Commercial HVAC and refrigeration maintenance contracts, explained.

A maintenance contract is only as good as its scope. Two proposals with the same visit count can differ by a factor of three in what the technician actually does on the roof, and the difference only shows up when a unit fails in July.

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This library covers the contract itself (scope, response terms, exclusions), the visit (what gets checked on rooftop units, split systems and refrigeration), the building types that need different programs, and the reporting that lets an owner or property manager prove the work happened.

Our programs are performed by our own technicians and documented asset by asset in the DaVinci Portal, so the visit history you read in a proposal review is the same record you will see after the first year.

Contract scope and terms

Commercial HVAC maintenance contract scope of workHow a commercial maintenance scope is built: equipment schedule, task lists by equipment type, visit frequency, exclusions, repair authorization and reporting.Maintenance contract terms, response times and exclusionsThe terms that decide how a commercial maintenance contract behaves in practice: response tiers, after-hours, parts, refrigerant, authorization, renewal and exclusions.How to compare commercial maintenance proposalsA practical method for lining up commercial HVAC and refrigeration maintenance proposals: what to match, red flags, questions to ask and a simple scoring approach.Planned vs reactive maintenance in commercial buildingsWhy planned maintenance changes the shape of failure, how condition-based approaches and asset age tracking work, where to start, and how budgets become predictable.

What a visit includes

Rooftop unit PM visit checklist, task by taskWhat a real rooftop unit maintenance visit covers, component by component, which readings get logged, and what a rushed visit quietly leaves out.Refrigeration PM for walk-ins, reach-ins and prep tablesA working PM list for commercial refrigeration: walk-in gaskets, coils, defrost and drains, reach-ins, prep tables, display cases, and the readings to log.A seasonal HVAC maintenance calendar for Southern CaliforniaA month-by-month and season-by-season maintenance table for commercial HVAC and refrigeration in Southern California, built around Santa Ana winds, heat, and coastal air.

By building type

Maintenance contracts for offices and property managersHow property managers should structure HVAC maintenance contracts: tenant complaints, after-hours access, many rooftop units, reporting to ownership, and capital planning.Maintenance contracts for restaurants and food serviceHow a restaurant maintenance contract should cover grease-laden rooftop units, walk-ins, ice machines, water heaters and make-up air, scheduled around service hours.Maintenance contracts for schools and public agenciesHow schools and public agencies buy HVAC maintenance: procurement, board approval, prevailing wage, summer windows, multi-year terms and audit-ready records.

Reporting and programs

Maintenance reporting and documentationWhat a good commercial HVAC service report contains, how asset records in the DaVinci Portal work, and how to use them for audits, insurers and capital planning.Multi-site and portfolio maintenance programsHow to run HVAC and refrigeration maintenance across many sites: standard scopes, routing, one point of contact, asset registries and consolidated reporting.

Performed by our own crew. No subcontractors.

The mechanical, refrigeration and controls work on our projects is done by our own UA Local 250 workforce. The people who price the job are the people who set the equipment, pipe it, charge it and start it up, so one team answers for every task in the scope. Rented equipment such as a crane truck is coordinated by us.

How self-performed work works

Common questions

What is the difference between a PM contract and a service agreement?

A preventive maintenance contract schedules inspections and cleaning on a fixed calendar. A service agreement usually adds response terms, discounted repair rates and priority dispatch. Many commercial programs combine both, and the proposal should say which parts are included labor and which are billed when they occur.

How often should commercial rooftop units be serviced?

Quarterly is the common standard for restaurants, medical offices and any site where downtime is expensive. Twice a year, ahead of cooling and heating seasons, suits lighter-duty offices and retail. Annual service is a minimum for documentation and a deep seasonal cleaning, not a substitute for filter changes.

What should I compare between maintenance proposals?

Visit frequency, the written task list per equipment type, who performs the work, what is excluded, response times, how repairs are authorized, and what documentation you receive after each visit. Price comparisons only mean something once those match.

Is the DaVinci Portal included?

Yes. Every maintenance program includes QR-coded asset records with service history, readings and photos in the DaVinci Portal.

Want a maintenance scope written for your site?

Send us the equipment list or a walkthrough request and we will return a written scope by equipment type, with visit frequency and documentation spelled out.

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