(First) - Does anyone know a typical price for getting my new gear serviced next year when I get ready to take my vacation? (Regulator, first & second stage plus octo).
(Second) - Do the gauges need serviced each year, if so how much is that?
There is a lot of 'information' in the responses, including not an insignificant amount of cynicism.
1. The general range for service of a regulator is $25 - $35 per stage. It may be higher at some facilities, probably not lower. Servicing a stage - first or second - properly may take an hour, possibly more, and so the hourly rate really isn't that high, notwithstanding the rather interesting view of some that such service should somehow be free.
2. The replacement parts kits are an additional expense and may run $15-40 per stage. If the regulator is under a warranty, or a 'free parts for life' sales promotion, then you may not have to pay for parts.
3. Some shops will build the broader aspects of service - inspection and cleaning of gauges (the threading and hoses, primarily), for example - into the overall price of annual service. Some won't. Do the gauges NEED to be serviced? If there is no manufacturer specification, the general answer is, 'No.' There is a reasonable body of experience among service technicians that many users DO NOT adequately rinse their regulators in fresh water after use, even though they think they do, and that corrosion is more common than users suspect. So, the argument could be made that annual inspection, at the very least, is a good idea.
You are not required to service your regulators. You can simply use them for X number of years and replace them, if you wish. You can use them for X number of years until a problem develops, and have them serviced then, if you wish. You can decrease the likelihood of needing service by proper care - rinsing with fresh water after use, storage in a climate moderate area, etc. That is not an absolute guarantee of continued proper performance, but is a statistically useful prognostic variable.
Before simply submitting regulators for service at a LDS or service facility, you should ask a) what is the charge, b) what is included, c) are parts included, or separate? That way you know what to expect.