Do You Tip HVAC Installers & Repairmen? Find Out Here!
One of the most common questions we get from our readers is whether or not they should tip their HVAC installer or repairman. While you don’t interact much with them beyond the installation process, they provide a personal service that makes your house comfortable again. So, do you tip HVAC installers and repairmen?
Introduction
For many homeowners, heating and cooling systems are mysterious black boxes. The average homeowner doesn’t know how to repair or maintain a furnace or air conditioner and only knows what they learned from Google or their parents. It’s tempting to go the DIY route to save money, but HVAC systems require professional care.
That’s where HVAC professionals who specialize in heating and air conditioning installation and repairs come in. Although they are often costly, HVAC contractors offer to solve your heating or cooling problems quickly.
Air conditioning installation and repair professionals provide excellent service. However, tipping is not required or expected. If you decide to offer a tip for good service, it’s entirely up to you.
Did you know? HVAC is an acronym that stands for “Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning,” which is, of course, a play on words. The ‘H’ represents heating, ‘V’ represents ventilation, and ‘A’ represents air conditioning. Interestingly enough, the acronym was not created by an HVAC technician or installer but rather a journalist. HVAC professionals specialize in heating and air conditioning installation and repairs.
Answered: Do You Tip HVAC Installers?
In the United States, it is not customary to tip your HVAC installer, and they won’t expect a tip, either. While tips are not given with much frequency, they are appreciated. If you want to show your gratitude by leaving a tip, feel free to do so but keep in mind that many companies have a no-tipping policy.
HVAC installers earn an average of $27.55 per hour, which is why tipping etiquette does not call for leaving them a tip. However, if you do want to leave a tip for a great job, chances are they will appreciate it.
Providing cold water bottles is a great, courteous idea, as is offering them a breakfast sandwich and a coffee before heading on to their next job early in the morning. HVAC installers also appreciate being allowed to use your bathroom, which helps the job go faster.
Do You Tip AC Installers?
No, you don’t need to tip your AC installer. Your installers specialize in installing air conditioning systems, and tips aren’t customary in their industry. They won’t expect a bonus because it’s not normal to tip them. That said, tips are always appreciated.
Since many AC companies have a ‘no tipping’ policy, consider giving them a cool drink instead of a monetary tip. If it’s hot enough to need a new central air AC system installed, it’s even hotter when they’re working in the crawlspace and attic for an extended period.
How Much Do HVAC and AC Installers Make?
Are you looking for guidance on whether or not to tip HVAC your service tech? HVAC installation and repair technicians make an average of $53,410 per year, which is above minimum wage. The average hourly wage for HVAC installers is $26, higher than the average hourly pay scale for other installation, maintenance, and repair workers who make an hourly rate of $21.35 per hour. This isn’t surprising since it’s an in-demand industry with customers willing to pay top dollar to get them out of a heating or cooling indoor air bind!
Should You Tip Your HVAC Repairman?
No, you don’t need to tip your HVAC repairman. While it isn’t customary to tip your HVAC repair guy for fixing your air conditioning and heating system, leaving a cold drink in the summer and coffee in the winter is always appreciated. While your repair person is used to working under challenging conditions, that doesn’t mean it’s comfortable to be working while drenched by cold water from the rain or sizzling above in your attic!
Should You Tip The AC Repairman?
No, you don’t need to tip AC maintenance specialists. Customers can leave a tip for excellent customer service, but it is an uncommon occurrence as it is not customary to tip them.
Instead of leaving a cash tip, consider giving your AC repairman a cool drink instead. Drinks are the ‘tip’ that a lot leave for their repairmen.
When the thermostat is hot inside your home, it’s even hotter where they’re working. For example, if you’re having problems with your evaporator coils in your attic air handler, keep in mind that it’s scorching hot up there in the summer!
The One Exception To The Rule
If your HVAC repairmen or installation technicians offered excellent service in an emergency after regular work hours or worked in extreme heat or cold, you might want to leave a tip.
Emergency Repairs: While the cost of emergency service to your furnace, ac, or heat pump is built into the fee that you’re paying, that’s not the whole story. Although an HVAC installer has to work after hours if the business owner requires it, the extra charges you pay aren’t usually passed onto them.
Extreme Heat Or Cold: If your HVAC installers or repairmen worked in extreme heat or cold to get your HVAC system up and running, consider leaving a tip. Working in an attic or crawlspace on a hot day is hard work.
In both cases, you can tip the guys $20 per person for an excellent job during odd hours or a heatwave.
While many HVAC contractors have a policy against tipping HVAC workers, you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable offering them a tip. They’ll let you know if they can accept tips.
Money-Saving Tip: To avoid spending a fortune on an out-of-hours service call, consider signing up for an HVAC maintenance service agreement. The best ones offer twice yearly servicing included in the cost with discounted rates for emergency repairs.
Key Takeaways
HVAC installers and repairmen provide an essential service that makes your house liveable again. No one likes to have a hot or cold home! That said, tipping is not customary or expected for HVAC or air conditioning service workers. While tips are not given with any regularity, they are appreciated.
If you decide to offer a tip for good service, how much you leave is entirely up to you. If you want to leave a little something, consider giving your workers cold drinks in the summer or a coffee with cookies in the winter.