When looking for a heating and cooling contractor, you may have stumbled across the term “service call fee.” Also called a “trip charge,” this fee is the expense an HVAC company requests for sending a technician to your home when your furnace or AC unit starts working poorly.
Why Do HVAC Companies Use a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee recoups the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, requires fuel, and adds wear and tear on the company vehicle. Be aware that service call fees don’t usually cover parts and labor if you decide on a repair or replacement.
How Much is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company chooses how much to charge for a service call. Some technicians use a standard or flat rate for any service call, while others adjust the price if the appointment is located outside the usual service radius. The particular cost differs by market and company, but you can expect your usual trip charge to be between $79 to $129.
Who is Responsible for the Service Call Fee?
If you schedule a service call, you will need to pay the trip charge regardless of what step you take later. For starters, you might choose to agree with the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which option is more cost effective.
You are welcome to request multiple job estimates from different HVAC companies—just be aware that you may end up paying a trip charge for all these visits. Even if you take no action after the initial service call, you will still owe the technician a fee for coming to your home and performing diagnostics.
How Can I Avoid Paying a Service Call Fee?
A good way to avoid trip charges is to enroll in an HVAC membership from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. All four of our memberships include a waived service call fee, and so we’ll come to your home and evaluate your HVAC system for free.
Additional money-saving benefits of an HVAC maintenance membership consist of:
- No overtime charges
- 15% savings on repairs
- 15% savings on indoor air quality products
- And much more
If your furnace or air conditioner is acting up, or you’re open to an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Jack Nelson Service Experts is happy to help. We charge some of the lowest service call fees to get your HVAC repair or replacement off to a good start. We are also excited to help our customers save money on emergency repairs, replacements and maintenance with worthwhile offers on our website. If you’re ready to enjoy savings and peace of mind while enhancing efficiency and home comfort, give us a call at 918-212-8927 today!