[companynWhen hunting for a trustworthy 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 cooling appears to be malfunctioning.
Why Do HVAC Companies Have a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee recoups the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, uses fuel, and increases wear and tear on the company vehicle. Remember that service call fees don’t generally come with parts and labor if you choose to go with a repair or replacement.
How Costly is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company determines how much to charge for a service call. Some companies select a standard or flat rate for each service call, while others increase the rate if the appointment is somewhere outside the established service radius. The specific cost changes with market and company, but you can 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 settle the trip charge regardless of what step you take later. For example, you can choose to accept the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which option is more cost effective.
You are encouraged to compare multiple job estimates from local HVAC companies—just remember that you could end up paying a trip charge for each one. Even if you take no action after the original service call, you will still owe the contractor a fee for coming to your home and carrying out diagnostics.
How Can I Avoid Paying a Service Call Fee?
A smart way to reduce trip charges is to purchase 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 check your HVAC system for free.
Additional money-saving benefits of an HVAC maintenance membership include:
- No overtime charges
- 15% savings on repairs
- 15% savings on indoor air quality products
- And much more
If your furnace or air conditioner is behaving strangely, or you’re interested in an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning 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 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 303-647-5853 today!