Guides

Seasonal Maintenance Reminder Schedule for HVAC and Plumbing

When to send spring AC and fall furnace tune-up reminders, which plumbing reminders belong on the calendar, copy-paste texts and emails, and the texting rules that apply.

Ijharul Islam October 21, 2026 9 min read

A seasonal maintenance reminder schedule, in short: start spring AC tune-up reminders in late February or March and fall furnace reminders in late August or September, about six weeks before each rush, with three touches at most. Add yearly plumbing items such as backflow tests and water heater flushes on each customer's due date, and text only between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

More on this topic: Calls, texting and booking, every guide in one place.

Tune-ups fill the shoulder months, but only if customers book them before the first hot or cold week. After that, the phones fill with no-cool and no-heat calls and the tune-ups get pushed. A written reminder schedule fixes that: who gets a reminder, in which month, through which channel, and what it says. Below is a month-by-month calendar for HVAC and plumbing shops, the timing for each touch, copy-paste texts and emails, and the consent and quiet-hour rules. It's general information, not legal advice.

Key takeaways

Book before the rush: ENERGY STAR advises annual pre-season check-ups, cooling in spring and heating in fall, because contractors get busy once summer and winter come.
Three touches is enough: about six weeks before the season, three weeks before, and one last call. Stop as soon as the customer books.
Plumbing reminders run on due dates, not seasons: backflow tests (yearly where the water utility requires it) and water heater flushes.
Plan members and past customers are different: a visit someone already paid for is informational; a tune-up offer to a past customer is marketing and needs written consent to text.
Quiet hours: federal rules bar telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m.; Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland cut off at 8 p.m.
Keep records. Warranties exclude damage from improper maintenance, so a dated visit record helps the customer and you.

What does a seasonal maintenance reminder schedule look like?

A seasonal maintenance reminder schedule is a calendar of which customers you remind each month and why. This one suits a residential HVAC and plumbing shop in a four-season climate; shift it a month earlier in hot southern markets and later in the north:

Month	HVAC	Plumbing	Notes
January	Heating season: only overdue fall plan visits	Water heater flush offers in slow weeks	Fill gaps on the board
February	First spring AC tune-up reminder (south: mid-February)	Sump pump check before spring rains and thaw	Book plan members first
March	Second AC reminder around the clock change	Backflow tests due in spring	ENERGY STAR suggests planning check-ups around the time changes
April	Last call for spring tune-ups	Backflow due notices 30 days before each due date	Stop once booked
May	Overdue plan members only	Water heater flush for customers due	Board starts filling with no-cool calls
June–July	No tune-up campaigns; repairs come first	Due-date reminders only	Hold maintenance for slow days
August	First fall furnace tune-up reminder (north: early August)	Due-date reminders only	Book plan members first
September	Second furnace reminder	Outdoor faucet and freeze prep reminders in cold areas	Before the first cold snap
October	Last call for fall tune-ups	Backflow tests due in fall	Busy for heating soon
November	Overdue plan members, around the clock change	Freeze prep last call	Heating season starts
December	Overdue plan visits; plan renewals	Water heater flush offers	Slow weeks before the holidays

When should you send HVAC tune-up reminders?

Send HVAC tune-up reminders about six weeks before the season turns, so visits are done before the rush. ENERGY STAR's maintenance checklist advises annual pre-season check-ups, the cooling system in spring and the heating system in fall, and notes that contractors get busy once summer and winter come. It suggests planning check-ups around the spring and fall time changes, which gives customers an easy memory hook.

A three-touch schedule works for most shops. This is an example, not a standard:

Touch	Spring (AC)	Fall (furnace)	Channel
1. Season opener	Late February to early March	Mid to late August	Text to plan members; email to past customers
2. Reminder	Mid-March to early April	Early to mid-September	Text or email
3. Last call	Mid to late April	Late September to early October	Text or email

Plan members come first because you've already sold their visits; see how to price HVAC maintenance plans and how to sell maintenance agreements. Past customers who aren't on a plan get the same timing, but the message is an offer, which changes the consent rules below.

Which plumbing reminders belong on the calendar?

Plumbing reminders mostly run on each customer's due date rather than a season. The ones worth tracking:

Backflow tests: many water utilities require yearly tests of backflow assemblies. Sacramento County, for example, requires testing when an assembly is installed and at least annually after that, by a registered tester, with the report due within 20 days of the test. Remind 30 days before each due date. Our backflow testing business guide covers the service itself.
Water heater flushes: intervals in owner's manuals vary, so offer the flush on the schedule the manual for that heater gives, or yearly as a simple default, and log the date.
Sump pumps: a test before the spring rains in areas that need them.
Freeze prep: outdoor faucets and exposed pipes before the first freeze, in cold climates.

What should seasonal reminder texts and emails say?

Name your business, say what's due, give one way to book and keep texts near 160 characters. Replace the brackets:

Plan member, spring visit (text)

“[Business]: Hi [Name], your spring AC tune-up is included in your maintenance plan. Book a time here: [link] or reply and we'll call you. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Plan member, fall visit (text)

“[Business]: Hi [Name], it's time for your plan's fall furnace check before the cold sets in. Pick a time: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Backflow test due (text)

“[Business]: Hi [Name], the backflow test at [address] is due by [date]. We can test and file the report for you. Book here: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Past customer, spring offer (email)

Subject: Book your AC tune-up before the first hot week
Hi [Name], we serviced your [system] at [address] last [month]. Spring is the best time for a tune-up: we check the electrical parts, clean the condenser and test cooling before you need it. Visits are [price] and this month's times are open now: [link]. Reply to this email with any questions.
[Business], [postal address]. [Unsubscribe link]

Last call (text, with written consent only)

“[Business]: Last spring tune-up slots before summer: [dates]. [Price]. Book: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.”

For the visit itself, use the confirmation, day-before and on my way texts in our appointment reminder templates.

What are the rules for sending maintenance reminder texts?

The rules depend on whether a text is informational or marketing, and on the customer's state. The ones that matter most:

Rule	What it says	Source
Consent	Informational texts (a visit the customer already bought) need express consent; marketing texts (a tune-up offer) need express written consent	CTIA Messaging Principles (2023)
Federal quiet hours	No telephone solicitations, including marketing texts to cell phones, before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. at the recipient's location	47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1), (e)
Florida	Commercial telephone solicitation calls only 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and no more than three in 24 hours; the state counts text messages as telephonic sales calls	Fla. Stat. 501.616(6); 501.059(1)(j)
Oklahoma and Maryland	8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and three attempts per 24 hours	State statutes
Opt-out	Honor STOP and plain-language requests; consent revocations must be honored within 10 business days at most	CTIA; 47 CFR 64.1200(a)(10)
Marketing email	A valid postal address, a clear way to opt out, and opt-outs honored within 10 business days	FTC CAN-SPAM guide

The simple rule: send seasonal texts on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the customer's time zone, send no more than three per season, and stop the moment someone books or says stop. If you text from software, register first; see our 10DLC registration guide.

Do manufacturer warranties require annual maintenance?

Not always in so many words, but warranties exclude damage caused by poor maintenance, so skipping it can cost the customer a claim. One Daikin limited warranty, for example, excludes “normal maintenance” such as cleaning coils, cleaning or replacing filters and lubrication, and excludes damage from improper use, maintenance, operation or servicing. Terms differ by brand and model, so read the warranty for the equipment you install.

What you can say honestly in a reminder: “Regular maintenance helps keep your system running and gives you a dated record if you ever need a warranty claim.” Then keep that record on every visit.

Where CrewRobin fits

CrewRobin handles the plan visits, not the campaigns. Its maintenance plans take 1 to 12 visits a year, add each visit as a job 14 days ahead and bill yearly, monthly or per visit. Every booked visit gets a reminder text about a day before; the customer replies C to confirm or R to reschedule. Each customer's private page has a button to book again, and your online booking page asks for texting consent.

CrewRobin doesn't send seasonal campaigns to your customer list, doesn't let you choose your own reminder schedule (such as 30 days ahead), and doesn't track backflow or water heater due dates. Use your email or texting tool for those, inside the consent rules above.

Frequently asked questions

When should I send AC tune-up reminders?

About six weeks before the cooling season: late February to early March in most markets, earlier in the south. ENERGY STAR advises having the cooling system checked in spring, before contractors get busy in summer.

When should I send furnace tune-up reminders?

In mid to late August, with a reminder in September and a last call by early October, so visits are done before the first cold snap.

How many maintenance reminders should I send?

Three per season at most: an opener, a reminder and a last call. Stop as soon as the customer books, replies or opts out.

Can I text past customers about tune-ups?

A tune-up offer to someone who isn't on a plan is a marketing text, which needs express written consent and must respect quiet hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. federally, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland.

How often do backflow preventers need testing?

It depends on your water utility or state. Many require a yearly test; Sacramento County, for example, requires a test at installation and at least annually after that.

Put it to work this week

Put maintenance plans on autopilot: visits added as jobs 14 days ahead and a reminder text before each one. CrewRobin is free until your first 10 booked jobs, no card up front. Start free or see pricing.

Sources

Figures from outside CrewRobin were checked against these pages in October 2026. Most industry benchmarks come from vendors and agencies, so treat them as ranges, not rules.

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