[companynWhen hunting for a heating and cooling contractor, you may have come across the term “service call fee.” Also named a “trip charge,” this fee is the cost an HVAC company charges for sending a technician to your home when your heating or air conditioner begins acting up.
Why Do HVAC Companies Charge a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee recoups the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, consumes fuel, and adds wear and tear on the company vehicle. Keep in mind that service call fees don’t generally include parts and labor if you decide on a repair or replacement.
How Costly is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company chooses how much to charge for a service call. Some companies offer a standard or flat rate for any service call, while others adjust the rate if the appointment is someplace outside the normal service radius. The specific cost changes with market and company, but you may 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 pay the trip charge regardless of what step you take next. For example, you might opt to agree with the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which choice is more cost effective.
You are encouraged to compile multiple job estimates from different HVAC companies—just keep in mind 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 completing diagnostics.
How Can I Avoid Paying a Service Call Fee?
An easy way to decrease trip charges is to participate in an HVAC membership from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. All four of our memberships offer a waived service call fee, which means 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 malfunctioning, or you’re considering an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Eveready 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 happy to help our customers save money on emergency repairs, replacements and maintenance with worthwhile offers on our website. If you’re looking to enjoy savings and peace of mind while maximizing efficiency and home comfort, give us a call at 804-548-4480 today!