The average cost of HVAC maintenance is $200, with prices ranging from $150 to $325 depending on the type of heating and cooling system. An HVAC repair technician might suggest services for your system.

Routine HVAC maintenance can help avoid costly HVAC repairs that can be a burden on your budget. Keeping your HVAC system tuned can also protect the comfort and peace of your home when outdoor temperatures are extreme.

Here is how you should be budgeting yearly HVAC maintenance costs to maintain your system and keep it running perfectly.

HVAC Maintenance Cost Factors

Your home’s architecture is as unique as your HVAC system. Combining a/c and heating is not a simple matter, and it’s size, design, etc will affect the cost of maintaining it.

Talking to an HVAC company in your area is the best way to discern what kind of maintenance schedule you’ll need for your home’s system. The prices we include in this guide are just for HVAC maintenance calls, not HVAC repair prices.

Unit Type

There are two main parts to an HVAC system: the heating and cooling unit. Your home could be outfitted with anything from a furnace and central AC, to a whole-house fan and a boiler. In another type of design, like that of a heat pump, one system also performs both functions. Every system has different vent work, thermostats and special functions to consider.

Maintenance Type

The types of HVAC maintenance There are two types of ways to interpret the types of HVAC maintenance: Routine Proactive When they inspect, they’ll check out some of the most common maintenance requirements of your HVAC system’s basics. Preventive maintenance is more comprehensive and serves to prevent larger repairs in the future. There are also instances when your HVAC pro will break the cost of an inspection and basic proactive maintenance down.

Routine Inspection

• Check your thermostat
• Verification of electrical continuity
• Test for carbon monoxide
• Check ignition and blower
• Air duct inspection
• Check the refrigerant level

Proactive Maintenance

• AC drain line flush
• Cleaning of the condensate pan
• Refrigerant leaks fixed
• Recharging with refrigerant, if necessary
• Clean heating elements
• Changing filters

Maintenance Contracts

Is buying an HVAC service contract worth the money? These contracts include annual tuneups and limited repairs, if the policy and the company agree.

Not only do they protect you should something catastrophic happen, but they can also help keep you honest if you’re tempted to just skip the maintenance visit altogether.

These deals start as low as $150 up to $300 per year. But this course of action isn’t always the one that will save you the most money, so price some HVAC maintenance in your area before making a commitment.

Labor

There are the various ways that an HVAC tech is going to charge you for labor. If they charge an hourly rate, you can expect to pay somewhere between $75 to $155 per hour, depending on the complexity of the service.

In most cases, they will charge a flat rate by service, like an inspection fee of $250 to $450 or charges based on the square footage of your home.

Location

Remember that where you live will determine where one of these ranges falls within the price spectrum. Prices can also vary based on:

• Local climate
• HVAC professional demand
• Access to your home
• Local tax rebates
• Time of Year

Your HVAC company will be able to charge more during peak months so it’s best to schedule your maintenance calls for their off-peak season when you can. Performing maintenance in the fall or spring is a good time because the summer and winter are when HVAC companies have the most demand.

And, when you tend to your maintenance before the hottest and coldest seasons of the year, you’ll give yourself a chance to make sure everything is running well and avoid any last minute hiccups.

How Often Should You Get Your Air Conditioner Serviced?

Book your HVAC maintenance every 6 months. That is once during the spring and again in the fall. For instance, if you have a cooling system, make sure to schedule a tune up in the spring before summer temperatures hit.

If you have a heating system, now is also a good time to schedule a tune up and set up another one in the fall before it gets cold. Pre-scheduling your service calls will help you remain comfortable.

You can use an HVAC maintenance checklist to perform DIY maintenance, such as by checking the system’s appearance and replacing the filter on a regular basis.

HVAC Maintenance Cost per Unit Type

Like we mentioned earlier, the costs of maintenance for your HVAC can differ greatly based on the design of your own system. All have parts that need to be maintained, repaired and/or changed out every so often.

Air Conditioner

A yearly AC tune-up typically costs anywhere from $50 to $250, depending on what type of unit and how large. And the majority of window and portable AC tune-ups are even things you can do yourself, for next to no money. An AC tune-up will include:

• Filter cleaning or replacing
• Cleaning of condensate lines
• Testing condensate drain aliments
• Inspecting the evaporator coil

If your air conditioner has been experiencing these problems, it should pass the inspection of your evaporator coil.

• Checking the thermostat
• Testing for an open in electrical connections
• Air duct block-rooms up leave it good to be cleaned

The following is an overview of why it is essential to have your air conditioner serviced annually.

Furnace

Before winter kicks into high gear, ask a heating specialist to inspect your furnace for anywhere between $95 and $320. This is especially important in the case of gas-fueled furnaces, when your HVAC tech also checks for gas leaks.

During the visit, they will:

• Test the thermostat
• Inspect the ignitor
• Look for rust or corroding
• Check the electrical connections
• Test the motor fan
• Check the heat exchanger
• Look at the gas valve

Mini-Split

An advantage of a mini-split is that ductwork isn’t required. Have zoned cooling to pay less for electricity usage and spend less on maintenance than the cost of replacing central air conditioning. A mini-split’s yearly HVAC maintenance is typically $350-$650 and covers:

• Lubricating motors
• Testing for proper airflow
• Tightening connections
• Unit cleaning

Heat Pump

From a maintenance standpoint, heat pump costs are cheaper in many ways than other systems.

Basic heat pump maintenance will cost anywhere from $85 to $175 a year, mostly just so a pro can make sure your electrical connections are good, your motor’s lubricated, your coils are clean and your ductwork is leak-free.

Split System

Split and Packaged HVAC Maintenance You can also think of HVAC maintenance costs divided by split versus package systems. The most common systems are split systems, which consist of a unit inside your home or business and the unit outside.

Because your heating and cooling systems are separate, they are also easier to keep an eye on. The annual cost of HVAC maintenance for split systems generally falls between $250 and $650.

Packaged Heating and Air

Packaged AC and heaters They are not the most common type of HVAC, but it’s the perfect situation for houses with limited space and moderate climates. Because everything is assembled in one system, it is more expensive to service. Plan to spend between $450 and $550 a year.

We’ve included a list of some typical HVAC repairs down below. The list isn’t all-inclusive, but it at least gives you some idea of what to plan for as your heating or cooling system gets older.

HVAC Maintenance Final Thoughts

Maintenance of the HVAC system is an expense we all resent, but if you pay it, it pays back, time after time. The longer your system lives the better you are, expense I mean. It is a very strong running system which will run and produce for many year to come.