What should be included in a HVAC maintenance contract?

Cover the parties, assets and sites, work and dates, price and GST treatment, payment timing, insurance and liability, variations, disputes and early termination. Use the schedule above for the HVAC-specific items. Have the final contract checked before you use it.

What is the typical cost of a commercial HVAC maintenance contract?

This guide does not give a typical cost. Price depends on the assets, visit frequency, access and what is included. Business.gov.au says to state the fee structure, whether GST is included and the timing of payments.

What should an HVAC maintenance agreement include?

An HVAC maintenance agreement should list the sites and assets covered, the planned visits and their frequency, included and excluded labour and materials, response targets, price, term, renewal and exit, who can approve extra work, and how service reports are provided. Set visit frequency after checking manufacturer and site requirements rather than copying a generic schedule. This is a schedule outline, not a ready legal contract, so get advice before using it.[1][2]

Contract basics from Business.gov.au

Business.gov.au says a contract should describe the work, start and end dates and where the work happens, and show the fee structure, whether the fee includes GST and when payment is made. It also covers liability, insurance, variations, disputes and ending the contract early. It recommends plain English and using the parties' names rather than labels such as 'the principal'.

Sources[1]

Schedule items to settle

The items below are our recommendation, not a mandated form.

Schedule items to settle
Item	What to set
Parties and sites	Legal names, ABNs, site addresses, contacts
Covered assets	Asset ID, location, make and model, and any assets not covered
Planned visits	Frequency agreed after manufacturer and site assessment, access, who books
Included and excluded work	Labour and materials covered; repairs, after-hours work and parts needing separate approval
Response commitments	Target times and hours; say whether each is a target or a guarantee
Price	Fixed fee or rates, GST included or not, invoice timing, review
Term and exit	Dates, renewal, notice, money payable on exit
Approvals and reports	Who approves extra work and up to what amount; a report after each visit

Sources[1]

Fairness and risk

The Australian Consumer Law protects small businesses from unfair terms in standard form contracts, which are pre-written contracts offered on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. A term can be unfair if it causes a big imbalance, is not needed to protect a legitimate interest and would cause harm. Eligibility depends on factors such as contract date, employee numbers and turnover, so check before relying on it.

Be careful with indemnity and liability wording. Promise only what you control, and do not promise automatic compliance.

Sources[2][1]

Service schedule you can copy

Replace every square bracket and have the full contract checked by a lawyer or your industry association.

MAINTENANCE SERVICE SCHEDULE (outline only)
Customer: [legal name, ABN]   Contractor: [legal name, ABN, licence details if required]
Sites and contacts: [list]
Term: [start] to [end]   Renewal: [how and when]   Exit notice: [period and method]

Covered assets: [ID | location | make and model | included Y/N]
Planned visits: [frequency per asset, agreed after reviewing manufacturer and site requirements on DD/MM/YYYY]
Included: [labour, materials]   Excluded: [list]
Response target: [time] during [hours]. This is a target, not a guarantee.
Price: $[amount] per [visit or period] (GST included: yes/no). Invoiced: [timing]. Review: [when and how]
Extra work: needs written approval from [name or role] before it starts. Limit without further approval: $[amount]
Service report: provided within [time] after each visit by [method]
Variations and disputes: [process]

Sources[1]

Common questions

What should be included in a HVAC maintenance contract?: Cover the parties, assets and sites, work and dates, price and GST treatment, payment timing, insurance and liability, variations, disputes and early termination. Use the schedule above for the HVAC-specific items. Have the final contract checked before you use it.[1]
What is the typical cost of a commercial HVAC maintenance contract?: This guide does not give a typical cost. Price depends on the assets, visit frequency, access and what is included. Business.gov.au says to state the fee structure, whether GST is included and the timing of payments.[1]

Official sources

Checked 16 October 2026. Rules can change; use these sources to check the requirements for your job.

Related guides

Job workflows for HVAC businesses.

Put it to work on the next job

Leadhand keeps customers, sites and job history in one record and can turn a finished job into a GST invoice, so each maintenance visit is easy to find and bill.

See Leadhand clients, sites and invoicing