Most HVAC contractors do tune-ups. Not many of them package those tune-ups into annual agreements that pay automatically and renew on their own.
That's the gap. And it's a significant one — because the difference between selling a $200 tune-up and selling a $299/year maintenance plan isn't the work. It's the system.
What a Maintenance Agreement Actually Is
A maintenance agreement (also called a service contract or maintenance plan) is a recurring arrangement where the customer pays annually in exchange for scheduled preventive maintenance visits. Typically:
- One or two visits per year (spring AC tune-up, fall furnace tune-up)
- Priority scheduling when they have a breakdown
- A discount on parts and labour for any repair work
The customer gets peace of mind and guaranteed service. You get predictable recurring revenue and a reason to be in front of that customer every year — which is the moment you identify equipment that needs replacement.
It's one of the most valuable things you can sell, and it requires almost no extra work if it's already built into your schedule.
How to Price It
The right price for a maintenance agreement depends on what you're including, your market, and your labour rate. The range that works for most residential HVAC contractors in Canada and the US is $150 to $400 per year.
Here's a simple three-tier structure that covers most situations:
Basic — $179/year
- One visit (either spring or fall)
- Filter replacement (customer-supplied)
- System inspection and tune-up
- 10% discount on repair parts
Standard — $249/year
- Two visits (spring AC + fall furnace)
- Filter replacement included
- Full system inspection and tune-up both visits
- 15% discount on parts and labour
Premium — $349/year
- Two visits with priority scheduling (next-day or same-day)
- Filter replacement included, premium filters
- Full system tune-up and inspection
- 20% discount on all repair work
- Annual refrigerant check included
Your exact pricing depends on your market and overhead. The key principle: the plan should cover your labour cost for the visits plus generate a margin, and the discount benefit should feel real to the customer without giving away money you can't afford.
What to Include in Your Agreement
Beyond the visit structure, your agreement should clarify a few things in plain language:
What's included in a tune-up. List the specific tasks — thermostat calibration, coil cleaning, filter check, electrical connections, refrigerant pressure check, etc. This sets expectations and justifies the price.
What's not included. Parts, major repairs, and refrigerant additions are typically billed separately. Say that clearly. Customers who feel surprised become former customers.
The cancellation terms. Most contractors offer a 30-day cancellation window. If the customer cancels after the first visit, you either refund the prorated remainder or don't — pick a policy and put it in writing.
How renewal works. Annual plans renew automatically. The customer receives a reminder 30 days before renewal. If they don't cancel, the card on file is charged. This is standard practice and most customers expect it.
The Renewal Problem — and How to Solve It
The place where maintenance agreements fall apart for most contractors is the renewal process. They sell the plan, do the first visit, and then a year later realize they have no system for tracking who's due, no automated reminder, and no way to charge the card without calling the customer.
So they don't renew half their agreements. Or they spend an afternoon every spring calling through a spreadsheet. Neither is sustainable.
The right approach is automation. HVQuote's maintenance plan feature lets you set up plan templates once — name, price, interval, description — and then assign them to customers. The system tracks each plan's renewal date and sends the customer an automated reminder email 30 days before it's due.
You can see all active plans in one place, which customers are on a plan (they get a badge in the customer list), and which plans are expiring soon. When it's time to renew, you can book the appointment directly from the plan record with one click.
This is the difference between a maintenance agreement program and a maintenance agreement idea.
How to Sell It
The best moment to sell a maintenance plan is at the end of a service call or installation — not in a follow-up email.
The framing is simple: "We just tuned everything up — if you want us to come back in the fall and make sure the furnace is ready for winter, we have a plan that covers both visits for $249. A lot of our customers find it's easier than remembering to call each year."
That's it. No hard sell. You're offering convenience to a customer who just saw your work and trusts you.
About 20-30% of customers will say yes on the spot. The rest might say no but remember the conversation when something breaks.
The Math Behind It
Say you sell 30 maintenance agreements at $249/year average. That's $7,470 in guaranteed annual revenue — before you do a single billable repair or replacement.
Now consider that every maintenance visit puts you in front of a customer who has aging equipment. You find a 12-year-old furnace. You mention it's nearing the end of its reliable life. That conversation converts to a replacement quote far more often than a cold call or a digital ad ever will.
Maintenance agreements aren't just recurring revenue. They're a pipeline into your most profitable work.
If you're doing tune-ups anyway, packaging them into annual plans is one of the highest-leverage things you can do for your business this year.