What is a maintenance service agreement?
A maintenance service agreement (often called a maintenance contract or planned preventive maintenance agreement) is an ongoing contract for a provider to service a client's equipment on a schedule and respond when it breaks down. It's common for HVAC systems, boilers, elevators and lifts, generators, commercial kitchen equipment, fire and security systems and production machinery.
This template lists the equipment covered by make, model and serial number, the planned visit frequency and the tasks done at each visit, with a written service report after every visit. You choose whether breakdown call-outs are included, included during normal hours only, charged, or not included, and add a target response time and call-out rates. Parts can be included, included up to an annual allowance, or charged separately. It also covers exclusions such as misuse and third-party work, legally required inspections, the client's duties, fees, a fixed term with automatic renewal or not, a liability cap and termination.
- Best for
- HVAC and boilers, elevators, generators, kitchen equipment, fire and security systems, machinery
- Signed by
- The service provider and the equipment owner or operator, with job titles
- Term
- You choose the months; renews automatically or ends unless both agree to renew
- Length
- About 3 pages, initialled on every page
When to Use a maintenance service agreement
- An HVAC contractor offering quarterly service plans to commercial clients
- Annual boiler and heating maintenance for a landlord's properties
- Generator servicing and breakdown cover for a hospital, data room or farm
- Planned maintenance for a factory's production machinery
- Service contracts for commercial kitchen or refrigeration equipment
What You Fill In
24 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: provider, client.
1 The parties
- Provider (your business)*
- Provider address
- Service desk phone or email*
- Client (company or person)*
- Client address
2 The equipment
- Site where the equipment is*
- Equipment covered*
3 Term
- Start date*
- Term (months)*
- At the end of the term* it renews for the same period unless either party gives notice · it ends unless both parties agree to renew
- Notice before the end of the term (days)*
4 Planned maintenance
- Planned maintenance visits* monthly · every two months · quarterly · twice a year · once a year
- Maintenance tasks at each visit*
5 Call-outs and repairs
- Normal working hours*
- Call-outs for breakdowns* included in the fee · included in the fee during normal hours; charged outside them · charged at the call-out rates below · not included
- Response time
- Call-out and labour rates
- Parts and materials* included in the fee · included up to an allowance, then charged separately · charged separately
- Parts allowance per year
6 Fees
- Currency*
- Maintenance fee*
- The fee is* per month · per quarter · per year · per planned visit
- Invoices are due within (days)*
7 Other terms
- Governing law*
8 Who signs
- Provider signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The maintenance or service company.
- Client signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The owner or operator of the equipment — for a business, the person authorised to sign for it.
What the maintenance service agreement Covers
- Equipment covered
- Planned maintenance
- Breakdowns and call-outs
- Parts and materials
- What is not covered
- The Client's responsibilities
- Fees and payment
- Term and ending the agreement
- Warranty and liability
- General
Using the maintenance service agreement, step by step
1 List the equipment and site
Enter the site address and each item covered on its own line, with make, model and serial number. The provider may inspect before the first visit and ask for repairs if anything is unsafe.
2 Define planned maintenance
Choose how often you visit and list the tasks done at each visit — or refer to the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. Set your normal working hours.
3 Set call-outs and parts
Choose how breakdown call-outs are handled, add a target response time and your call-out and labour rates. Decide whether parts are included, included up to an annual allowance, or charged separately.
4 Agree fees and term, then send
Enter the maintenance fee and whether it's per month, quarter, year or visit, the payment days, the term in months and whether it renews automatically, plus the notice period. Add the client's signer and send; both sides initial every page.
Tips Before You Send It
- Some equipment — elevators, pressure systems, gas appliances, fire safety equipment — needs legally required inspections. List them in the tasks if you're doing them; otherwise the client stays responsible.
- Response times are written as targets. If you promise guaranteed response times with penalties, you'll need a more detailed service level agreement.
- Keep service reports for every visit; they show the work was done and help with warranty claims.
- Put a diary reminder ahead of the renewal notice date — automatic renewal only works if both sides know when notice is due.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Maintenance service agreement: frequently asked questions
Are breakdowns included in a maintenance agreement?
Only if you choose so. The template lets you include call-outs in the fee, include them only during normal hours, charge them at your call-out rates, or leave them out entirely.
What isn't covered?
Repairs caused by misuse, accidents or external events, work by others, problems with power, water or the building, operating outside the manufacturer's limits, and equipment at the end of its life. Recommended repairs found at a visit are quoted separately.
How does renewal work?
You set the term in months. Choose automatic renewal for another period of the same length unless either side gives notice, or have it end unless both agree to renew. The provider may change the fee for a renewal term with the same notice.
Is an electronically signed maintenance contract valid?
Electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary commercial contracts in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF.
Is this template free?
Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR, and your client doesn't need a VergeHR login to sign.