AC maintenance contract in Nigeria: terms that hold your price
How to write an AC maintenance contract in Nigeria: scope, harmattan visits, generator and inverter lines, price validity and review clauses in naira.
Written for Owners of AC installation and maintenance businesses in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt serving banks, hospitals, estates and offices.
- Separate the service fee from parts and gas, and price parts at the date of approval, not the date of signing.
- Add a price review clause so a 12-month contract in naira does not lock in last year's costs.
- State whether generators, inverters and stabilisers are in scope; many "AC faults" start with power.
- Plan an extra filter and coil cleaning during harmattan, and ask in November which contracts end before February.
A good AC maintenance contract in Nigeria lists every unit you service at each site, the number of visits a year, how fast you respond to a breakdown, what is included and what is charged separately, the price in naira with a clear validity and review clause, and what happens at renewal. Getting it right protects two things: the client's trust, because they know exactly what they are paying for, and your margin, because a fixed price for twelve months can be overtaken by the cost of parts and gas.
Price, validity and review in naira
Write the money terms in three parts, and keep them apart:
- The service fee. Labour, scheduled visits, filters, cleaning materials and transport. This is the stable part, paid monthly, quarterly or yearly in advance.
- Parts and gas. Compressors, fan motors, capacitors, PCBs and refrigerant are quoted when needed and priced on the day the client approves. Give every quote a short validity period.
- The review. A clause that allows the service fee to be reviewed at renewal, or earlier if costs move sharply, with notice to the client.
The client gets a predictable fee; you are never forced to supply a compressor at a price from months ago.
What an AC maintenance contract must contain
| Item | What to write | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Scope and unit list | Site, floor or flat, unit type (split, standing unit, cassette, ducted, VRF), horsepower or capacity, make, location | "All ACs in the building" |
| Visit frequency | Visits per year and the checklist: filters, coil washing, drain lines, electrical checks, gas pressure | "Monthly servicing" with no checklist |
| Response time | Hours or days for a breakdown, normal hours and after hours | No promise, so every call is "urgent" |
| Power equipment | Whether generators, inverters, stabilisers or changeover switches are in scope | AC blamed for a voltage problem |
| Parts and gas | Included consumables; how parts and gas refills are quoted and approved | Gas refill assumed to be included |
| Price and payment | Service fee in NGN, whether VAT is included, payment timing, LPO or PO reference | Payment held because there is no LPO |
| Price validity and review | Validity of quotes, review of the service fee at renewal or on notice | Last year's price for this year's costs |
| Term and renewal | Start and end dates, notice period | Contract expires and nobody notices |
| Exclusions | Damage from power surges, water, physical damage, civil works, units beyond economical repair | Every major repair becomes an argument |
| Record after each visit | Service report: units checked, readings, findings, photos, recommendations, signed by the facility or estate manager | Job sheets on one technician's phone |
Harmattan. From around December to February, dust clogs filters and coils across much of the country, Abuja and the north especially. If you service a site quarterly, consider writing an extra filter and coil cleaning into that period, or price it as an option.
Sample terms to adapt
These are short examples of the level of detail that prevents disputes. They are not a complete contract. Adapt them to your business and have the final version reviewed by a lawyer.
- Units covered. "This contract covers the units listed in Schedule A. Units added later are covered after inspection and written addition to Schedule A."
- Visits. "We will carry out [four] scheduled visits per year at each site, plus one additional filter and coil cleaning between December and February."
- Response. "We will attend a breakdown within [X] hours during working hours and within [Y] hours outside working hours."
- Parts and gas. "Filters and cleaning materials are included. Spare parts and gas refills are quoted in writing, valid for [7] days, and supplied after your approval."
- Price review. "The service fee may be reviewed at renewal, or during the term with [30] days' written notice where the cost of parts, refrigerant or transport has risen materially."
- Power. "Faults caused by the power supply, generator, inverter or stabiliser are outside this contract unless those items are listed in Schedule A."
- Reporting and renewal. "After each visit we will send a service report with photos. We will send renewal terms at least 60 days before the end date."
How to sell the contract
At installation. An estate that has just fitted twenty flats or a bank branch reopening after a refit wants the new units protected. Put the proposal with the installation quote.
After a breakdown. The banking hall was hot all afternoon. Send the proposal that week.
In the rainy season. From roughly June to September the AC is less urgent and facility managers have time to review suppliers. That is when to propose contracts for the next dry season and harmattan.
Banks want one standard across branches and reports head office can check; hospitals want theatres and pharmacy stores never left without cooling; estates want fewer resident complaints and a service charge the estate manager can justify.
A sample WhatsApp message, to adapt:
Good afternoon Mr Okafor, this is Tunde from Coolwave Engineering. Sorry about the AC wahala at the Wuse branch yesterday; the compressor is back on. To avoid another breakdown, we propose a maintenance contract: quarterly servicing plus a harmattan cleaning, response within agreed hours, and a report with photos after every visit. Shall I send the proposal in naira for your approval?
The names are examples. Mention the site and units, keep it short, and offer one next step.
Keep the record so renewal is easy
At renewal, the facility manager has to justify the spend to management. Give them the year in one page:
- visits completed, with dates and technician names;
- findings per unit and parts replaced;
- recommendations still open and the quotes sent, with their validity dates;
- breakdown calls and how fast you arrived.
Start renewal 60 to 90 days before the end date, and bring the price review into the same conversation. Questions worth asking every month:
- "Whose contract ends before February?" Ask it in November, before the harmattan and the hot months.
- "Which parts quotes expire this week without an answer?"
- "Which sites had the most breakdown calls this year?" That is either a higher service tier or a price review.
For the bigger picture of maintenance clients as the base of a Nigerian HVAC business, see how to grow an HVAC business in Nigeria with AI.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an AC maintenance contract sample I can use?
Use the sample terms above: units covered, visits, response, parts and gas, price review, power and reporting. Adapt them to your services and have the final contract reviewed by a lawyer.
How are AC maintenance charges set?
By the number and type of units, the visit frequency, the response time and the travel to each site. Keep the service fee separate from parts and gas, which are quoted when needed and priced on the day of approval.
Is AC maintenance worth it?
A scheduled visit costs far less than a failed compressor and an afternoon without cooling. Clients see the value when they get a report after every visit.
How often should AC maintenance be done?
It depends on the units, the use and the dust. Quarterly visits are a common structure for commercial sites, with an extra cleaning during harmattan. State the frequency and the checklist in the contract.