What Are Trip Charges and Diagnostic Fees?

When you are looking for heating, cooling or plumbing services from Wesley Wood Service Experts, you will pay a trip charge and a diagnostic fee individually. Some companies you’ve called in the past most likely combined the trip charge and diagnostic fee, but we feel we can offer you greater value by separating the two.

What Is a Trip Charge?

A trip charge handles the cost for a licensed plumber or HVAC technician to visit your home. Sometimes called a service call fee, this charge is the initial rate for bringing our technicians, equipment and expertise to your front door. If you want to avoid trip charges in the future, you can look into joining one of our membership plans.

What Is a Diagnostic Fee?

The diagnostic fee pays for the services needed to locate the source of a problem. In plumbing, this can include scoping. For HVAC repairs, it may involve inspecting the inside of your system. If you elect to use Wesley Wood Service Experts for your repairs, the diagnostic fee would be rolled into the repair costs. That said, you're charged for the diagnostic services alone if you don't.

What Is the Difference Between a Trip Fee and a Diagnostic Fee

In most cases, a trip fee includes sending the plumber or HVAC technician to your property, while the diagnostic fee covers all the work involved in assessing the issue and coming up with a plan for repairs. If you pay for repairs, you won't notice the diagnostic fee because it's rolled into the cost of the repairs.

Why Are Diagnostic Fees and Trip Charges Billed Separately?

Some other plumbers and HVAC companies are going to charge one fee for both the trip and the diagnostics. Instead of charging you for two services at once, we prefer two individual fees. This enables us to price our services in the fairest available manner.