for reviews, for example with a review QR code
Better not
- Advertise "€0 call-out" and then charge high flat fees
- Promise an emergency service you cannot staff
- Commission gas appliances without the right licence
- Guarantee grant amounts
Timeline for the first six months
Month 1: trade licence and legal form
Register gas and sanitary engineering and heating engineering via GISA (the Austrian trade register) or at the district authority. Choose a legal form; for a GmbH (limited company), prepare the Firmenbuch (commercial register) entry. Basics in the general founding guide.
Month 2: decision, chamber, tax office
Wait for the decision on gas and sanitary engineering. WKO membership and SVS (social insurance for the self-employed) follow automatically. Apply for a tax number and UID number (VAT ID). With materials, you will quickly exceed the small business threshold of €55,000 annual turnover.
Month 3: certificates and grid operator
Apply for the F-gas company certificate and check your own personal certificate. Ask the gas grid operator about the commissioning procedure.
Month 4: equipment and suppliers
Van with shelving, press tool, measuring devices. Open an account with a plumbing wholesaler and look into partnerships with one or two heating manufacturers.
Months 5 and 6: become visible
Website, Google profile, business cards, van lettering. Approach property managers and master builders, and only offer as much emergency service as you can carry.
Start-up costs at a glance
| Item | Range |
|---|---|
| Press tool with jaws for copper, stainless steel, multilayer pipe | around €2,500 – €5,000 |
| Flue gas analyser, pressure testers for gas and water | around €2,000 – €4,500 |
| Refrigeration tools (vacuum pump, manifold, scales, leak detector) | around €1,500 – €3,500 |
| Drain cleaning, camera, drilling and cutting tools | around €3,000 – €8,000 |
| Panel van with shelving | used around €20,000 – €38,000 |
| First stock for emergency and service jobs | around €2,500 – €6,000 |
| Website with emergency service page | from €1,800 one-off, hosting €30 a month |
Emergency number, services, service area: all on one page
We build you a free draft in 3 days, with a clearly visible emergency number and room for reference photos of bathrooms and heating systems.
A free draft of your future business website.
In the imprint you name your trades, the trade authority and the chamber. What else is mandatory is in the guide to mandatory information in Austria. How to advertise emergency prices correctly is explained in the guide to advertising and price information.
Sources
- § 94 GewO 1994: regulated trades (RIS)
- § 95 GewO 1994: reliability check (RIS)
- § 19 GewO 1994: individual proof of competence (RIS)
- WKO: access to installation and building services trades
- WKO: scope of installation and building services trades
- WKO: certification for fluorinated greenhouse gases
- Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases
- Wiener Gasgesetz 2006 (RIS)
- § 5 KSchG: cost estimate (RIS)
- USP: small business scheme (Kleinunternehmerregelung)
