Understanding your result
The headline is the cheaper annual cost, with which option it is and what the other costs in the sub-line. The bars compare the two. The stats give both totals and the difference. The table shows every line: the tune-ups needed, their cost paid as you go, filters, expected repairs, the plan fee, any visits the plan does not cover, the repairs after the plan’s discount, and both totals over ten years.
The comparison depends most on the tune-up price and the number of visits the plan covers. If the plan covers fewer visits than your systems need, the note says so; a plan that covers only the air conditioner leaves the furnace to pay for separately.
Filters come from the filter cost calculator, which schedules them for your household. The expected repairs are yours to estimate; the AC repair cost calculator gives typical prices of the common failures, and the lifespan and replacement planner shows when repairs give way to replacement. Running costs are separate and come from the HVAC running cost calculator.
How we calculate this
The tune-up price default of $250 sits in HomeAdvisor’s 2025 range of $175 to $350 and near Fixr’s 2025 average of $275; the plan default of $300 sits in Fixr’s 2025 range of $150 to $500 a year for service contracts. The repair discount of 15% and the expected repairs of $200 are typical figures and our defaults, set out so they can be checked and changed. The efficiency effects of maintenance (a dirty coil or filter raising running cost) are covered on the efficiency ratings table.
The assumptions behind the numbers
| Assumption | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Tune-up price | $250 | HomeAdvisor 2025 ($175 to $350); Fixr 2025 average $275 |
| Plan price | $300 a year | Fixr 2025 service contracts $150 to $500 a year |
| Visits included | 2 | Typical plan (spring and autumn) |
| Repair discount | 15% | Typical plans 10 to 20% |
| Expected repairs | $200 a year | Our default for systems 5 to 15 years old |
| Filters | $60 a year | 1 in MERV 8 changed every 90 days (filter cost calculator) |
Assumptions last reviewed October 8, 2026.
The calculator does not value priority service, peace of mind or warranty compliance, and it treats expected repairs as an average, while real repairs come in irregular, sometimes large, amounts. It does not include duct cleaning, which is only occasionally needed, or indoor air quality add-ons. The guide on repairing or replacing covers the point at which maintenance stops being enough, and the guide to MERV filters and airflow covers the part of maintenance you do yourself.
Two worked examples
A furnace and an air conditioner
Two systems, one tune-up each a year at $250, $60 of filters, $200 of expected repairs; a $300 plan covering two visits with 15% off repairs.
- Pay as you go: 2 × $250 + $60 + $200 = $760
- Plan: $300 + 0 extra visits + $60 + $200 × 0.85 = $530
- The plan is cheaper by $230 a year; $5,300 against $7,600 over ten years
The plan wins because it covers both visits for less than the price of two separate ones. If its visits were quick checks rather than full tune-ups, the comparison would be less flattering.
A heat pump with two visits a year
One heat pump, two tune-ups a year at $250, $60 of filters, $100 of expected repairs; a $180 plan covering two visits with 15% off.
- Pay as you go: 2 × $250 + $60 + $100 = $660
- Plan: $180 + $60 + $100 × 0.85 = $325
- The plan is cheaper by $335 a year
A heat pump runs all year and benefits from two visits, which makes a plan especially good value. Check that the plan’s two visits include both the heating and the cooling checks.
Where to find your inputs
Systems and visits. One visit a year for each furnace, air conditioner or boiler; two for a heat pump.
Tune-up price. From local contractors’ price lists; avoid promotional prices as the basis.
Plan terms. The plan’s annual price, the visits included and the discount, from its terms.
Expected repairs. Last few years’ repair bills averaged; or 1 to 2% of the equipment’s replacement cost a year.
Common mistakes
- Comparing a plan with a promotional tune-up price. Use the regular price.
- A plan that covers only one system. Count the visits you actually need.
- Skipping maintenance on a new system. Warranties often require it.
- Paying for filters in the plan you can buy cheaper. Check whether filters are included.
- Treating the tune-up as a sales visit. Ask what was checked and measured.
- Forgetting the filter between visits. It is the one job that cannot wait for the technician.
Questions people ask
- How much does an HVAC tune-up cost?
- HomeAdvisor's 2025 data puts normal HVAC maintenance at $175 to $350 a visit, about $250 typical, and Fixr's 2025 data gives an average of $275. Promotional tune-ups at $50 to $100 exist but are often brief checks used to find repair work. A thorough visit includes cleaning the outdoor coil, checking refrigerant and electrical components, testing the controls, cleaning the condensate drain, and for a furnace a combustion and safety check.
- Is an HVAC maintenance plan worth it?
- Often, if the plan includes the visits you need anyway. A plan at $150 to $500 a year (Fixr 2025) that covers a spring and an autumn tune-up for two systems, with a 10 to 20% repair discount, usually costs less than paying for the two visits separately at $250 each. It costs more if it covers fewer visits than you need, or if its visits are quick checks. Priority service in a heatwave is a benefit the arithmetic does not count.
- How often should an HVAC system be serviced?
- Once a year for each system, the air conditioner in spring and the furnace in autumn. A heat pump, which works all year, benefits from two visits. Manufacturers' warranties often require annual professional maintenance; keep the receipts. Filters are changed more often, every one to six months depending on the filter and the household, which the filter cost calculator schedules.
- What does a maintenance plan usually include?
- One or two tune-ups a year for each system, a discount of 10 to 20% on repairs and parts, waived or reduced service-call fees, priority scheduling, and sometimes filters. Some plans include a guarantee that the visit fee is credited against a repair. Read what the tune-up covers; a plan with two thorough visits is worth more than one with four quick ones.
- How much should I budget for HVAC maintenance and repairs a year?
- For a house with a furnace and an air conditioner, about $500 to $800 a year is a reasonable budget for tune-ups, filters and small repairs paid as you go, less with a good plan. A common rule for the equipment itself is to set aside 1 to 2% of its replacement cost a year for repairs; older systems need more. The calculator's expected-repairs figure is yours to set.
- Does maintenance really extend the life of an HVAC system?
- Clean coils, a correct refrigerant charge, tight electrical connections and a clean filter keep a system running near its rated efficiency and reduce the stress that causes compressor and motor failures. ENERGY STAR notes that a dirty filter alone can make a system work harder and wear faster. Maintenance cannot fix a system that was sized or installed badly, but it is the cheapest way to keep a good one going.