An appliance repair service call costs $70 to $130 in 2026, labor runs $50 to $125 an hour on top of it, and the average repair job comes to about $178. The money is in the parts jobs: a dryer heating element is a $250 ticket, a washer drain pump is about $195, and a refrigerator compressor is $700 or more. The diagnostic fee is the line most owners get wrong, either by waiving it or by hiding it in the labor, and this guide shows where it belongs.
Below is a starting price for twenty services, what pushes each number up or down, and one dryer-and-refrigerator call walked from the diagnostic to the total. The typical column matches the list Zeemy is adding for appliance repair accounts, so you can start from it and adjust for your market.
2026 appliance repair price table
Twenty services most appliance repair techs quote, with the 2026 national low and high and a typical price you can start from. Part jobs are all-in, parts and labor.
| Service | Low | Typical | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service call and diagnostic fee | $70 | $95 | $130 | Trip and diagnosis. Credit it when they approve the repair. |
| Labor, per hour | $50 | $85 | $125 | After the diagnostic. Bill in half-hour blocks. |
| After-hours or same-day surcharge | $50 | $75 | $150 | Evenings, weekends, and holidays. On top of the service call. |
| Refrigerator repair, general | $150 | $300 | $600 | Thermostats, defrost, fans. Sealed system is separate. |
| Refrigerator compressor replacement | $300 | $700 | $1,200 | Sealed system, brazing, and recharge. Apply the 50 percent rule. |
| Refrigerator evaporator fan motor | $200 | $300 | $400 | Part $30 to $150. The noisy freezer call. |
| Refrigerator door gasket | $120 | $185 | $250 | Part $50 to $75. Under an hour. |
| Ice maker repair or replacement | $100 | $175 | $250 | Most are a swap of the whole assembly. |
| Washer repair, general | $125 | $250 | $450 | Lid switches, valves, belts. Motor or drum runs $400 to $900. |
| Washer drain pump replacement | $125 | $195 | $260 | Part $40 to $60, 1.5 to 2 hours. |
| Dryer repair, general | $100 | $225 | $550 | Belts, rollers, thermal fuses. Gas at the high end. |
| Dryer heating element replacement | $150 | $250 | $400 | Part $30 to $120. The most common dryer call. |
| Dishwasher repair, general | $100 | $220 | $600 | Pumps, valves, door latches. Control boards at the top. |
| Dishwasher installation, replacement | $200 | $300 | $500 | Labor only, existing hookups. New line runs $300 to $1,300. |
| Oven or range repair, general | $100 | $250 | $600 | Elements, sensors, switches. Gas costs more than electric. |
| Oven igniter replacement | $120 | $180 | $325 | Part $20 to $50. The oven that clicks and never lights. |
| Microwave repair | $100 | $200 | $400 | Over-the-range at the high end. Countertop units are usually replaced. |
| Garbage disposal repair | $70 | $150 | $250 | Jams, leaks, and resets. Replacement is a separate quote. |
| Water heater element or thermocouple | $100 | $225 | $350 | Part $20 to $30 for a thermocouple. Gas needs the pilot relit. |
| Control board replacement | $150 | $400 | $900 | Part drives the price. Quote after the part number is confirmed. |
"Typical" is the price Zeemy preloads for a new appliance repair account, so a new owner can quote on day one and adjust for their market. Low and high are the 2026 national ranges from the pricing guides listed at the end.
What moves the price
The diagnostic fee and what it buys
Charge a service call that covers the trip and the diagnosis, $70 to $130 nationally, and credit it toward the repair when the customer says yes. Most owners who waive it end up running free calls for people who then buy a new machine. Put it on the estimate as its own line so the credit is visible.
Parts, and the markup on them
A heating element, a drain pump, or an igniter is a $20 to $120 part that becomes a $180 to $250 ticket. Mark parts up 30 to 50 percent over your cost, list the part and the labor separately, and the customer sees a fair split instead of one number they can shop against a parts website.
Brand and where the appliance sits
Built-in, luxury, and commercial units run $485 to $785 a repair because the parts cost more and take longer to get. A stacked washer in a closet or a refrigerator on the third floor takes a second person or a second trip. Price the access, not just the fault.
Gas versus electric, and sealed systems
Gas appliances price above electric across the board, and any sealed-system work on a refrigerator, meaning the compressor, the evaporator, or a recharge, is its own tier at $300 to $1,200. When the repair passes half the price of a new unit, say so on the estimate and let them choose.
After-hours and same-day
A same-day or emergency diagnostic runs $125 to $250 against $70 to $130 for a scheduled one. Add a surcharge line of $50 to $150 for evenings, weekends, and holidays, and charge it every time, because the tech who works Sunday is you.
A worked quote
A homeowner calls because the dryer runs but the clothes come out cold, and while you are there could you look at the refrigerator door that will not seal. Here is the quote, built at the kitchen counter after a fifteen-minute diagnostic.
Dryer and refrigerator, the Nguyens
The service call goes on first, because they agreed to it on the phone and it is the line that gets paid even if they say no to everything else. The heating element and the gasket are each quoted all-in at the typical price, part and labor together, so the customer compares one number per fix. The credit line at the bottom is the diagnostic fee coming back, which is the promise that made them book you over the warranty company.
They approve on their phone while you get the element off the van. The invoice goes out from the same screen and is paid by Stripe before you carry the toolbag out, with the property manager across town on a monthly recurring invoice that bills itself.
Pricing tips from the field
Never waive the service call
The trip and the diagnosis are real work, and $70 to $130 is what the market pays for them. Charge it every time, credit it when they approve the repair, and the customers who were going to buy a new machine anyway still pay for your hour.
Quote parts jobs flat, all-in
A dryer heating element at $250 sells better than a $70 part plus 1.5 hours at $85. Build a flat price for your ten most common part jobs, keep the service call and labor rates for everything else, and the estimate is a tap instead of arithmetic.
Put the labor rate on the estimate for odd jobs
When you cannot flat-rate it, quote the labor as an hourly line in half-hour blocks at $50 to $125 and the part as its own line at your marked-up price. The customer sees the split and the approval comes faster.
Sell the second appliance while you are there
You are already in the house with the van outside. Ask about the ice maker, the dishwasher that does not dry, the disposal that hums. A $185 gasket on top of a $250 element turns a $250 call into $435 with one extra hour.
Put property managers on recurring invoices
Landlords and property managers with a monthly service agreement are the steadiest money in the trade. Set the account up once on a recurring invoice with automatic reminders, and the twelve-unit building pays the van note while you are out on calls.
Questions appliance repair owners ask about pricing
How much should I charge for a service call or diagnostic fee?
In 2026, $70 to $130 nationally for the trip and the diagnosis, with most techs at $85 to $100. Credit the fee toward the repair when the customer approves it, and charge $125 to $250 for a same-day or emergency call.
What is a fair hourly rate for appliance repair?
$50 to $125 an hour after the diagnostic, with most one-van operations at $75 to $95. Bill in half-hour blocks, and flat-rate your ten most common part jobs so the hourly rate only comes up on the unusual ones.
How much do I charge for a dryer heating element?
$150 to $400 all-in, with most jobs at about $250. The element itself is $30 to $120, so the price is mostly the hour of labor and the service call. Quote it flat, parts and labor together.
Should I mark up parts?
Yes. 30 to 50 percent over your cost is standard, and it covers the trip to the supply house, the return when the part is wrong, and the warranty on the work. List the part and the labor as separate lines so the customer sees a fair split.
When do I tell a customer to replace instead of repair?
When the repair is more than half the price of a new appliance, or the unit is past ten years old and the fault is in the sealed system or the control board. Put the number on the estimate, say it plainly, and you get the install job when they buy the new one.
Sources
National ranges come from HomeGuide, Housecall Pro, Fixr, Angi, and Thumbtack appliance repair price guides for 2026, plus Angi and HomeGuide guides for dryer heating elements, refrigerator compressors, dishwasher installation, oven repair, and water heater repair, HomeAdvisor guides for ice maker and garbage disposal repair, and EasyBear part-replacement cost guides. Prices are 2026 US figures and vary by region; use them as a starting point and adjust for your market.