State facts
Nevada: homes, climate zones and who licenses the work
Nevada has 1.3 million housing units. 22% were built before 1980, and the median year built is 1996. 60% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners.
How old the homes are
Nevada housing units, by year built
Layers drawn to scale
Age changes what applies to a house. In general, anyone paid to do work that disturbs painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, which the EPA administers directly in Nevada.
How homes are heated
How homes in Nevada are heated
Main heating fuel, share of 1.2 million occupied homes
- Utility gas 58.9%
- Electricity 34.7%
- Propane or other tank gas 3.0%
- Wood 1.0%
- Solar energy 0.8%
- No fuel used 0.7%
- Other fuel 0.5%
- Fuel oil or kerosene 0.4%
- Coal or coke <0.1%
Climate and building zones
The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code assigns every county a climate zone from 1 to 8 and a moisture regime: A for moist, B for dry, C for marine. Zones 7 and 8 have no letter. Here is how Nevada's residents divide among them, by the county they live in.
| IECC 2021 zone | Share of residents | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| 3B | 73% | 1 |
| 5B | 19.6% | 9 |
| 4B | 7.4% | 7 |
ENERGY STAR rates windows, doors and skylights for four climate zones of its own. Nevada spans 3: South-Central (73% of residents), Northern (19.6% of residents), North-Central (7.4% of residents).
By NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals, counties here average 60 days a year with a low of 32°F or colder, weighted by where people live. The range runs from 18 days in the mildest county to 227 in the coldest.
Flood risk and flood insurance
0.8% of residential structures in Nevada carry a National Flood Insurance Program policy: 7,964 policies, in FEMA's count as of August 3, 2026.
In FEMA's National Risk Index, 2 of 17 counties rate high or very high for riverine flooding.
Fire ants and termites
No county in Nevada is inside the federal imported fire ant quarantine.
Who licenses the work in Nevada
Before anyone starts work, check the license with the agency below. Where the state does not license a trade, cities and counties may; ask the one where the house is.
- Pest control The department's Pest Control Section licenses pest control companies and individuals by field and category; the urban and structural field (C) covers pesticide use in, on or around structures, including industrial and institutional pests in dwelling units (C2) and wood-destroying pests (C3). Agency: Nevada Department of Agriculture, Pest Control Section (Plant Industry Division). Who to call about pest control.
- Heating and cooling Contractors who build or alter structures in Nevada, including refrigeration, heating and air-conditioning contractors, must hold a license from the Nevada State Contractors Board; the small-repair exemption under $1,000 does not apply to heating or air-conditioning work. Agency: Nevada State Contractors Board. Look up a license. Who to call about heating and cooling.
- Window replacement and other home improvement Anyone who constructs or alters a building in Nevada, including subcontractors and specialty contractors, must be licensed by the Nevada State Contractors Board, which issues a B-7 Residential Remodeling classification among others. Agency: Nevada State Contractors Board. Look up a license. Who to call about window replacement.
- Mold remediation We found no statewide license for this work in official sources. Cities and counties may license it; ask the one where the house is. Who to call about water damage and mold.
Checked 2026-09-29. Licensing rules change; the agency's own page is the authority.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, tables B25034, B25035, B25040 and B25003 data.census.gov
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Guide to Determining Climate Zone by County: Building America and IECC 2021 Updates basc.pnnl.gov
- U.S. Department of Energy Prototype Building Models (climate zones 1–8 and moisture regimes A, B, C) energycodes.gov
- ENERGY STAR Climate zones by county for windows, doors and skylights energystar.gov
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual and seasonal ncei.noaa.gov
- Federal Emergency Management Agency OpenFEMA NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (as of 2026-08-03) fema.gov
- Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index, county ratings fema.gov
- USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Imported fire ant quarantine map aphis.usda.gov
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations 7 CFR part 301, subpart P, Imported Fire Ant ecfr.gov
- Nevada Department of Agriculture, Pest Control Section (Plant Industry Division) agri.nv.gov agri.nv.gov
- Nevada Department of Agriculture, Pest Control Section (Plant Industry Division) agri.nv.gov agri.nv.gov
- Nevada Department of Agriculture, Pest Control Section (Plant Industry Division) npic.orst.edu npic.orst.edu
- Nevada State Contractors Board nvcontractorsboard.com nvcontractorsboard.com
- Nevada State Contractors Board nscb.nv.gov nscb.nv.gov
- Nevada State Contractors Board nvcontractorsboard.com nvcontractorsboard.com
- epa.gov epa.gov epa.gov