What Are Trip Charges and Diagnostic Fees?

When you need heating, air conditioning or plumbing services from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, you will pay a trip charge and a diagnostic fee individually. A number of companies you’ve worked with in the past most likely combined the trip charge and diagnostic fee, but we feel we can provide you with greater value by separating them. 

What Is a Trip Charge? 

A trip charge covers the cost for a qualified plumber or HVAC technician to come to your home. Sometimes called a service call fee, this payment is the base rate for bringing our technicians, equipment and expertise to your doorstep. If you would like to eliminate trip charges in the future, you can look into registering for one of our membership plans

What Is a Diagnostic Fee? 

The diagnostic fee covers the services needed to locate the source of a problem. In plumbing, this could consist of scoping. In HVAC repairs, it might involve examining the inside of your unit. If you decide to use Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for your repairs, the diagnostic fee is rolled into the repair bill. However, you are charged for the diagnostic services alone if you do not. 

What Is the Difference Between a Trip Fee and a Diagnostic Fee 

In most cases, a trip fee gets the plumber or HVAC technician to your home, while the diagnostic fee covers all the work involved in assessing the problem and working up a plan for repairs. If you pay for repairs, you won’t even notice the diagnostic fee since it’ll be absorbed into the cost of the repairs. 

Why Are Diagnostic Fees and Trip Charges Billed Separately? 

Many plumbers and HVAC companies will charge a single fee for both the trip and the diagnostics. Rather than charging you for two services at once, we have two distinct fees. This helps us to price our services in the fairest available manner. 

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