AC maintenance contract in Kenya: clauses, sample, renewal
What a Kenyan AC maintenance contract should cover, sample clauses, response tiers for hospitals, data rooms and cold rooms, and how to keep renewals easy.
Written for Owners and service managers of AC and refrigeration contractors in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu serving offices, hospitals, hotels, data rooms and cold-chain clients.
- Set response times by site, not by contract; a flower farm's cold room and a Westlands office are different promises.
- Say in writing whether the generator, UPS or stabiliser feeding the unit is in scope; most "AC faults" after an outage start there.
- Put the price in KES, state whether VAT is included, and match payment terms to the client's LPO and approval process.
- Ask in October which contracts end before January, so renewals are signed before the hot months.
A good AC maintenance contract in Kenya is a short document that lists every unit you cover at each site, how many service visits a year, how fast your fundi will arrive when something fails, what parts and refrigerant are included, the price in KES and how it is paid, how it renews, and what it does not cover. Getting it right means writing promises you can keep across Nairobi traffic and on the coast, then keeping a record of every visit so the facility manager renews without a new tender.
Response time depends on what the unit protects
The same split unit can be a comfort item in one building and a critical asset in another. Sort your sites before writing the clauses.
| Site type (examples) | What a failure means | Response promise to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Server or data room in an office or bank branch | Equipment overheats, systems go down | Same-day, with a call-back within the hour |
| Hospital theatre, ward, pharmacy store | Patient comfort, drug storage, infection control | Same-day; agree after-hours contacts |
| Cold room for flowers, dairy or medicines | Stock lost within hours | Fastest tier you can actually staff, including weekends |
| Hotel rooms and conference halls | Guest complaints, refunds | Next business day for rooms, same-day for events |
| General office floors | Discomfort, staff complaints | Within one or two business days |
These are examples, not industry standards. A flower farm's cold room near Naivasha is a long drive from a Nairobi workshop; only promise what your team can reach.
What an AC maintenance contract must contain
| Item | What to write | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Scope and unit list | Site, floor or room, unit type (split, cassette, ducted, VRF, cold-room condensing unit), capacity, make, serial or tag | "All AC units" with no annex |
| Visit frequency | Visits per year per site and the checklist for each: filters, coils, drains, electrical connections, refrigerant pressures | "Quarterly service" with nothing about what is checked |
| Response time | Hours for a breakdown, by site tier and by time of day | One promise for a cold room and a meeting room |
| Power equipment | Whether the generator, UPS, stabiliser or changeover switch is in scope | A fundi spends a day on an AC fault that was a voltage problem |
| Parts and refrigerant | Which consumables are included, how parts are quoted, how refrigerant top-ups are charged | Gas top-ups disputed after the first leak |
| Price and payment | Annual or quarterly price in KES, whether VAT is included, payment timing, the client's LPO reference, how they pay (bank transfer, M-Pesa Paybill or Till) | Invoice stuck because the LPO number is missing |
| Term and renewal | Start and end dates, notice period, price review at renewal | Contract lapses quietly; client calls someone else |
| Exclusions | Civil works, ducting changes, units beyond economical repair, damage from power surges or water | Every major repair becomes an argument |
| Record after each visit | Service report with units checked, readings, findings, photos, recommendations, signed by the client's representative | Job cards lost or kept on one fundi's phone |
The power line matters. After an outage and a generator changeover, a compressor that will not start is often a supply problem. If you maintain the generator or UPS, say so; if not, say who does.
Sample clauses to adapt
These short clauses show the level of detail that prevents disputes. They are examples, not a complete contract; adapt them and have the final version reviewed by an advocate.
- Units covered. "This contract covers the units listed in Schedule A by site and room. Units added later are covered after inspection and written addition to Schedule A."
- Service visits. "We will carry out [four] service visits per year at each site, following the checklist in Schedule B, on dates agreed with your facility manager."
- Response. "For units marked Critical in Schedule A, a technician will attend within [X] hours of your call, every day of the week. For all other units, within [Y] working hours."
- Power supply. "Faults caused by the power supply, generator, UPS or stabiliser are outside this contract unless those items are listed in Schedule A."
- Parts and refrigerant. "Filters and cleaning materials are included. Spare parts and refrigerant top-ups are quoted in writing and supplied after your approval."
- Payment. "The contract price is KES [amount] per year, [inclusive / exclusive] of VAT, invoiced quarterly in advance against your LPO number."
- Reporting and renewal. "After each visit we will send a report with photos. We will send renewal terms at least 60 days before the end date."
How to sell the contract
At handover. A hotel with a new wing or a clinic with a new theatre unit wants the system looked after. Put the maintenance proposal in the commissioning pack.
After a breakdown. A cold room's stock was at risk, or an office lost a morning. Send the proposal within the week, while the facility manager remembers the call.
In the cool months. Nairobi is cooler from about June to August, when facility managers have time to review suppliers before the hot months early in the year. Ask larger clients when their financial year starts.
A sample WhatsApp message, to adapt:
Good morning Mrs Wanjiru, this is Brian from Highland Cooling. Thank you for the work on the pharmacy store units last week. To avoid another emergency, we propose a maintenance contract for the hospital: four service visits a year, same-day response for the theatre and pharmacy units, and a report with photos after every visit. Shall I send the proposal in KES so it can go to procurement?
The names are examples. Mention the site and the units, keep it short, and offer one next step.
Keep the record so renewal is easy
At renewal, procurement asks what the client got for the money. Have the answer ready:
- visits completed, with dates and technician names;
- findings per unit (low gas, blocked drain, failing fan motor, voltage problems);
- recommendations still open and the quotes you sent;
- breakdown calls and how fast you arrived.
Start renewal 60 to 90 days before the end date. Questions worth asking every month:
- "Whose contract ends before January?" Ask it in October, so renewals are signed before the hot season.
- "Which sites have open recommendations from the last visit?"
- "Which cold rooms had more than one breakdown this year?" That is either a higher response tier or a replacement quote.
For the wider case for contracts as the way to grow, see how Kenyan HVAC companies grow with AI.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an AC annual maintenance contract sample I can use?
Start from the clauses above: units covered, service visits, response by site tier, power supply, parts and refrigerant, payment and reporting. Adapt them to your services and have the final version reviewed by an advocate.
What should an HVAC maintenance contract template include?
Everything in the table above: units per site, visit checklist, response tiers, parts and refrigerant, power equipment, price in KES with VAT stated, term, exclusions and the report after each visit.
How much does an AC service contract cost?
It depends on the number and type of units, the visit frequency, the response tier and the distance to site. Price per unit and per visit, add a premium for critical sites with weekend response, and review the price at each renewal.