HVAC Apprentice — Trades Career Path, No Experience Required.
We are looking for a hard worker who wants to become a lead installer.
Most people who apply for this job think it means standing next to someone and handing them tools. That's not what we're hiring for.
We need someone who can't stand still. Someone who walks into a job site and already knows the equipment needs to come off the truck before the lead installer has to say it. Someone who moves fast, takes direction immediately, and treats every install like their name is on the work order — because eventually, it will be.
If that's you, keep reading. If it's not, that's okay — this job will frustrate you, and we'd rather be honest about that now.
THE COMPANY
Bob Boldt HVAC has been in the south Twin Cities metro since 1988. We do residential heating and cooling — but not the way most companies do it. We test every system we install and hand the homeowner a written performance report before we leave. We give customers four quote options because we believe they have the right to choose. We back every install with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
We're not the biggest company in the market. We're building toward it — $2M in revenue by 2028, 2,700+ Comfort Club members, a fully systematized operation. We're at the stage where every person we bring on either accelerates that or slows it down. We hire accordingly.
WHAT THIS JOB ACTUALLY IS
You're the right hand on a two-person install crew. The lead installer is running the job. Your job is to make sure they never have to stop moving because something wasn't ready.
That means: equipment off the truck and staged before they ask. Tools ready before they turn around. Job site protected — homeowner's floors covered, work area contained. Set up done right, so teardown is clean.
It also means attics in August. Crawlspaces in January. Utility rooms where there's not enough room for two people, but two people have to make it work anyway. You'll be moving equipment that's heavy and awkward, and there's no good way to carry it. You'll be uncomfortable regularly, and the job doesn't stop because you're uncomfortable.
If you're looking for something where the pace is relaxed and nobody's watching the clock, this isn't it. If you're the kind of person who finds a slow day more frustrating than a hard one, you might be exactly right for this.
WHO BELONGS HERE
"We will always do what we said we'll do — the way we said we'd do it — when we said we'd do it." On a job site, that means when the lead installer says handle something, it gets handled. Not mostly handled. Not handled-but-I-had-a-question-first. Handled.
Craftsmanship over shortcuts. We don't cut corners on installs, and we don't cut corners on how we show up to work. Every house we go into is somebody's home. It gets treated like it.
Serve beyond the call. When the job is done, you don't disappear to the truck. You make sure the homeowner's space is cleaner than you found it. You're the last impression they have of Bob Boldt HVAC — act like it.
THE PAY AND THE PATH
Bob Boldt HVAC uses a Compensation Unit (CU) structure — you earn based on the work produced, not just the hours on site. Here's what the path looks like:
Helper (Day 1): $17/CU — Installer list. Written test required. Punch card system. You're learning the trade.
Installation Specialist: $17/CU — Pass the written test at 85%, complete new tool requirements. Group A training.
Entry Level Lead: $20/CU — Lead list. Written test at 85%. This is where the pay structure changes in your favor.
Lead 1 (1 year): $20/CU + $1/CU bonus. Experience from other employers counts.
Lead 2 (2 years): $20/CU + $2/CU bonus.
Lead 3 (3 years): $21/CU + $3/CU bonus.
Lead 4 (4 years): $26/CU + $5/CU bonus. NATE certification required — Bob Boldt supports you getting there.
Lead 5 (5 years): $34/CU + $6/CU bonus. Top of the system. Highest earning, highest standards.
No college degree required. No trade experience required on Day 1. The path is documented, the tests are written, and every advancement milestone is earned — not given.
WHY BOB BOLDT HVAC
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$250 tool allowance
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Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)
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Paid vacation and holidays
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Ongoing training and certification support
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Career path that's real — people here advance
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Small team where your effort is visible, not lost in a headcount
THE HIRING PROCESS
Here's exactly what happens next:
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You apply — takes 5 minutes.
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If you pass the initial screening, we'll schedule a 15-minute phone call.
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We'll send you a few written questions — reply by email, takes about 15 minutes.
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If we both want to keep going, you'll come in for a 45-minute face-to-face interview.
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Final step: a shadow day on a real install, so you can see the work, and we can see how you move.
If you've read this far and you're still thinking "yeah, I can do that" — that's the right reaction. Apply.
Compensation:
$17 - $40 hourly
Responsibilities:-
Stage and move equipment, materials, and tools at each job site so the lead installer never has to stop and wait.
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Protect the homeowner's property throughout every install — floors covered, work area contained, job site left cleaner than we found it.
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Follow the lead installer's direction immediately and execute tasks completely before asking what's next.
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Learn every aspect of the install process — HVAC systems, tools, sequences, and safety protocols — through hands-on observation and participation.
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Conduct yourself professionally at every customer site from arrival to departure.
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Earn advancement to Installer in Training by demonstrating consistent hustle, coachability, and reliability on the job.
Qualifications:
Required:
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Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
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Ability to pass a background check.
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Physically capable of lifting 75+ lbs, working in attics and crawlspaces, and standing for a full shift in all weather conditions.
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U.S. work authorization.
You do NOT need:
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No HVAC experience required — we train from scratch.
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No trade certifications required.
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No degree required.
About Company
Bob Boldt HVAC has been creating home comfort in the Eagan area since 1988. We're not a call-and-fix company. We specialize in performance-based system design — whole-system testing, airflow verification, and written performance reports on every install. We give homeowners four options on every replacement quote because we believe in informed decisions, not upsells. Every job is backed by a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee. We're building toward a fully systemized $4M company where every team member earns a career, not just a paycheck — and we're looking for people who want to be part of building that.
