The Austin Property Manager's Guide to Preventive HVAC Maintenance

If you manage commercial property in Austin, TX, your HVAC systems are probably the most expensive line item in your operating budget that nobody thinks about until something breaks. And when something breaks in July, you're not just paying for a repair. You're fielding angry tenant calls, dealing with emergency service markups, and watching productivity tank in buildings where people can't work comfortably. Commercial HVAC preventive maintenance is the single most effective way to avoid that cycle, and most property managers either skip it entirely or pay for programs that look good on paper but don't actually protect the equipment.

This guide covers what a real preventive maintenance program should include, how often each system type needs service, and how to make sure your HVAC vendor is actually doing the work you're paying for.

Why Reactive Maintenance Costs You More Than You Think

Here's the math that most property managers don't see until it's too late. A well-maintained commercial HVAC system lasts five or more years longer than a neglected one. On a rooftop unit that costs $15,000 to $25,000 to replace, that's tens of thousands of dollars in avoided capital expenditure per unit. Multiply that across a portfolio of buildings and the numbers get serious quickly.

But equipment lifespan is only part of the story. Properly sealed and maintained air distribution systems save up to 20% on annual heating and cooling costs. For a mid-size office building in Austin spending $4,000 to $6,000 a month on energy during peak summer, that's $800 to $1,200 a month you're leaving on the table.

Then there's the emergency premium. A compressor that fails on a Tuesday in February is inconvenient. That same compressor failing on a Friday afternoon in August, when every HVAC company in Central Texas is slammed, turns into an after-hours emergency call with weekend parts markup. We've seen property managers pay double or triple what the same repair would have cost during a scheduled maintenance visit.

Pro Tip: Track your cost-per-ton for HVAC maintenance and repairs across your portfolio. If you're spending more than $250 per ton annually on reactive repairs, you're almost certainly underspending on preventive maintenance. Flipping that ratio is where the savings start.

The Spring and Summer Commercial HVAC Preventive Maintenance Checklist

Austin's cooling season starts earlier than most people expect. By late March, daytime highs regularly hit the 80s, and your tenants will notice if the system isn't ready. A thorough spring inspection should happen in February or March, well before the first real heat arrives.

Here's what your HVAC vendor should be doing during a spring and summer preventive maintenance visit:

Air Filtration and Airflow

• Clean or replace all air filters. Commercial systems with heavy foot traffic may need filter changes every 30 days during peak season.
• Inspect ducts for debris, mold, or microbial growth. Austin's humidity makes this a real concern, not just a checkbox.
• Verify adequate airflow across all zones and balance as needed.

Coils and Condensers

• Clean condenser coils on all outdoor units. Cottonwood season in Austin clogs condensers fast, sometimes within weeks of cleaning.
• Clean evaporator coils on indoor units. Dirty coils reduce heat transfer efficiency and force the compressor to work harder.
• Inspect cabinet and housing for air leaks around coil connections.

Refrigerant and Leak Detection

• Check refrigerant levels against manufacturer specifications.
• Test for refrigerant leaks using electronic leak detection or UV dye methods.
• Document refrigerant charge levels for trending. Gradual loss over time indicates a slow leak that will eventually cause a breakdown.

Drainage

• Check and clear condensate drain lines. Clogged drains cause water damage, mold growth, and can trigger system shutdowns on units with float switches.
• Empty and clean drain pans. Standing water in drain pans is a health code issue in some commercial occupancy types.

Electrical and Controls

• Tighten all electrical connections. Thermal cycling from Austin's extreme temperature swings loosens connections over time.
• Measure voltage and current draw on all motors. Compare readings to nameplate ratings and previous service records.
• Check all control boxes for signs of overheating, corrosion, or pest intrusion.
• Test thermostats and building automation controls for accurate temperature readings and proper cycling.

Mechanical Components

• Check pulleys and belts for wear, tension, and alignment. A slipping belt reduces airflow and accelerates wear on the motor.
• Lubricate all moving parts including fan bearings, motor shafts, and damper linkages.
• Inspect the outside unit and surrounding area for debris, vegetation growth, or anything restricting airflow. Maintain at least two feet of clearance.

The Fall and Winter Maintenance Checklist

Austin winters are mild compared to the rest of the country, but that doesn't mean you can skip heating season maintenance. A cold snap can drop temperatures into the 20s with little warning, and tenants expect the heat to work when they need it. Schedule your fall inspection in September or October, before the first cold front rolls through.

Heating-Specific Items

• Clean heating filters and establish a replacement schedule of every 30 to 90 days depending on system type and building use.
• Inspect the ignition burner assembly for proper flame pattern, color, and ignition sequence.
• Inspect the heat exchanger for cracks, corrosion, or separation. A cracked heat exchanger is a carbon monoxide risk and requires immediate attention.
• Inspect the flue system for proper draft, obstructions, and connection integrity.
• Inspect heat pump systems for proper defrost cycle operation and refrigerant charge in heating mode.

Electrical and Mechanical (Fall)

• Check all control boxes and electrical connections, following the same protocol as the spring visit.
• Lubricate motors and bearings.
• Clean and adjust blower components for proper airflow in heating mode.
• Verify thermostat functionality in heating mode, including setback and scheduling programs.

Distribution System

• Check vents and ductwork for obstructions, disconnected sections, or damage that may have occurred since the last inspection.
• Verify damper operation on variable air volume systems.
• Test zone controls to confirm heating reaches all occupied areas.

Pro Tip: Fall is the best time to address duct sealing and insulation issues. Properly sealed air distribution systems save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs annually. It's also a far easier sell to building ownership when you can show them the savings math heading into budget season.

Maintenance Frequency by System Type

Not every commercial HVAC system needs the same service schedule. The type of equipment, how hard it runs, and what kind of space it serves all affect how often a technician should be on site. Here's what we recommend for properties in the Austin area.

Rooftop Units (RTUs)

Rooftop units are the workhorse of commercial HVAC in Central Texas. They handle both heating and cooling, they're exposed to the elements year-round, and they take a beating from Austin's heat.

• Minimum frequency: Twice per year, once before cooling season and once before heating season.
• Heavy-use buildings (restaurants, data centers, medical facilities): Quarterly service is strongly recommended. These units run harder and longer, and the consequences of failure are more severe.
• Additional consideration: RTU economizers should be checked at every visit. A stuck economizer damper can dump hot outside air directly into your building without any obvious alarm.

Split Systems

Split systems with separate indoor and outdoor components are common in smaller commercial spaces, retail, and mixed-use buildings.

• Minimum frequency: Twice per year, following the same seasonal schedule as rooftop units.
• Indoor coil units need additional inspections beyond the standard twice-yearly visits, particularly in high-humidity environments where coil condensation and drain issues are more likely.
• Watch for: Refrigerant line insulation degradation, especially on lines that run through unconditioned spaces like attics or exterior walls.

Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Systems

VRF systems are becoming more common in Austin's newer office buildings and multifamily properties. They're efficient and flexible, but they have their own maintenance requirements.

• Minimum frequency: Twice per year for the overall system.
• Indoor units: Full inspection every five years, with spot checks during regular semi-annual visits.
• Outdoor units: Annual comprehensive inspection, ideally scheduled in August or September before transitioning to heating mode.
• Critical note: VRF systems use significantly more refrigerant than traditional systems. A leak in a VRF system is expensive to repair and recharge. Leak detection should be part of every service visit.

How to Hold Your HVAC Vendor Accountable

This is the part of commercial HVAC maintenance that most property managers struggle with, and it's arguably the most important. A maintenance contract means nothing if the work isn't actually being performed to standard.

Here are the questions every property manager should be asking.

Are You Getting Real Service Reports?

After every maintenance visit, you should receive a detailed report that includes specific measurements (refrigerant pressures, voltage readings, temperature differentials), not just a checklist of items marked "okay." If your vendor's reports don't include actual data, you have no way to identify trends or verify that the work was done.

Is Your Vendor Tracking Equipment History?

Each piece of equipment in your portfolio should have a documented service history that follows it from visit to visit. A good vendor will flag when a unit's performance is trending downward, when repair frequency is increasing, or when a system is approaching end-of-life. Without this history, you're making capital planning decisions blind.

Are Recommendations Prioritized or Just Listed?

It's easy for a vendor to hand you a list of 15 recommendations after a maintenance visit. What's harder, and more valuable, is prioritizing those items by urgency, safety risk, and financial impact. A vendor who tells you "everything needs attention" isn't giving you actionable information.

Do You Know What You're Actually Paying For?

Review your maintenance contract line by line. Understand what's included in the base agreement and what triggers additional charges. Some contracts cover labor but not parts. Some cover filters but not refrigerant. Some include "inspections" that are really just visual walk-throughs with no diagnostic testing. The details matter.

The HVAC Vitals Report: A Better Starting Point

At CG Service Pros, we built our HVAC Vitals Report specifically for property managers and facilities managers who are tired of guessing whether their HVAC vendor is actually protecting their equipment.

The HVAC Vitals Report is a free, comprehensive 50-point commercial inspection that goes well beyond a standard maintenance visit. Our technicians evaluate every major system component, identify issues before they become emergencies, and document everything with real measurement data.

Here's what sets it apart:

• Identification of preventable repairs. On average, our inspections uncover over $8,000 in repairs that could have been avoided with proper preventive maintenance. That's money you've already lost or are about to lose.
• Vendor performance audit. We review your current vendor's service records and compare what they've documented against what we find on the equipment. If there's a gap between what you're paying for and what's actually being done, this is how you find out.
• 12-month repair forecast. Instead of a generic list of recommendations, you get a month-by-month projection of anticipated repairs and their estimated costs. This gives you the data you need for budget planning, capital reserve conversations, and ownership reporting.

For property managers overseeing buildings across Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, and Lakeway, the Vitals Report provides a single, standardized assessment that you can use to benchmark performance across your entire portfolio.

Building a Preventive Maintenance Program That Actually Works

If you're starting from scratch or rebuilding a maintenance program that's fallen apart, here's the approach we recommend for commercial HVAC maintenance in Central Texas.

Step 1: Inventory and Assess

Before you can maintain your equipment, you need to know exactly what you have. That means a complete inventory of every HVAC unit, its age, its capacity, its condition, and its service history. If you don't have service records from your previous vendor, an independent assessment like the HVAC Vitals Report gives you a baseline to work from.

Step 2: Prioritize by Risk

Not every unit in your portfolio carries the same risk. A rooftop unit serving a server room is more critical than one serving a storage area. A 15-year-old unit with a history of compressor issues needs more attention than a three-year-old system still under warranty. Allocate your maintenance budget based on the actual risk each unit represents.

Step 3: Set a Schedule and Stick to It

Build your maintenance calendar around the seasonal checklists above. For most commercial properties in Austin, that means visits in February or March and September or October at minimum, with quarterly visits for high-demand systems. Put these on the calendar at the start of the year. Don't wait until the season starts.

Step 4: Demand Data, Not Just Service

Every maintenance visit should produce a report with real numbers. Refrigerant pressures, electrical readings, temperature splits, airflow measurements. These data points are how you track system health over time and make informed decisions about repair versus replacement.

Step 5: Plan Capital Replacements Proactively

When a system reaches 15 to 20 years of age, the question isn't whether it will need replacement, but when. New commercial HVAC systems reduce cooling costs by 30% to 40% compared to aging equipment. Building replacement into your capital plan two to three years ahead gives you time to budget properly, take advantage of Austin Energy rebates, and avoid the emergency replacement premium.

What Good Maintenance Looks Like in Practice

A property manager we work with in Round Rock oversees six commercial buildings totaling about 180,000 square feet. When they came to us, they were spending over $120,000 a year on HVAC repairs, almost all of it reactive. Units were failing mid-season, tenants were frustrated, and they had no visibility into which buildings were driving the costs.

We started with a full Vitals Report across all six properties. The assessment identified 23 units with deferred maintenance issues, three that were within a year of likely failure, and roughly $14,000 in repairs that their previous vendor should have caught during routine maintenance visits.

Within 18 months of moving to a structured preventive maintenance program, their annual HVAC spend dropped by nearly 40%. More importantly, they went from an average of nine emergency service calls per year to two. That's not just a cost savings. That's fewer disruptions, fewer tenant complaints, and less time spent managing crises.

Take the First Step

Whether you manage one building or twenty across Central Texas, the first step is the same: understand the actual condition of your equipment. Our free HVAC Vitals Report gives you a clear, honest assessment with real data, not a sales pitch.

As Austin Energy's 2024 Contractor of the Year, CG Service Pros has the experience and the track record to help property managers across Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, and Lakeway build maintenance programs that protect their investment and keep their tenants comfortable.

Learn more about our commercial HVAC services or request your free Vitals Report to get started.

Request Your Free HVAC Vitals Report

Have questions? Call us at (512) 766-5079 or visit our contact page to schedule service.