What is wrong? › Commercial HVAC
A fair maintenance contract names the visits, the tasks and the after-hours rate
DOE's maintenance research finds preventive maintenance saves 12 to 18 percent on average against reactive maintenance, and vendors price emergency repairs at about three times planned work.
What is probably happening
- Industry pricing for a 5 to 15 ton rooftop unit runs $300 to $600 a year for a basic plan and $800 to $1,500 for full coverage with parts and labor. A vendor with a broader range puts annual agreements at $1,000 to $10,000 or more depending on the building.
- A fair contract lists the visits (quarterly is the common recommendation), and for each: filters, coil cleaning, belts, electrical connections, refrigerant check, controls and thermostat, economizer, condensate drain, and a written report with readings.
- The parts of a contract that matter most are the ones nobody reads: the discounted after-hours rate, the response time, and whether parts are included or just labor.
- Some leases require you to hold a contract as a condition of the landlord covering replacement. Check.
Do this in the next five minutes
- List your equipment: each rooftop unit, split system, exhaust fan and walk-in, with tonnage and age. Contracts are priced per unit.
- Ask two or three contractors for a written scope per visit, not just a price.
- Ask for the after-hours labor rate and the guaranteed response time in the contract.
- Ask whether refrigerant, belts and filters are included or billed on top.
- Check the lease for any maintenance requirement and send the landlord a copy of the signed contract.
Do not
- Do not sign a contract that says 'inspect' without saying what gets done at each visit.
- Do not pay for full coverage on a unit that is already past 15 years without asking how the contractor treats a compressor failure.
- Do not let the contract auto-renew for multiple years without a cancellation clause.
Who to call
A licensed commercial HVAC contractor
The contractor who maintains the unit is the one who will answer the phone at 6 am in July. Pick for scope and response, not the lowest annual number.
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What it should cost
$300 to $600 basic, $800 to $1,500 full coverage, per rooftop unit per year
Maintenance plan pricing for a 5 to 15 ton rooftop unit, industry vendor (Oxmaint, February 2026); a second vendor (Harold Brothers, November 2025) puts annual agreements at $1,000 to $10,000 or more. Vendors, not neutral research
Source: Oxmaint pricing calculator, February 2026 (vendor); Harold Brothers, November 2025 (vendor). View source
National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the commercial hvac page.
Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out
Tap each one as you ask it.
- What exactly is done at each visit, and can I have that list in the contract?
- What is the after-hours rate under the contract, and the guaranteed response time?
- Are parts, refrigerant, belts and filters included, or billed on top?
- Will I get a written report with readings after every visit, including the economizer and drain?
- What is the cancellation clause?
End the call if
- A contract with no per-visit task list.
- No after-hours rate stated in writing.
- Auto-renewal with no way out.
Where this comes from
- US DOE / PNNL, O&M Best Practices, Maintenance Approaches
- Oxmaint, HVAC maintenance plan pricing calculator, February 2026 (vendor)
- Oxmaint, commercial HVAC maintenance cost 2026 (vendor)
- Harold Brothers, commercial HVAC preventative maintenance cost, November 2025 (vendor)
- NNN Triple Net, Handling HVAC Unit Expenses (industry guide)