What is a Service Call Fee and How Does it Affect Me?
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 cost an HVAC company bills for sending a technician to your home when your heating or cooling seems to be working poorly.
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, consumes fuel, and adds wear and tear on the company vehicle. Remember that service call fees don’t often include parts and labor if you decide on a repair or replacement.
How Expensive is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company determines how much to charge for a service call. Some companies offer a standard or flat rate for every service call, while others adjust the price if the customer is further outside the standard service radius. The specific cost differs by market and company, but you may expect a typical trip charge to be between $79 to $129.
Who Pays the Service Call Fee?
If you arrange a service call, you will need to produce the trip charge regardless of what step you take next. 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 find varied job estimates from trusted HVAC companies—just remember that you may end up paying a trip charge for every one. 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 carrying out 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, meaning we’ll come to your home and inspect your HVAC system for free.
Other money-saving benefits of an HVAC maintenance membership include:
- 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, Church Services is happy to help. We charge some of the most affordable 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 worthwhile 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 713-396-3760 today!