An HVAC shop prices three different businesses under one roof: service calls that are mostly diagnosis, maintenance visits that are mostly routine, and replacements where equipment is most of the ticket. Each needs its own method. This guide covers all three, starting from what an hour of your tech's time really costs.
- Set one loaded labor rate and build every price from it: diagnostic fee, flat rate repairs, tune-ups and installs.
- Fixr puts HVAC maintenance at $150 to $350, around $275 on average, and HVAC service labor at $75 to $150 an hour.
- A new central AC averages about $6,000 in Fixr's guide, with most paying $5,000 to $12,000. Furnace replacement runs $2,800 to $7,500.
- Maintenance agreements smooth out the shoulder months. Price them from the visits they include.
Start with your labor rate
Start with the wage. The closest group the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes is heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers. In its May 2025 wage survey, that group's national mean wage was $31.14 an hour and the median was $29.33 (BLS OEWS 49-9021).
Add your labor burden on top: payroll taxes, workers' comp and any paid time off. If burden in your state comes to 22% of wages, a $30 an hour tech costs you $36.60 an hour. That loaded number is what goes into the job cost.
Then add the hours you pay for but cannot bill: drive time, training, callbacks and the slow days. The free HVAC labor rate calculator turns your pay, burden, overhead and billable hours into the hourly rate your prices need.
For a market check, Fixr lists HVAC service at $75 to $150 an hour in most cases, and notes most techs charge flat rates for standard maintenance (Fixr).
Price service calls and repairs
Charge a diagnostic or trip fee that covers the drive and the first stretch of troubleshooting, then quote the repair as a flat price before you start. A flat rate price is your average time for that repair x your rate, plus the part with your markup. Customers approve faster when the number is fixed, and you are paid for knowing the fix.
Keep a short list: capacitor, contactor, igniter, flame sensor, blower motor, refrigerant top-off by the pound, condensate line clearing. Time each a few times and set the price.
Published HVAC prices
| Job | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| HVAC maintenance visit | $150 to $350, average $275 | Fixr |
| HVAC service labor | $75 to $150 an hour | Fixr |
| Replacement | ||
| New central AC, typical | $5,000 to $12,000, average $6,000 | Fixr |
| AC install labor only | $500 to $2,500 | Fixr |
| Furnace replacement | $2,800 to $7,500, average $4,800 | Fixr |
Fixr's AC figure is for a 3-ton central system, the common size for an average home. Your price will move with tonnage, efficiency, line set and electrical work, so use the band as a check, not a target.
A worked example: a tune-up price
Every input is an assumption for the example.
- Time: 1 hour on site plus 0.5 hours of drive = 1.5 hours
- Loaded labor: 1.5 x $36.60 = $54.90
- Filter, coil cleaner and small parts: $18
- Drive: 18 miles x $0.76 = $13.68
- Direct cost: $54.90 + $18 + $13.68 = $86.58
- Overhead plus profit: 25% + 15% = 40% of the price
- Price: $86.58 / 0.60 = $144
That sits just under Fixr's $150 to $350 band. A low tune-up price can be a choice, to keep the customer and find repair work, but make it a choice: if your real drive time or overhead share is higher than the example, your price should be too. If your tune-up runs longer, your price should too.
Price a maintenance agreement
A plan is two tune-ups a year, priority booking and a small repair discount, billed monthly or yearly. Price it as the cost of the visits plus what the discount and priority cost you, then decide what share of margin you will give up for a customer who stays.
On the Front Office plan, Koira sells maintenance plans on your site and on every invoice, bills them on the card on file and books each visit when it is due. The free maintenance plan pricing calculator works out a monthly price from your own visits.
Price replacements with three options
Replacement customers compare. Give them a choice: a standard efficiency system, a higher efficiency system and the higher efficiency system with an extended labor warranty or a smart thermostat. Koira's estimates send all three from your price list, take the deposit when they sign and offer pay over time on the pay page.
Before the busy season, campaigns on Grow send tune-up reminders to last year's customers with one tap to book.
Common HVAC pricing mistakes
- Free diagnostics. Troubleshooting is the skilled part. Charge for it, and credit it to the repair if you like.
- Hourly repairs. Customers fear the clock. A flat price wins more approvals.
- Plans priced below the visit cost. A plan that loses money on every visit is not a plan.
- Same price all year. Your costs per job rise in the peak. Make sure your rate covers overtime weeks.
Questions contractors ask
How much should I charge for an HVAC service call?
Enough to cover the drive and the first part of diagnosis at your loaded rate. Fixr lists HVAC service at $75 to $150 an hour in most cases.
How much should a tune-up cost?
Build it from your time, parts and drive. Fixr puts HVAC maintenance at $150 to $350, with an average of $275.
How do I price an AC replacement?
Equipment at your cost plus markup, labor hours at your rate, line set, electrical, permit and disposal. Fixr's average for a new central AC is about $6,000, with most paying $5,000 to $12,000.
Should I use flat rate pricing?
For repairs you know, yes. Time each repair, price it once and quote it up front.
