What a service call is worth
A service call — the diagnostic or trip fee — is what you charge to come out and diagnose the problem. It covers your drive, your time, and your expertise, whether or not the customer moves ahead with the repair. Across the trades it commonly runs around $80–$150, and it’s the single easiest fee for a new operator to give away by accident.
A common, fair move is to credit the diagnostic toward the repair if the customer approves the fix — so they don’t feel double-charged, and you still get paid for the trip if they don’t. In SideWRK you add the service call as its own line, then subtract it when the repair is approved, right on the estimate.
What you can use it for
Get paid for showing up
The trip and the diagnosis have value even if the customer passes on the repair. A service-call fee makes sure a “just come take a look” doesn’t cost you a half-day for free.
Credit it toward the repair
Show the diagnostic fee on the estimate, then credit it against the repair if they proceed. The customer feels the fairness and you never eat the trip.
Bill the drive on far jobs
For a job outside your normal area, add a trip charge or bill the travel and mileage so a long haul doesn’t erase the profit. See billable mileage for how that rides on the job.
Charge for after-hours
A 2 a.m. no-heat call or a weekend lockout is worth more than a Tuesday afternoon. An after-hours or emergency premium prices the inconvenience honestly.
Bench fees, pickup, and delivery
Shop trades run the same play under different names: a bench fee to put the mower or the generator on the table, and a pickup-and-delivery charge when you fetch it. Same rule as the trip fee — it’s work, it goes on the estimate as its own line.
How to charge a service call
- 1
Set your service-call fee
Decide your diagnostic or trip fee — often around $100 — for coming out and figuring out the problem.
- 2
Add it as its own line
On the job, add the service call as a line the customer sees, separate from the repair, so it reads clean.
- 3
Diagnose, then quote the repair
Once you know the fix, add the repair — flat-rate or by the hour plus parts — and send the estimate for approval.
- 4
Credit the fee if they proceed
If the customer approves the repair, subtract the service-call fee so it’s credited toward the work. If they don’t, you’re still paid for the trip.
- 5
Add travel or after-hours when it applies
For a far job, add a trip charge or bill the mileage. For a night or weekend call, add your after-hours premium.
Why the trip is not free
The fastest way to bleed money in a service trade is to treat the drive and the diagnosis as free. Every “can you just come look at it” is fuel, time, and know-how — and the operators who last charge for it. Crediting the fee toward the repair keeps it fair: the customer only really pays the diagnostic if they don’t hire you to fix it.
Charge it plainly and the customer respects it; it’s how every established shop works. Pair it with billable mileage for the long hauls and flat-rate repair pricing for the fix, and the whole call — from driveway to done — is priced like a pro.
Service calls — common questions
How much should a service call be?
It varies by trade and area, but a diagnostic or service-call fee commonly runs about $80–$150 — often around $100. Set yours to cover your drive, your time, and the expertise to diagnose the problem.
Should I credit the fee toward the repair?
Many pros do. Showing the diagnostic fee and then crediting it against the repair if the customer proceeds feels fair to them and still pays you for the trip if they don’t move ahead.
Can I bill for travel on a far job?
Yes. Add a trip charge or bill the travel time and mileage as its own line so a long drive doesn’t eat your profit. See the billable mileage page for how it attaches to the job.
What about after-hours or emergency calls?
Charge more for them. A night, weekend, or emergency call is worth an after-hours premium — add it as a line so the higher rate is clear on the estimate.
What’s a bench fee, and should I charge pickup and delivery?
A bench fee is the shop version of the diagnostic — what it costs to get the machine on the bench and figure it out, often credited toward the repair. If you pick up and drop off, that trip is a real cost too; add pickup and delivery as its own line so the estimate reads honest and you’re not driving for free.
Should I set a minimum charge?
Most pros do — a one- or two-hour minimum or a flat trip fee, so a ten-minute job still covers the drive and the setup. SideWRK lets you set a job minimum per trade, and it nudges you when a job you’re writing comes in under it.