In San Antonio, you can expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $250+ for furnace maintenance (often referred to as a “tune-up” or “check-up”).
Now you’re probably wondering: “Why the difference in price?”
The following factors determine the price of a furnace tune-up:
- The quality of the contractor you hire
- What’s included in the contractor’s maintenance checklist
We’ll go into more detail about how both of these factors affect price, and how you can save money on furnace maintenance.
Factor #1: The Contractor You Hire
First of all, as a general rule, HVAC contractors that offer high-quality service also charge more for their services.
That said, a licensed and experienced contractor who takes the time to thoroughly inspect your furnace will save you money in the long run by keeping your system running smoothly.
You see, regular maintenance prevents breakdowns and expensive repairs, and ultimately extends the life of your furnace. Additionally, regular maintenance is necessary to uphold your warranty. If you don’t have yearly maintenance performed on your system, most manufacturers will not honor the warranty.
So don’t be scared away from a higher-priced contractor. Instead of only looking at price, you’ll want to verify that the contractor does high-quality work.
How do you do that?
To find a high-quality HVAC company, do these 2 things:
- Verify the company is licensed and insured: When a contractor is licensed, you’ll know the work being performed on your furnace meets local codes. And when a contractor is insured, you’ll be protected financially if there’s an accident on the job.
- Make sure the company has good customer reviews on sites like Google, Better Business Bureau, and Facebook. The more positive reviews, the more likely you’ll also have a good experience hiring the company.
- Look at their guarantees. If the company guarantees their work, you’ll know that they will stand behind their service.
After you confirm the contractor generally does good work, you’ll want to ask the contractor what they’ll cover during a maintenance checklist.
Factor #2: The Maintenance Checklist
According to ENERGY STAR, a tech should perform (at least) the following tasks during a typical furnace maintenance visit:
- Check thermostat settings
- Tighten all electrical connections
- Replace dirty filter
- Lubricate all moving parts
- Clear any clogs in the furnace condensate drain
- Test all furnace controls
- Verify that the gas pressure, burner combustion, and heat exchanger are all working properly
Note: You can see everything we do during a heating check-up on our maintenance page.
Before you hire the contractor to maintain your furnace, ask them what a tech will do during the maintenance visit. If they don’t offer at least these services, look at a different contractor.
Remember, the more components a tech checks and cleans, the better.
The Best Way to Save on Furnace Maintenance? Join a Maintenance Plan
Instead of only offering a one-time fee for a single furnace check-up, the best contractors will usually offer a maintenance plan to help homeowners save money in the long run and get worry-free scheduling.
A maintenance plan usually involves a monthly or annual fee that includes benefits like an annual furnace check-up and discounts on services.
For example, our Pro Plus Advantage plan offers benefits like:
- 2 HVAC system check-ups per year
- 1 whole-house plumbing check per year
- 10% discount on all repairs
- Priority scheduling
- Reduced dispatch fees for emergency service
- And much more
Visit our maintenance plan page to see a full list of benefits.