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# How to Create an HVAC Maintenance Agreement
An agreement does two jobs. It sells a relationship, and it defines exactly what that relationship includes.
Most are built for the first job. The second only matters on the day a customer says "I thought that was covered" — and on that day, it matters a great deal.
The twelve sections
| # | Section | What it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Company details and licence number | Legitimacy questions; required in many jurisdictions |
| 2 | Agreement number and dates | "Which version did I sign?" |
| 3 | Customer and billing contact | Billing the tenant when the landlord pays |
| 4 | Service address, if different | Servicing the wrong property |
| 5 | Covered equipment, by serial | The single largest source of dispute |
| 6 | Visits included, and when | "I thought it was quarterly" |
| 7 | What a visit includes | Where maintenance ends and repair begins |
| 8 | Benefits and discounts | Vague promises you have to honour |
| 9 | Exclusions | Everything you did not intend to cover |
| 10 | Price, billing frequency and terms | Payment disputes |
| 11 | Cancellation, transfer and renewal | What happens mid-term or on sale |
| 12 | Acceptance | A provable yes |
The four that carry the most weight
Covered equipment, by serial number
Not "the HVAC system". Make, model, serial, location.
Covered equipment
3-ton Carrier 24ABC636A003, serial CA-4471902, condenser, side of house
Carrier 59SC5A080E17 furnace, serial CF-2280514, utility closet
Systems not listed above are not covered by this agreement.
That last sentence is what stops a customer assuming the mini split in the garage is included. A property with three systems and an agreement covering two needs the two named.
What a visit actually includes
The boundary between maintenance and repair is where most disagreements live. Be specific about both sides:
Each visit includes: inspection and testing of all listed equipment, standard filter replacement, condensate drain check and clearing, electrical connection inspection, capacitor and amp-draw readings, refrigerant performance check, coil inspection, blower inspection, thermostat operation, and safety control testing. A written report follows each visit.
Each visit does not include: repair or replacement of any component, refrigerant beyond a top-up allowance, duct cleaning or sealing, filter sizes other than standard 1" pleated, or work on equipment not listed above.
Exclusions
The section that protects you most, and the one most often left out.
Not included: any repair or replacement of parts; refrigerant beyond the allowance stated; ductwork repair, replacement, cleaning or sealing; electrical work beyond the equipment connections; correction of pre-existing code issues; damage from lack of maintenance prior to this agreement, misuse, flood, fire or power surge; equipment not listed above; emergency call-outs outside the response terms described.
Cancellation, transfer and renewal
Three things customers ask about and few agreements answer.
Cancellation. Either party may cancel with 30 days' written notice. If visits have been delivered, a pro-rata refund is calculated against visits remaining, less any discount already applied to repair work during the term.
Transfer. This agreement transfers to a new owner of the property on written notice, for the remainder of the term.
Renewal. We will contact you before the end date. This agreement does not renew automatically unless you have separately agreed to recurring billing.
That last clause deserves attention. Automatic renewal is regulated in many places, sometimes with specific notice requirements and cancellation rights. If you intend to auto-renew, have that clause specifically reviewed where you operate.
A complete worked example
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
SUMMIT COMFORT HEATING & AIR MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT
4100 Kestrel Industrial Pk MA-1184
(555) 0134-8800 Term: 12 months
License #MC-448120 14 Mar 2026 — 14 Mar 2027
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CUSTOMER SERVICE ADDRESS
John Smith 812 Larkspur Ln
(555) 0197-4410 Fairmont Valley, CO
john.smith@example.com Access: gate code 4417
PLAN Plus
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
COVERED EQUIPMENT
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Central AC Carrier 24ABC636A003 S/N CA-4471902
3 ton · side of house · installed 05/2011
Furnace Carrier 59SC5A080E17 S/N CF-2280514
80,000 BTU · utility closet · installed 05/2011
Systems not listed above are not covered by this agreement.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
INCLUDED
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
· 2 maintenance visits per term — normally spring and autumn
· Priority scheduling ahead of non-member requests
· Standard 1" pleated filter supplied at each visit
· Written condition report after each visit
· Reduced diagnostic fee — $49 instead of $89
· 15% discount on repair labour and parts during the term
Visits must be taken within the term. Unused visits do not
carry over and are not refundable except as set out under
Cancellation below.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
EACH VISIT INCLUDES
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Inspection and testing of listed equipment · filter
replacement · condensate drain check and clearing ·
electrical connections and amp draw · capacitor readings ·
refrigerant performance check · coil inspection · blower
inspection · thermostat operation · safety control testing ·
written report
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
NOT INCLUDED
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Repair or replacement of any component; refrigerant beyond
1 lb per term; ductwork repair, replacement, cleaning or
sealing; electrical work beyond equipment connections;
correction of pre-existing code issues; damage from misuse,
flood, fire or power surge; equipment not listed above.
Any of the above will be quoted separately, with the member
discount applied.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PRICE AND BILLING
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Annual price $299.00
Billing Annual, in advance
Monthly option available at
$26.58 by card on file
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CANCELLATION, TRANSFER, RENEWAL
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Cancellation: either party, 30 days' written notice.
Pro-rata refund against visits remaining, less discounts
already applied during the term.
Transfer: transfers to a new owner of the property on
written notice, for the remainder of the term.
Renewal: we will contact you before the end date. This
agreement does not renew automatically.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ACCEPTANCE
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
I accept the plan, the covered equipment and the terms
described above.
Signature: ____________________ Date: ____________
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
See this as a customer-facing document → Open any agreement in the demo and press View agreement.
Getting it consistent
Twelve sections is more than anyone reproduces by hand, which is why agreements written individually are always missing three of them — and usually the exclusions.
What makes it reliable is the plan being defined once, centrally: the visits, the benefits, the discount and the terms live on the plan, and building an agreement means selecting a plan and naming the equipment. Nobody retypes the exclusions, so nobody forgets them.
Build a plan in the demo → Set the visits, pick the benefits, write the terms — and watch what it costs you to deliver update as you go.
The legal note, again
Agreement terms, automatic renewal, cancellation rights and consumer-protection requirements vary by jurisdiction. Have your templates reviewed by an attorney licensed where you operate. This article is a starting point, not legal advice.
Related
- HVAC Maintenance Agreement Software →
- Maintenance Agreement vs Service Agreement →
- The Contractor's Agreement Checklist →
- How Much Should It Cost? →
Want your plan documents generated from one definition rather than a folder of PDFs? Talk to BDEVY →
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