What Are Trip Charges and Diagnostic Fees?

When you want heating, air conditioning or plumbing services from Levy & Son Service Experts, you will pay for the trip charge and a diagnostic fee individually. Many companies you’ve called in the past may have combined the trip charge and diagnostic fee, but we feel we can offer you better value by keeping them separate.

What Is a Trip Charge?

A trip charge handles the cost for a qualified plumber or HVAC technician to stop by your home. Sometimes called a service call fee, this cost is the initial rate for sending our technicians, equipment and expertise to your door. If you want to cut out the trip charges in the future, you can explore joining one of our membership plans.

What Is a Diagnostic Fee?

The diagnostic fee pays for the services required to locate the root of a problem. With plumbing, this can be comprised of scoping. In HVAC repairs, it could involve taking a look at the inside of your system. If you prefer to use Levy & Son Service Experts for the repairs, the diagnostic fee will be rolled into the repair bill. However, you will be charged for the diagnostic services alone if you do not.

What Are the Differences Between a Trip Fee and a Diagnostic Fee

In most cases, a trip fee includes sending the plumber or HVAC technician to your home, while the diagnostic fee addresses all the work concerned with assessing the problem and coming up with a plan for repairs. If you pay for repairs, you won’t even notice the diagnostic fee as it's absorbed into the cost of the repairs.

Why Are Diagnostic Fees and Trip Charges Billed Individually?

Other plumbers and HVAC companies will charge one single fee for both the trip and the diagnostics. Rather than charging you for two services together, we opt for two separate fees. This enables us to price our services in the fairest possible manner.