When looking for a HVAC contractor, you may have stumbled across the term “service call fee.” Also known as a “trip charge,” this fee is the expense an HVAC company requests for sending a technician to your home when your heating or air conditioner seems to be working poorly.
Why Do HVAC Companies Use a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee includes the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, uses fuel, and adds wear and tear on the company vehicle. Be aware that service call fees don’t often include parts and labor if you opt for a repair or replacement.
How Much is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company decides how much to charge for a service call. Some technicians use a standard or flat rate for each service call, while others adjust the cost if the home is someplace outside the usual service radius. The exact cost changes with market and company, but you should expect a typical trip charge to be around $79 to $129.
Who Covers 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 starters, you could decide to move forward with the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which option is more cost effective.
You are encouraged to find several job estimates from local 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 HVAC company a fee for coming to your home and carrying out diagnostics.
How Can I Skip Paying a Service Call Fee?
A simple way to reduce trip charges is to sign up for an HVAC membership from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. All four of our memberships provide a waived service call fee, meaning we’ll come to your home and check 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 behaving strangely, or you’re looking into an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Gordon's Service Experts is happy 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 excited to help our customers save money on emergency repairs, replacements and maintenance with special offers on our website. If you’re ready to enjoy savings and peace of mind while boosting efficiency and home comfort, give us a call at 405-432-2197 today!