[companynWhen searching for a heating and cooling contractor, you may have run across the term “service call fee.” Also known as a “trip charge,” this fee is the expense an HVAC company charges for sending a technician to your home when your heating or cooling begins acting up.
Why Do HVAC Companies Use a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee includes the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, requires fuel, and increases wear and tear on the company vehicle. Be aware that service call fees don’t generally come with parts and labor if you choose to go with a repair or replacement.
How Costly is a Service Call Fee?
Every HVAC company decides how much to charge for a service call. Some technicians use a standard or flat rate for any service call, while others increase the price if the home is somewhere outside the usual service radius. The exact cost differs by market and company, but you may expect an average trip charge to be between $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 after. For instance, you can decide to move forward with the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which option is more cost effective.
You are encouraged to find several job estimates from various HVAC companies—just keep in mind that you may end up paying a trip charge for each one. Even if you take no action after the original service call, you will still owe the HVAC company a fee for coming to your home and performing diagnostics.
How Can I Avoid Paying a Service Call Fee?
A simple way to reduce 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, which means we’ll come to your home and inspect your HVAC system for free.
More 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 acting up, or you’re open to an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Epperson 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 excited to help our customers save money on emergency repairs, replacements and maintenance with valuable 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 843-619-3781 today!