What should a fitness equipment service contract include?

A fitness equipment service contract should list covered machines, PM visits, parts, labor, response times, exclusions, renewal and termination terms.

Nookesh Karri ·Nov 7, 2026 · 10 min read

Cover with the title: What should a fitness equipment service contract include?

A fitness equipment service contract should name every covered machine, the number of preventive maintenance (PM) visits and what each visit includes, whether parts and labor are covered, and written response times. It should also spell out exclusions, travel and after-hours charges, how the contract renews and ends, and what report you get after each visit. If a term isn’t written down, assume you’ll pay extra for it.

The fitness equipment service contract checklist

A fitness equipment service contract is only as good as the schedules attached to it, because the main text often points to them for the numbers that matter. Each row is a clause to find in a quote, with the question to ask if it’s missing.

Clause	What to look for	Ask if it’s missing
Covered equipment	A list of each machine by location	“Which serial numbers are covered?”
PM frequency	A number of visits per year, not “as needed”	“How many visits, and when?”
Visit tasks	Lubrication, torque checks, testing, cleaning	“What does a technician do on each machine?”
Parts	Which parts are included, and the discount on the rest	“Are belts, decks and rollers covered?”
Labor	Included, discounted, or billed hourly	“Is repair labor in the price?”
Response time	Hours or days, by type of fault	“When will someone be on site?”
Hours and travel	Business hours, mileage, minimum hours	“What does a Saturday call cost?”
Exclusions	A named list	“What isn’t covered?”
Reporting	A written report per visit	“What do I get after each visit?”
Price and increases	Annual fee, payment timing, a cap on increases	“How much can the price rise at renewal?”
Term and termination	Length, renewal, notice period, exit fees	“How do I get out?”
Warranty	How the contract fits the factory warranty	“Does this keep my warranty valid?”

Which machines and how many PM visits

The contract should list each covered machine and set a fixed number of preventive visits a year. Precor’s published service agreement terms put the covered equipment and its location in Schedule 2 of the order form. Check that schedule against your floor, machine by machine, because a treadmill that isn’t listed isn’t covered.

Visit frequency is the next trap. Precor’s clause 2.2.1 promises routine maintenance “at such intervals as Precor may reasonably determine to be necessary.” That leaves the number up to the vendor. By contrast, the Life Fitness plans are named by visit count: PM2 gives 2 visits a year and PM4 gives 4.

A Skelcore guide on negotiating service contracts says to write the PM frequency into the contract: monthly, quarterly, or based on usage. To decide what your floor needs, see how often gym equipment should be serviced.

What a preventive maintenance visit should include

A PM visit should be described task by task, so you can check the work was done. The Fitness Experience preventative maintenance program spells out each visit:

recording all equipment, “including serial numbers, purchase dates and important notes / observations”;
a general wipe down of the equipment;
testing that programs and all functions work;
“Required lubrication, greasing and dressing of parts.”

Skelcore adds torque checks on key bolts and pivot points, bearing and bushing inspection, and a written condition score for each unit. A condition score is worth asking for. It turns a vague “all fine” into something you can compare year to year.

Know what a visit leaves out, too. Fitness Experience says “equipment diagnosis, part installations, repairs” and several other services “are not part of PMP appointments.” That’s normal, but it means a PM-only contract won’t fix the treadmill that broke last Tuesday.

Parts and labor: read the tier

Parts and labor are where two contracts with the same name can differ the most. Life Fitness shows the split plainly:

Life Fitness plan	PM visits a year	Labor	Parts
PM2 / PM4	2 / 4	Not included	10% discount
PM2 PLUS / PM4 PLUS	2 / 4	Unlimited	10% discount
Life Elite PM2 / PM4	2 / 4	Included	Included

Life Fitness doesn’t publish prices; you request a quote. For a ballpark, the Rework gym equipment planning guide says a full-service contract on a commercial cardio unit runs $200 to $400 per machine a year. Our post on treadmill maintenance service cost has per-visit prices to compare against.

Watch for “minor” and “major” parts. Precor’s clause 3.1 supplies minor spare parts at no extra charge only while the equipment is under warranty, and says major parts may be charged. Ask which list your belt, deck and drive motor fall on.

Response times, hours and travel

Response time should be a number in the contract, ideally split by how serious the fault is. The Rework guide suggests three tiers: “24-hour response for any equipment creating an immediate safety concern, 48-72 hour response for primary cardio equipment, and 5-7 days for secondary or specialty equipment.” Skelcore gives a similar example of on-site times: within 48 hours for non-critical issues and 24 hours for critical ones.

Read the response clause for soft words. Precor’s clause 2.5 points to a period “specified in the Third Schedule” and says Precor “shall use its best efforts.” “Best efforts” is not a guarantee.

Then check the hours. Precor’s normal working hours are “0830 hours to 1700 hours” on working days, and clause 4.4 says there’s no obligation to provide services outside them. If your busiest hours are evenings, ask what an evening call costs. Skelcore also suggests a clear travel policy covering mileage, minimum hours and after-hours rates.

Exclusions to look for

Exclusions decide how much of your real repair spend the contract covers. As of November 2026, Precor’s published terms exclude:

“batteries, headphone jacks, iPod connectors, USB connectors, upholster pads, and rollers”;
“Removal of rust or repair of cosmetic damage”;
“Software upgrades or defects”;
electrical work outside the equipment, moves not done by Precor, and third-party changes made without written consent.

Rollers and upholstery are among the parts a busy gym replaces most, so that first line matters. Precor’s clause 5.1.2 also says you can’t move covered equipment without its written consent. If you rearrange your floor often, ask about that before you sign.

Price, renewal and how to get out

The money terms are usually at the back, and they’re the ones that bite later. Precor’s terms say charges are “paid annually in advance,” with interest at “1% of the outstanding balance per month” on late payments. Skelcore suggests asking for a cap on annual increases and choosing a pricing model on purpose: fixed monthly, retainer plus discounted labor, or time-and-materials.

Renewal and termination need the closest read:

Auto-renewal. Precor’s agreement runs “an initial period of twelve months” and renews for another 12 months “unless either party gives written notice of its intention not to renew 90 days before the expiration.” Put that date in your calendar the day you sign.
Vendor exit. Precor may end the contract “with or without cause upon thirty (30) days written notice.”
Your exit. If you end it without cause, you pay the fees for the rest of the term.
Liability cap. Precor limits its liability to the year’s charges for the basic service.

Not every provider locks you in. Fitness Experience offers “a 12 month period, or an ongoing option, which does not require annual renewals.”

Service reports and the warranty

Every visit should end with a written report, because that report is your maintenance record. Fitness Experience promises a “Written report submitted by mail or email.” The Cybex 751T owner’s manual tells owners to keep a log sheet of all maintenance actions, and says Cybex is not responsible for regular inspection and maintenance. The duty stays with you, so the report must be specific enough to prove the work.

The warranty clause matters most on new equipment. Rework warns that “some manufacturers void warranties for non-OEM service,” and Skelcore says to get any warranty implications from an independent firm in writing. For what to keep alongside those reports, see what records a gym should keep for equipment maintenance.

My take on the clause most gyms miss

I’d read the auto-renewal and exclusions clauses before the price. A cheap contract that renews silently and leaves out rollers, upholstery and software can cost more than a pricier one with fewer holes. If you’re still deciding whether to sign anything at all, compare a preventive maintenance contract vs in house first.

One limit on doing this well: the schedules that hold the real numbers (response times, prices, the equipment list) usually aren’t public. You can only check them once a vendor sends a quote, so ask for the full order form, not just the brochure.

A per-machine record helps you hold a contractor to the contract. GymTagOps keeps each machine’s serial number, location, notes and service history, and a technician role with per-location access lets a contractor log their own visits. It doesn’t track parts, purchasing or vendor invoices, and warranty dates live only in notes, so the contract itself and its billing stay in your files.

FAQ

Do fitness equipment service contracts cover parts?

Not always. Life Fitness’s PM2 and PM4 plans include preventive visits but no labor or parts, and only its Life Elite tiers include both. Read the tier before you sign.

How long is a typical gym equipment service contract?

Twelve months is common. Precor’s published terms set an initial twelve-month period that renews automatically unless you give written notice 90 days before it ends.

What is usually excluded from a gym equipment service contract?

Wear items, cosmetic damage and software are common exclusions. Precor’s terms exclude batteries, upholstery pads and rollers, rust and cosmetic repair, and software upgrades or defects.

What response time should a fitness equipment service contract promise?

One gym planning guide suggests 24 hours for safety issues, 48 to 72 hours for primary cardio and 5 to 7 days for secondary equipment. Get the numbers in the contract itself.

Should a service contract include a written report after each visit?

Yes. Some providers already send a written report after each preventive visit, and it gives you the maintenance log that manufacturer manuals tell owners to keep.