When hunting for a trustworthy contractor, you may have stumbled across the term “service call fee.” Also called a “trip charge,” this fee is the expense an HVAC company bills for sending a technician to your home when your furnace or cooling seems to be malfunctioning.
Why Do HVAC Companies Charge a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee includes the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, uses fuel, and produces wear and tear on the company vehicle. It’s important to know that service call fees don’t usually come with parts and labor if you choose to go with a repair or replacement.
How Much is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company determines how much to charge for a service call. Some contractors offer a standard or flat rate for every service call, while others increase the cost if the customer is located outside the normal service radius. The particular cost changes with market and company, but you may expect a typical 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 settle the trip charge regardless of what step you take next. For instance, you could decide 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 trusted HVAC companies—just don’t forget that you might end up paying a trip charge for each one. Even if you take no action after the initial service call, you will still owe the contractor a fee for coming to your home and completing diagnostics.
How Can I Skip Paying a Service Call Fee?
A simple way to decrease 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, which means we’ll come to your home and inspect your HVAC system for free.
More money-saving benefits of an HVAC maintenance membership consist of:
- No overtime charges
- 15% savings on repairs
- 15% savings on indoor air quality products
- And much more
If your furnace or air conditioner is working poorly, or you’re looking into an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Calverley Service Experts 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 eager to help our customers save money on emergency repairs, replacements and maintenance with special 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 817-380-5647 today!