How Much Does Furnace Maintenance Cost in Portland?

On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $99 to $179+ to have your furnace maintained in Portland.

Wondering why the price varies so much?

Well, the cost of furnace maintenance depends on two main factors:

1. What’s included in the furnace tune-up
2. The quality of the contractor you hire

We’ll look at these factors in more detail below and we’ll also take a look at how you can save money on furnace maintenance. But, before we do that, let’s cover why it’s important to have your furnace maintained in the first place.

Ready to have your furnace maintained? Contact Four Seasons. We charge only $99 for a 21-point furnace tune-up.

You know how you change your car’s oil every 5,000 miles or so to keep it running smoothly and prevent breakdowns? Well, your furnace needs regular maintenance too.

Keeping your furnace maintained results in benefits like:

• Improved performance and lower energy bills: When your furnace is properly cleaned and lubricated, it runs at optimal performance, which increases its efficiency and decreases your energy bills.
• Reduced repairs: During furnace tune-ups, an HVAC technician can spot small problems and prevent them from snowballing into major, pricer repairs.
• Increased safety: Natural gas furnaces use special vents to carry dangerous combustion gas out of your home. During a tune-up, a technician will check that the vents are properly functioning and have no leaks.

Now that we’ve covered the benefits of maintaining your furnace, let’s look at the two main cost factors.

Most contractors use a maintenance checklist that lists all the furnace parts they will clean or inspect during a tune-up. The longer the checklist, the more thorough the tune-up, which means the greater your maintenance cost.

Below is the bare minimum of what a technician should do during a furnace tune-up, according to Energy Star:

• Check thermostat settings
• Tighten all electrical connections
• Lubricate moving parts
• Check the furnace condensate drain for any clogs
• Test and inspect all furnace controls
• Verify that the gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger are all properly working
• Check if the air filter is dirty and replacing if needed

If you speak with a contractor and they don’t complete the above services during a maintenance visit, you’ll want to look for a different contractor.

Note: Our 21-point furnace tune-up covers all of Energy Star’s requirements and more, such as:

• Cycling the furnace
• Limited blower cleaning
• Testing safety controls
• Testing temperature differential
• Cleaning & adjusting pilot assembly
• Cleaning exterior
• Vacuum burner compartment
• Testing flame sensor
• Oiling the blower & inducer motor
• Testing amp draw to blower
• Rating/setting furnace input
• Testing inducer amp draw
• Inspecting flue pipe
• Testing hot surface igniter
• Cleaning burners
• Testing for gas leaks

And speaking of hiring heating contractors …

In general, high-quality contractors charge more for their maintenance services. But they typically do a more thorough inspection, so don’t let the higher price be a deterrent.

Lower-priced contractors may use their low maintenance price to get you in the door so they can upsell you on unnecessary services. Or they may skimp on the amount of parts they check during the tune-up to make a profit. You don’t want a contractor who skimps on a tune-up, because if a problem isn’t caught early on, it could lead to bigger issues down the road.

So, how do you find a high-quality heating contractor? You’ll want to ask yourself the following questions while looking:

• Is this contractor licensed and insured in the state of Oregon?
• Does this contractor have good online reviews on sites like Google and Angie’s List?
• Is this contractor transparent about what is on their furnace maintenance checklist?
• Does this contractor guarantee their work?

If you can answer “yes” to all the questions above, then you’ve found a high-quality contractor.

In addition to a one-time furnace tune-up, the best HVAC contractors also offer maintenance plans to help Portland homeowners save money in the long run and get priority scheduling.

A maintenance plan typically involves paying a monthly or annual fee and, in return, you receive discounts on services and free annual furnace tune-ups.

For example, our maintenance plan offers benefits for heating and cooling services like:

• 15% off filters & replacement parts
• Priority scheduling for emergency service calls
• Proactive reminders when it's time for maintenance
• No overtime charges

Because maintenance plans come with added benefits, joining a maintenance plan is often more cost-effective than just paying for a one-time tune-up.

We value your time, so we offer convenient 2-hour scheduling windows. Also, we’ll never waste your time by upselling you on unnecessary services.

Our 21-point furnace tune-ups are only $99. They cover everything on Energy Star’s checklist and more.

If you join our maintenance plan, it’s $179 for the first year and then $149 every year thereafter.