If your furnace quit in January or your AC stopped cooling in the middle of a July heat wave, you're probably wondering what happens when you call an HVAC company — and what you're actually paying for. It's a fair question, and the answer shouldn't be a mystery.
Here's a straightforward look at what a service call includes, what it costs, how long it takes, and how to prepare so you get the most out of the visit — with no surprises and no pressure.
What a Service Call Actually Covers
A service call is a diagnostic visit. The technician comes to your home, inspects the system, figures out what's wrong, and explains your options. It is not a repair — it's the diagnosis that tells you whether a repair is needed and what it would cost.
At Lolich, our service call fee is $125. That covers the trip to your home and the time it takes to diagnose the problem. Here's what happens during that visit:
Conversation about the symptom
Before touching anything, the tech asks what you've noticed — strange noises, uneven temperatures, a system that won't start, higher bills. Your observations narrow down the problem faster than you'd think.
Visual and hands-on inspection
The tech checks the thermostat, air filter, indoor unit, outdoor condenser, electrical connections, and (for furnaces) the flue and gas connections. For cooling issues, they verify refrigerant levels and coil condition.
Testing the system under normal operation
The system is run through a cycle to see how it actually behaves — not just how it looks sitting still. This catches intermittent issues that a static inspection can miss.
A clear explanation of what's wrong
Once the cause is identified, the tech explains it in plain language — what failed, why it likely failed, and what the options are. You should understand the problem before anyone talks price.
An upfront quote for the repair
If a repair is needed, you get a straight price before any work begins. No starting the work and adding charges after. If the fix is something simple — a tripped breaker, a clogged filter, a thermostat setting — you're told that too.
One thing that's different here: if you decide to move forward with a repair, the $125 service call fee is applied toward the cost of that repair. You're not paying for diagnosis twice. And if the honest answer is that you don't need a repair — or that the system just needs a filter change you can do yourself — that's what you're told.
How Long a Service Call Takes
Most diagnostic visits take 45 minutes to an hour and a half. A straightforward issue — a bad capacitor, a clogged drain, a tripped float switch — can be diagnosed in 30–45 minutes. Something more involved, like tracking down an intermittent electrical fault or a refrigerant leak, can take longer.
For emergency calls in the St. Louis area, our typical response time is about an hour. We don't put you on a schedule three days out when your house is 85 degrees inside or the furnace isn't running in January.
How to Prepare So the Visit Goes Smoothly
A little preparation before the tech arrives helps the visit move faster and makes sure you get a complete picture — not just a guess based on partial information.
- Make sure the system is accessible. Clear a path to the indoor unit and the outdoor condenser. Move boxes, furniture, or yard debris away. A tech shouldn't have to spend 15 minutes clearing space before they can start.
- Write down what you've noticed. When did it start? What sounds or smells? Which rooms are affected? Any error codes on the thermostat? Specific details point the tech in the right direction faster.
- Know your system's age and history. If you know when it was installed and what repairs have been done, tell the tech. It changes how they think about repair vs. replacement.
- Check the basics first. Make sure the thermostat is set correctly, the breaker isn't tripped, and the air filter isn't completely clogged. It's not uncommon for a "broken" system to just have a dirty filter or a switched-off thermostat.
- Be present for the explanation. The diagnosis is the most valuable part of the visit. Being there to hear it and ask questions means you walk away understanding your system — not just waiting for a bill.
What a Service Call Does Not Include
It's worth being clear about this too. A standard service call is a diagnostic visit for a system that isn't working right. It is not:
- A full system tune-up or seasonal maintenance — that's a separate, more thorough visit covering cleaning, calibration, and component checks across the whole system.
- A free estimate for a full system replacement — for new equipment, we come out and assess your home, your ductwork, and your load to put together an honest proposal.
- A warranty on future breakdowns — a service call fixes or diagnoses what's wrong now; it doesn't guarantee something else won't fail next month.
If you're not sure which one you need — a service call or something else — just call and describe what's going on. We'll point you to the right visit so you're not paying for the wrong thing.
When to Call vs. When to Check First
Not every problem needs a service call, and we'd rather you check a couple of things first than pay for a visit that ends with us flipping a breaker back on. Before you call, check:
Thermostat settings and batteries
Make sure it's set to heat or cool (not just "on"), the temperature is set correctly, and the batteries aren't dead. A surprising number of service calls start here.
Breakers and disconnect switches
Check the breaker panel and any outdoor disconnect switch near the condenser. A tripped breaker is a free fix.
Air filter
A completely clogged filter can stop airflow entirely, freeze an AC coil, or trip a furnace's high-limit switch. Swap it and see if the system recovers.
Vents and registers
Make sure supply and return vents aren't blocked or closed. Restricted airflow causes all kinds of symptoms that look like equipment failure.
If you've checked those and the system still isn't working — or you're hearing grinding, smell gas, or see ice on the coils — it's time to call. Don't keep restarting a system that's short-cycling or making unusual noises; that can turn a small repair into a major one.
Need a service call in the St. Louis area?
Lolich Heating & Cooling has been servicing furnaces, AC units, and heat pumps in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, and the City of St. Louis since 2010. Same-day emergency response, straightforward pricing, and an honest diagnosis — whether that means a $20 part or a system replacement. No upselling, no pressure.