A commercial HVAC maintenance scope is a written structure with six parts: an equipment schedule, a task list for each equipment type, a visit frequency for each group, a clear list of exclusions, a rule for how repairs get authorized, and a reporting commitment. If any part is vague, the contract will be argued about on the first bad day. Write all six down before the first visit.
- The equipment schedule is the foundation. Every unit you expect to be serviced should be listed by tag, location and type, or it is not covered.
- Task lists belong to equipment types, not to the contract as a whole. A rooftop unit, a walk-in and a boiler each need their own list.
- Visit frequency should follow duty cycle and exposure, so one contract often carries several frequencies.
- Exclusions are as important as inclusions. Name what is not covered, and say what happens when something outside the list needs attention.
- Repair authorization and reporting are scope items, not afterthoughts. They decide how fast problems get fixed and what you can prove later.
What the scope is actually for
A maintenance contract can be two pages or twenty, but its job is the same: to settle, before anything goes wrong, who does what, to which equipment, how often, and what happens when a visit turns up a problem. Most disputes in maintenance relationships trace back to a scope that assumed something rather than stated it. "I thought that included the walk-in" is a sentence that should never be possible.
This page covers the master structure. For the terms that surround it, see maintenance contract terms, response times and exclusions. For how to build the program behind the scope, the preventive maintenance program guide walks through inventory, frequency and measurement.
The skeleton, in order
Whatever format the contractor uses, a complete scope covers these items in roughly this order. Use it as a checklist against any proposal or draft you are handed.
- Parties, sites and service period. Who the Owner and Contractor are, which addresses are covered, and when the service period starts and ends.
- Equipment schedule. A numbered list of every covered asset with tag, make, model, serial number where known, location and what it serves.
- Task lists by equipment type. What is done on each visit for each type of equipment, written as actions rather than adjectives.
- Visit frequency and scheduling. How many visits per year for each equipment group, in which months or seasons, and how access and timing are arranged.
- Included materials and consumables. What the visit price covers, typically filters, belts and cleaning materials, and what is billed separately.
- Findings and repair authorization. How problems found during a visit are reported, quoted and approved before work proceeds.
- Service calls between visits. How unscheduled calls are handled, with response tiers defined in the terms section.
- Exclusions. Equipment, conditions and trades that are not covered.
- Reporting and records. What you receive after each visit, how quickly, and in what form.
- Owner responsibilities. Access, safe roof and mechanical room conditions, and notice of equipment changes.
The equipment schedule is the contract
If a unit is not on the schedule, assume it is not covered. That sounds obvious until a tenant improvement adds two split systems, or a restaurant swaps a reach-in and nobody tells the contractor. Build the schedule from a walk of the property, not from memory, and attach it to the contract as a living exhibit.
- Assign each asset a tag that matches what is physically on the unit or its location map.
- Record type, manufacturer, model and serial number. A photo of the data plate beats typed numbers every time.
- Note location in terms a technician can follow: building, roof section, ceiling space, mechanical room, suite.
- Record what the equipment serves, so priority is clear when two units fail on the same day.
- Add a line for refrigerant type where it applies, since refrigerant handling affects scope and compliance.
With the DaVinci Portal, each scheduled asset gets a QR-coded record, so the schedule in the contract and the record on the roof are the same list. When equipment is added or removed, the schedule is updated in one place.
Contractor will service the equipment listed in Exhibit A, Equipment Schedule, at the sites and frequencies stated in this agreement. Equipment not listed in Exhibit A is not included unless added by written amendment. Owner will notify Contractor in writing when covered equipment is added, replaced or removed.
Task lists by equipment type
A task list is a list of things a technician physically does. "Inspect unit" is not a task. "Measure supply and return temperature, record compressor amp draw, inspect condensate drain and clear if restricted" is. Ask for the lists by equipment type and read them as if you were checking a technician's work after the fact.
Rooftop units and split systems
- Replace or clean filters to the stated schedule and note the filter size and type.
- Inspect and clean condenser and evaporator coils as conditions require, with the method stated.
- Check belts, pulleys, bearings and motors; measure and record motor current.
- Inspect and clear the condensate drain and pan.
- Check refrigerant circuit operation by pressures and temperatures, and record readings.
- Test thermostat or controller operation, economizer movement and safeties.
- Inspect electrical connections visually and record anything found loose, burned or damaged.
Walk-in and reach-in refrigeration
- Clean condenser coils and verify airflow across them.
- Inspect evaporator coil, fan motors, drain line and defrost operation.
- Check door gaskets, hinges, heaters and closers.
- Record box temperature, suction and discharge readings and defrost termination.
- Check thermostat or controller settings against the stated setpoints.
Boilers, water heaters and hydronic systems
- Inspect burners, ignition and flame signal, and verify safety controls operate.
- Check venting, combustion air and visible leaks.
- Test relief valves and low-water cutoffs where applicable, within what is safe on the day.
- Record water temperatures, pump operation and any water quality observations.
Ice machines, exhaust and make-up air
- Ice machines: clean and sanitize per the manufacturer's procedure, inspect water filtration, check production and harvest cycle.
- Exhaust and make-up air fans: inspect belts, bearings and motors, check airflow indication and verify interlocks.
- Note that hood and duct cleaning is a separate specialty. If you need it, the scope should say who provides it.
Equipment-specific checklists are covered in detail in sibling pages such as the rooftop unit PM visit checklist and refrigeration PM for walk-ins, reach-ins and prep tables.
Frequency, scheduling and access
Frequency belongs to equipment groups. A kitchen rooftop unit that sees grease-laden air and long operating hours is not on the same schedule as a lightly loaded split in a conference room. A single contract commonly carries more than one frequency, and the schedule should show which group sits where.
State the window in which visits happen, not just the count. A visit "each quarter" is easy to satisfy on the last day of the quarter. Better is a named month or season, which also lets you align maintenance with weather, school calendars or retail peaks. The seasonal maintenance calendar for Southern California shows how sites commonly stage this.
Scheduling and access deserve a few lines of their own: who provides roof access, whether keys, badges or escorts are required, what notice is given, and what happens if a visit cannot be completed because access was not available.