HVACBossPro Blog — Maintenance Agreements

How to Price an HVAC Maintenance Plan Customers Will Keep

Price a maintenance plan too high and nobody signs up. Price it too low and every visit loses money, which makes the tune-up van the first thing that gets pulled when it is busy. The right price is the one that pays for the visits you promise and still feels like a good deal to the member.

Before the Price Goes on the Form

The sign-up form in The HVAC Maintenance Plan Sign-Up Form: Card Captured, Client Created in One Click needs a number on it. This guide is about how to pick that number. The software does not set your prices, and nobody outside your shop knows your costs, so treat the example figures here as illustrations, not recommendations.

Start From Your One-Off Tune-Up Price

The simplest anchor is what you already charge a non-member for a tune-up. If a single tune-up is $99, a customer can do the math on a two-visit plan in a few seconds. Two tune-ups at full price is $198.

Most shops price the two-visit plan a little under that, because the member is committing up front and you get predictable work in the slow seasons. Something like $179 a year for two visits against a $99 one-off tune-up is easy to explain: “You get both visits for less than paying for them separately, plus member benefits.”

Do not discount so deeply that the tune-up stops paying for the tech's time and the drive. A plan that loses money on every visit is a plan you will quietly stop servicing.

Add Up What You Include

The price has to cover what is in the plan. Before you settle on a number, list everything a member gets and what each costs you:

• Tech time on site for each visit, plus drive time.
• Standard filters at each visit, if included. Thick media filters cost more, so decide whether those are included or extra.
• Any materials like condensate line treatment or coil cleaner.
• The cost of any member discount on repairs.
• Office time for scheduling, reminders and billing.

What belongs in a plan is covered in more detail in What to Include in an HVAC Maintenance Plan. The point here is that inclusions and price go together. Every extra you add either raises the price or eats margin.

Member Discounts on Repairs

A common benefit is a discount on repair work for members, often a set amount off the diagnostic fee or a modest discount on parts and labor. It gives members a reason to call you first and makes the plan feel valuable even in a year with no breakdowns.

Keep it simple enough that the office and techs can apply it without thinking. “Members pay $49 for a diagnostic instead of $89” is easy. A sliding scale based on how long someone has been a member is not.

Add the member price as its own line in your service list so the invoice shows it clearly. Members like seeing the discount in writing.

Pay Up Front or Pay Per Visit

There are two common ways to collect, and HVACBossPro handles either:

• Yearly up front. The member pays the full plan price at sign-up or on a schedule each year. Simple, and the money is in the bank before the visits happen.
• Per visit. The card on file is charged when the tech completes each tune-up. Feels lighter to the member and matches payment to service.

Some shops spread the yearly price over monthly charges on a schedule. Whichever way you go, a card on file is what makes it work without anyone chasing payments.

Pricing for Different Homes

One price does not fit every house. Common adjustments:

• Additional systems. A home with an upstairs and downstairs system takes longer. Many shops charge a per-system add-on, such as $79 for each additional system.
• Yearly plans. A one-visit plan priced near a single tune-up, with the member repair discount as the reason to join.
• Landlords. Per address, with all of them on one monthly statement.
• Commercial. Usually quoted per site based on the number of units and access, often on a quarterly schedule.

Test, Then Hold Steady

Pick a price, sell it for a season, and watch what happens. If almost everyone says yes at the kitchen table, you may be underpriced. If nobody does, look at how the offer is made before cutting the price. Once members are signed up, avoid surprise increases. When you do raise prices, give members notice ahead of their renewal. For the full set of tools behind the plan, visit the HVAC maintenance agreement software page.