What is a Service Call Fee and How Does it Influence Me?
When looking for a trustworthy contractor, you may have seen the term “service call fee.” Also named a “trip charge,” this fee is the expense an HVAC company bills for sending a technician to your home when your heater or air conditioner starts working poorly.
Why Do HVAC Companies Use a Service Call Fee?
A service call fee covers the cost of traveling to your home. After all, this takes time, consumes fuel, and increases wear and tear on the company vehicle. Remember that service call fees don’t often come with 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 companies offer a standard or flat rate for any service call, while others increase the price if the customer is somewhere outside the established service radius. The particular cost varies by market and company, but you could expect a typical trip charge to be between $79 to $129.
Who Pays the Service Call Fee?
If you schedule a service call, you will need to settle the trip charge regardless of what step you take next. For example, you could choose to proceed with the technician’s recommended repair or replacement, depending on which option is more cost effective.
You are free to collect varied job estimates from different HVAC companies—just remember that you could end up paying a trip charge for each one. Even if you take no action after the first service call, you will still owe the contractor a fee for coming to your home and carrying out diagnostics.
How Can I Avoid Paying a Service Call Fee?
A good way to minimize trip charges is to participate in an HVAC membership from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. All four of our memberships include a waived service call fee, meaning we’ll come to your home and inspect your HVAC system for free.
Additional money-saving benefits of an HVAC maintenance membership include:
- 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 behaving strangely, or you’re looking into an affordable HVAC maintenance plan, Winnipeg Supply Service Experts is happy to help. We charge some of the lowest 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 maximizing efficiency and home comfort, give us a call at 204-800-0613 today!
