When hunting for a HVAC contractor, you may have come across the term “service call fee.” Also named a “trip charge,” this fee is the expense an HVAC company bills for sending a technician to your home when your heating or air conditioner begins working poorly.
Why Do HVAC Companies Have a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee includes the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, consumes fuel, and increases wear and tear on the company vehicle. It’s important to know that service call fees don’t generally come with parts and labor if you choose to go with a repair or replacement.
How Expensive 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 any service call, while others adjust the rate if the home is somewhere outside the normal service radius. The exact cost differs by market and company, but you can expect an average trip charge to be around $79 to $129.
Who is Responsible for 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 instance, you may choose to accept the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which method is more cost effective.
You are welcome to request varied job estimates from trusted HVAC companies—just keep in mind that you could end up paying a trip charge for all these visits. Even if you take no action after the first 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?
A simple way to minimize trip charges is to participate in an HVAC membership from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. All four of our memberships come with a waived service call fee, meaning we’ll come to your home and evaluate your HVAC system for free.
Additional money-saving benefits of an HVAC maintenance membership are:
- No overtime charges
- 15% savings on repairs
- 15% savings on indoor air quality products
- And much more
If your furnace or air conditioner is working poorly, or you’re open to an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Air Engineers 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 eager to help our customers save money on emergency repairs, replacements and maintenance with special offers on our website. If you’re looking to enjoy savings and peace of mind while boosting efficiency and home comfort, give us a call at 904-450-5672 today!