When hunting for a heating and cooling contractor, you may have seen 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 AC unit starts 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, requires fuel, and causes wear and tear on the company vehicle. Be aware that service call fees don’t often cover parts and labor if you opt for a repair or replacement.
How Expensive is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company decides how much to charge for a service call. Some contractors use a standard or flat rate for each service call, while others adjust the price if the home is further outside the established service radius. The particular cost varies 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 produce the trip charge regardless of what step you take after. For example, you can decide to agree with the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which option is more cost effective.
You are free to collect several job estimates from local HVAC companies—just keep in mind that you might 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 HVAC company a fee for coming to your home and carrying out diagnostics.
How Can I Skip Paying a Service Call Fee?
A smart way to reduce trip charges is to enroll 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.
More 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 looking into an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts is willing to help. We charge some of the most inexpensive service call fees to get your HVAC repair or replacement off to a good start. We are also happy 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 enhancing efficiency and home comfort, give us a call at 226-773-3357 today!