Commercial HVAC Maintenance — Rivic Heating & Air Conditioning

Commercial HVAC maintenance operates on a fundamentally different discipline than residential twice-yearly tune-ups. Business-critical HVAC failures cost real money: a restaurant losing dining room cooling on a July Saturday night can lose $8,000 to $18,000 in revenue in a single evening; a medical practice losing HVAC compliance during flu season can face patient throughput penalties well into five figures; a retail store losing HVAC during holiday season can lose material seasonal revenue that cannot be recovered. Preventive maintenance (PM) contracts exist because break-fix HVAC is expensive relative to disciplined preventive care — and the more business-critical the equipment, the larger the ROI on preventive maintenance investment.

Rivic offers three commercial PM contract tiers scaled to business criticality: Quarterly Service (four visits per year, appropriate for standard commercial without high business-criticality), Bi-Monthly Service (six visits per year, appropriate for restaurants and medical during peak seasons), and Monthly Service (twelve visits per year, appropriate for peak-critical restaurants, medical practices, and multi-system buildings). All tiers include priority emergency dispatch response with waived after-hours surcharge, tier-specific repair discounts, and documented service records for landlord obligation and insurance documentation purposes.

The Three Commercial PM Contract Tiers

Quarterly Service Contract (4 Visits Per Year)

Investment: $480 to $1,180 per system per year depending on equipment complexity.

Included services per visit:

• Cooling and heating operational verification per season (2 spring cooling visits, 2 fall heating visits typical scheduling).
• Filter replacement or cleaning per equipment schedule.
• Combustion analysis printout on gas equipment (fall visits).
• Refrigerant charge verification (cooling visits).
• Static pressure measurement.
• Belt tension and drive alignment on belt-drive equipment.
• Coil inspection and cleaning (condenser coil at spring visit, evaporator coil as needed).
• Drain pan inspection and cleaning.
• Electrical connection tightness verification.
• Controls sequence verification.
• Documented service record with all measurements retained for 10 years.
• Written condition report with any repair recommendations.

Included benefits: Priority emergency dispatch response, waived $185 after-hours surcharge, 15% discount on any repair invoiced during the contract year.

Appropriate for: Standard office space, retail without seasonal-peak criticality, warehouse and light-industrial, houses of worship, small professional practices where business impact of HVAC failure is meaningful but not immediate-revenue-loss severity.

Bi-Monthly Service Contract (6 Visits Per Year)

Investment: $780 to $1,780 per system per year depending on equipment complexity.

Included services per visit: All Quarterly-tier services plus:

• Additional inspection visits during summer peak (2 additional cooling verifications) and winter peak (2 additional heating verifications) beyond the standard seasonal transition visits.
• More frequent filter change intervals to accommodate higher-duty-cycle operation.
• Belt and drive service more frequently on belt-drive equipment.
• More frequent coil inspection and cleaning.
• Kitchen equipment coordination for restaurants (walk-in cooler and freezer verification alongside HVAC).

Included benefits: All Quarterly-tier benefits plus 20% repair discount (vs. 15%) and 4-hour response time commitment on emergency dispatch during peak-season business hours.

Appropriate for: Restaurants and food service (particularly during summer peak cooling and holiday season), medical and dental practices, retail during holiday season, day care centers, tenant-occupied professional buildings where landlord obligation warrants documented service frequency.

Monthly Service Contract (12 Visits Per Year)

Investment: $1,480 to $3,400 per system per year depending on equipment complexity.

Included services per visit: All Bi-Monthly-tier services plus:

• Monthly filter change and inspection on high-duty-cycle equipment.
• Monthly refrigeration equipment verification (walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer, refrigerated display for restaurants and food retail).
• Monthly ventilation air measurement for ASHRAE 62.1 compliance verification.
• Monthly control sequence verification on complex multi-system installations.
• Coordination with commercial janitorial for combined mechanical space service scheduling.

Included benefits: All Bi-Monthly-tier benefits plus 25% repair discount (vs. 20%) and 2-hour response time commitment on emergency dispatch during business hours.

Appropriate for: Peak-critical restaurants (particularly high-volume dining, wedding and event venues, breweries and brewpubs), medical practices with high patient throughput (surgical practices, dialysis, imaging centers), multi-system commercial buildings with combined HVAC and refrigeration scope, historic properties requiring more careful service due to equipment access constraints.

Additional PM Contract Provisions

Multi-System and Multi-Property Discounts

• Second system same property: 15% discount off standard per-system pricing.
• Third and additional systems same property: 20% discount off standard per-system pricing.
• Multi-property portfolio (2 to 4 properties same ownership): 10% portfolio discount stacked on multi-system discount.
• Multi-property portfolio (5+ properties same ownership): 15% portfolio discount stacked on multi-system discount.

Contract Terms

• Annual enrollment with automatic renewal 30 days before contract anniversary.
• Multi-year enrollment: 2-year and 3-year contracts available with rate-locked pricing (2% to 4% discount on annual rate).
• Payment options: annual paid at enrollment (best value), quarterly billing (available on Quarterly and Bi-Monthly tiers), or monthly billing (available on all tiers with slight premium).
• Cancellation: 60-day notice, refund of unused portion prorated by month.
• New equipment enrollment: any new HVAC installation by Rivic includes first-year Quarterly-tier service at 50% discount (transitioning to full pricing at renewal).

Existing-Condition Handling

PM contracts do not cover repairs of pre-existing conditions identified at the first contract visit. The initial contract visit produces a written condition report documenting current equipment condition and any accumulated repair recommendations. Bring-to-standard repair scope is separate from ongoing PM service and priced at standard rates with contract discount applied. Contract PM service begins after equipment is brought to reasonable operational condition; equipment with severe accumulated issues may require several months of catch-up repair before entering the routine PM schedule.

Emergency Dispatch Response Commitments

Contract customers receive prioritized emergency dispatch response:

• Quarterly-tier customers: Priority queue placement above break-fix customers; response within 4 hours business hours, 6 hours overnight.
• Bi-Monthly-tier customers: 4-hour response during business hours, 4 hours overnight for peak seasonal periods, waived $185 after-hours surcharge.
• Monthly-tier customers: 2-hour response during business hours, 3 hours overnight for peak seasonal periods, waived $185 after-hours surcharge, direct-dispatch cellular contact for on-call technician (bypassing standard emergency queue).

Bring-Your-Own-Equipment Service Contracts

PM contracts are open to equipment installed by contractors other than Rivic. Most Rivic commercial contract customers have equipment installed by other contractors — that is normal for commercial HVAC where installation and service contractors are often distinct decisions. Initial contract visit produces the written condition report; ongoing service proceeds under standard contract terms. Contract is not conditional on Rivic having installed the equipment.

Investment Ranges by Equipment Type

• Standard rooftop unit 3-ton to 8-ton (Quarterly): $580 to $980 per year.
• Standard rooftop unit 3-ton to 8-ton (Bi-Monthly): $880 to $1,480 per year.
• Standard rooftop unit 3-ton to 8-ton (Monthly): $1,480 to $2,480 per year.
• Mid-commercial rooftop 10-ton to 20-ton (Quarterly): $780 to $1,180 per year.
• Mid-commercial rooftop 10-ton to 20-ton (Bi-Monthly): $1,180 to $1,780 per year.
• Mid-commercial rooftop 10-ton to 20-ton (Monthly): $1,780 to $3,400 per year.
• Commercial split system (Quarterly): $480 to $780 per year.
• VRF multi-zone (Quarterly): $780 to $1,180 per year plus per-cassette add-on.
• Commercial boiler (Quarterly): $580 to $980 per year.
• Walk-in cooler or freezer (add-on to restaurant HVAC contract): $340 to $580 per year.
• Kitchen makeup air unit (add-on): $340 to $580 per year.
• Kitchen exhaust hood fire safety coordination (add-on): $180 to $340 per year.

Contract ROI Analysis

Break-Even Math on Bi-Monthly Contract vs. Break-Fix

A typical Merrimack Valley small restaurant with 8-ton rooftop unit for dining room, makeup air unit for kitchen exhaust, and walk-in cooler under bi-monthly contract: approximately $2,400 per year all-in for the full service scope. Break-even against break-fix scenarios: 3 to 5 emergency dispatch avoidance events per year (each avoided event saves $185 dispatch surcharge alone, plus prevented downtime revenue impact), 1 significant repair per year at 20% discount ($400 to $1,200 savings depending on repair scope), and prevented catastrophic failure (extended cooler downtime, spoilage cost, health department implication for cooler failure — a single prevented catastrophic event can pay for years of contract). Restaurants routinely calculate contract ROI at 3:1 to 8:1 depending on scope and equipment condition.

Documentation Value for Landlord and Insurance

Tenant-occupied commercial buildings often require documented HVAC maintenance in lease agreements. Insurance policies (particularly for restaurants, medical practices, and buildings with significant walk-in refrigeration) may require documented preventive maintenance to maintain full coverage on HVAC-related claims. Rivic’s documented service records satisfy both requirements; the documentation itself has real value beyond the maintenance work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose between Quarterly, Bi-Monthly, and Monthly contract tiers?

Depends on business criticality and equipment condition. Quarterly tier is correct default for standard commercial without immediate revenue-loss severity from HVAC failure: office buildings, houses of worship, warehouse, light-industrial, day cares outside of peak illness season. Bi-Monthly tier is correct for revenue-critical seasonal peaks: restaurants year-round, medical practices year-round, retail during Q4 holiday season and back-to-school, professional buildings with tenant obligations for documented maintenance. Monthly tier is correct for peak-critical multi-system commercial: high-volume restaurants with complex refrigeration scope, medical practices with strict ventilation compliance requirements, tenant-occupied properties with executive-level accountability for HVAC documentation. Rivic’s diagnostic visit produces an honest tier recommendation matched to your specific business and equipment.

What if we’re in a shared building where HVAC is landlord-controlled?

Common Merrimack Valley scenario for downtown professional offices, tenant-occupied medical practices, and retail in strip mall configurations. Options: (a) landlord holds the PM contract and tenant benefits through documented maintenance and priority emergency response (standard configuration for well-managed commercial properties), (b) tenant holds supplemental contract for tenant-specific equipment (kitchen equipment for a restaurant tenant, medical-specific ventilation for a practice tenant) while landlord holds the base building HVAC contract, or (c) tenant negotiates PM contract obligation into the lease as landlord responsibility with tenant right to enforce. Rivic works with all three configurations; Kathleen Brennan handles multi-party contract coordination between landlords, property managers, and tenants where required.

Can we start with a lower tier and upgrade later if needed?

Yes. Contract tier can be upgraded at any point during the contract year with prorated cost adjustment (upgrade fee equals the difference in annual rate prorated for the remaining months). Common progression: start with Quarterly tier during initial contractor relationship building, upgrade to Bi-Monthly after the first year once mutual expectations are established, upgrade to Monthly if business grows or if HVAC becomes more business-critical (new equipment installation, expansion of refrigeration scope, medical practice specialty change). Downgrade also available at contract anniversary if service level exceeds actual business need.

Does the contract cover repairs, or are those separate?

Contract covers PM scope only; repairs are separate line items with contract-tier discount applied (15% on Quarterly, 20% on Bi-Monthly, 25% on Monthly). Full-coverage warranty-style commercial HVAC service agreements exist in the market but typically have high fine print, coverage exclusions, and premium pricing that does not favor small-to-mid commercial. Rivic prefers the transparent structure where preventive maintenance is priced up front and repairs are priced at time of service with contract discount applied. This structure keeps annual PM cost predictable while providing meaningful discount on repair scope when repairs are needed.

What documentation do we get for insurance and landlord requirements?

Each PM visit produces a documented service record with: date and technician identification, equipment inspected and serviced, all measurements taken (refrigerant charge, static pressure, combustion analysis, ventilation air, control sequences), work performed, condition status of each major component, any repair recommendations with priority classification, technician signature under Rivic’s HIC-191847 registration. Annual summary report at contract anniversary consolidating the year’s service history. Insurance carriers, landlords, property managers, and regulatory inspectors can request these records directly through Rivic. Copies retained for 10 years in Rivic’s customer file per standard commercial documentation practice.

Contact Rivic Heating and Air Conditioning — Commercial PM Contracts

Commercial PM contract enrollment, tier consultation, multi-property portfolio pricing, and business-critical equipment assessment route through the 225 Broadway office in central Methuen. Kathleen Brennan handles commercial contract administration and multi-party coordination.

• Emergency Line (24/7): (351) 240-2627
• Address: 225 Broadway #306, Methuen, MA 01844
• Email: info@rivicheatingairconditioning.xyz
• MA Refrigeration Technician License: #RT-24518
• MA Journeyman Gas Fitter: #JGF-30521
• MA Home Improvement Contractor: #HIC-191847
• EPA Section 608 Universal: #608U-2007-192874

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