When hunting for a HVAC contractor, you may have come across the term “service call fee.” Also named a “trip charge,” this fee is the amount an HVAC company requests for sending a technician to your home when your heating or air conditioner starts working poorly.
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, uses fuel, and causes wear and tear on the company vehicle. It’s important to know that service call fees don’t generally cover parts and labor if you choose to go with a repair or replacement.
How Expensive is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company chooses how much to charge for a service call. Some companies use a standard or flat rate for each service call, while others adjust the rate if the customer is someplace outside the usual service radius. The exact cost varies by market and company, but you could expect a typical trip charge to be around $79 to $129.
Who Covers the Service Call Fee?
If you request a service call, you will need to pay the trip charge regardless of what step you take later. For example, you might opt to accept the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which choice is more cost effective.
You are welcome to request several job estimates from various HVAC companies—just don’t forget that you could end up paying a trip charge for all these visits. Even if you take no action after the original service call, you will still owe the technician a fee for coming to your home and performing diagnostics.
How Can I Skip Paying a Service Call Fee?
A simple way to avoid trip charges is to participate in 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 check your HVAC system for free.
Other 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 open to an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, San Antonio Air Service Experts is happy to help. We charge some of the most affordable 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 special offers on our website. If you’re looking to enjoy savings and peace of mind while boosting efficiency and home comfort, give us a call at 210-570-9705 today!