When searching for a heating and cooling contractor, you may have come across the term “service call fee.” Also called a “trip charge,” this fee is the amount an HVAC company requests for sending a technician to your home when your furnace or air conditioner begins working poorly.
Why Do HVAC Companies Charge a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee covers the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, consumes fuel, and results in wear and tear on the company vehicle. Don’t forget that service call fees don’t generally include parts and labor if you choose to go with a repair or replacement.
How Costly is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company chooses how much to charge for a service call. Some contractors charge a standard or flat rate for each service call, while others adjust the price if the home is located outside the standard service radius. The particular cost changes with market and company, but you may expect an average trip charge to be anywhere from $79 to $129.
Who Covers the Service Call Fee?
If you arrange a service call, you will need to settle the trip charge regardless of what step you take after. For starters, you could choose to agree with the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which method is more cost effective.
You are encouraged to collect varied job estimates from local HVAC companies—just be aware that you could end up paying a trip charge for each one. Even if you take no action after the original service call, you will still owe the technician a fee for coming to your home and completing diagnostics.
How Can I Steer Clear of Paying a Service Call Fee?
An easy way to minimize trip charges is to participate in an HVAC membership from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. All four of our memberships include a waived service call fee, meaning we’ll come to your home and inspect your HVAC system for free.
More money-saving benefits of an HVAC maintenance membership are:
- No overtime charges
- 15% savings on repairs with the Maintenance+ Plan
- 15% savings on indoor air quality products with the Maintenance+ Plan
- And much more
If your furnace or air conditioner is working poorly, or you’re considering an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Chief/Bauer Service Experts is happy to help. We charge some of the lowest service call fees to get your HVAC repair or replacement going the right way. We are also excited to help our customers save money on emergency repairs, replacements and maintenance with valuable offers on our website. If you’re looking to enjoy savings and peace of mind while enhancing efficiency and home comfort, give us a call at 217-689-2469 today!