[companynWhen hunting for a trustworthy contractor, you may have run 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 AC unit begins acting up.
Why Do HVAC Companies Charge a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee covers the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, uses fuel, and results in wear and tear on the company vehicle. Remember that service call fees don’t typically include parts and labor if you decide on a repair or replacement.
How Expensive is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company chooses how much to charge for a service call. Some contractors select a standard or flat rate for each service call, while others increase the rate if the home is somewhere outside the established service radius. The specific cost differs by market and company, but you can expect your usual trip charge to be anywhere from $79 to $129.
Who Pays 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 might opt to move forward with the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which choice is more cost effective.
You are encouraged to compile varied job estimates from local HVAC companies—just remember that you may end up paying a trip charge for every one. Even if you take no action after the first service call, you will still owe the technician a fee for coming to your home and completing diagnostics.
How Can I Skip Paying a Service Call Fee?
A simple way to avoid trip charges is to sign up for 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 assess 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 looking into an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Robinson Service Experts is happy to help. We charge some of the most affordable service call fees to get your HVAC repair or replacement started. We are also willing 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 847-306-8730 today!