What is a Service Call Fee and How Does it Impact Me?
When hunting 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 amount an HVAC company bills for sending a technician to your home when your heating or cooling begins acting up.
Why Do HVAC Companies Have a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee includes the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, requires fuel, and accumulates wear and tear on the company vehicle. Remember that service call fees don’t often include parts and labor if you choose to go with a repair or replacement.
How Expensive is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company decides how much to charge for a service call. Some companies use a standard or flat rate for any service call, while others raise the rate if the home is somewhere outside the standard service radius. The exact cost differs by market and company, but you can expect an average trip charge to be between $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 after. For starters, you could choose to agree with the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which method is more cost effective.
You are free to find several job estimates from various HVAC companies—just be aware that you may 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 technician a fee for coming to your home and carrying out diagnostics.
How Can I Steer Clear of 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 provide a waived service call fee, meaning we’ll come to your home and check your HVAC system for free.
Additional money-saving benefits of an HVAC maintenance membership consist of:
- 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 working poorly, or you’re open to an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Fras-Air/General Service Experts is willing to help. We charge some of the most inexpensive service call fees to get your HVAC repair or replacement started. 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 hoping to enjoy savings and peace of mind while maximizing efficiency and home comfort, give us a call at 908-448-2154 today!
