Discussion
Added a membership plan to my HVAC business — results after 6 months
DanTheOperator✓March 21, 2026
Six months ago I launched an HVAC maintenance membership plan. Sharing the real numbers because I think a lot of people are curious about these.
The plan:
- $19/month or $199/year
- Includes: 2 tune-ups per year (spring AC, fall furnace), 15% off all repairs, priority scheduling (guaranteed next-day), no diagnostic fee (normally $89)
Economics:
- Cost of 2 tune-ups: ~$120 in tech time
- Average member spends an additional $340/year on repairs (vs $180 for non-members)
- Net margin per member: roughly $120-150/year after fulfillment
Numbers after 6 months:
- 203 members
- MRR: $3,857
- Average member lifetime: still early but projecting 2.5+ years based on current retention
- 74% of members have booked at least one paid repair (this is the real money)
What surprised me:
- Members call for repairs they would have ignored as non-members. "Well I have the membership so might as well get it checked out." This is pure upside.
- Spring tune-up season was fully booked 3 weeks out — members first, then everyone else. Creates urgency for non-members to join.
- Cancellation calls are rare. When they do call, offering one free month retention saves about 40% of them.
The membership doesn't replace the core business. It amplifies it.
3 replies27 views
Replies (4)
GarageDoorMan✓just now
The diagnostic fee waiver is genius. That $89 fee is the biggest barrier to people calling in the first place. Removing it for members means they call for everything, and half the time it turns into a paid repair. You're basically buying leads for the cost of a truck roll.
BookkeeperBee✓just now
From a bookkeeping perspective, make sure you're recording the membership revenue correctly. The annual plan is deferred revenue — you can't recognize all $199 when they pay. You recognize it monthly as you deliver the services. Sounds minor but it matters for your financials and taxes.
AlllIn✓just now
How are you marketing the membership to existing customers vs new ones? And what's your conversion rate from one-time service call to member?
DanTheOperator✓just now
Every tech pitches it at the end of every service call. We also sent a mailer to our entire customer database when we launched — got about 60 signups from that alone. Conversion from one-time service call to member is about 12% right now. Goal is 20% by end of year.