When you are looking for an air conditioning company like Non-Stop Air Conditioning & Heating to repair your ac system, it is hard to know what to expect, and who to choose. How much should I expect to pay for a service call fee (sometimes called a “trip fee”)? What should that fee include? What should I expect from the technician performing an HVAC repair?
We have answered all these questions in this article, so that you know what to look for, and more importantly…what to stay away from!
1. How Much Should the Service/Trip fee Cost?
Let’s Start with the most commonly asked question, when it comes to repairing your ac system…
How much should it cost to get a technician to my home to diagnose my system?
When researching different HVAC contractors, you are likely to find a wide variety of prices for service/trip fees, ranging from “Free” to $250! It also depends on what part of the country you are in, and if you are calling after normal business hours.
Starting on the low end, if you see an ad for a “Free” diagnosis, you should expect to have a HIGH PRESSURE salesmen, who will assuredly find an “expensive problem” with your system that needs to be fixed immediately. The bottom line is, if it sounds to good to be true, IT IS!
Realistically, it will cost any HVAC contractor at least $25 just to get a technician to your door, (between paying insurance, drive time, gas…etc.), and that doesn’t even include paying the technician to complete the service. The minimum expectation for cost during normal business hours in Southwest Florida should be $29 for a Service fee. If you are calling afterhours, you can expect to pay a minimum of $125 for your service fee.
2. What Should be Included in my Service Fee?
Now that we have established a price expectation, let’s talk about what you should get for the money that you are spending…
Most companies will include the diagnosis of your system with the service fee, but there are some companies that charge additional fees to diagnose, once the technician arrives. When you call any AC company, you should ask specifically if the diagnosis is included in the trip fee. If your air conditioning system has a problem that is very time consuming to diagnose, you may have to pay an additional hourly rate after the first 30 min of diagnosis.
During the diagnosis, there a few common items that we check first, that you may be able to check yourself, and potentially save some money! The most common items to check before calling for a repair would be…
- Check your Drain Line to make sure it is clear
- Check to make sure that the electric breaker is still on
- Check the filters to make sure they are not clogged
3. What to Expect from your Repair Technician?
One if the biggest factors that differentiate a low quality AC company and the Best Air Conditioning companies, is the performance of the technicians.
A great technician starts with great communication. From calling 30min prior to arrival… letting you know the steps that they are taking once they have arrived… and giving you options on how to proceed once they have found the issue. These are some of the things that you should expect from a service technician. If your technician arrives unannounced, does not explain what they are doing, and gives you only 1 option (especially if that 1 option is replacing your whole system) , that should be a red flag, and time to start asking questions.
At Non-Stop Air Conditioning & Heating, in Cape Coral and Southwest Florida, our technicians notify you when they are in route to your home. You will also receive a text message which will allow you to track the technicians location. Once we arrive at your home, the AC technician will explain what steps they are taking to fix your Air Conditioning system, and always give you options. Every homeowner is in a different position in life, which is why we feel that it is so important to give options that fit any budget and situation. After the job has been completed, you will receive a digital copy of your invoice instantly for your records.
