3 pros!
Appliance repair can be an affordable alternative to replacing your appliances. We tell you how to find the best appliance repair professional for the job and how to avoid paying too much for repairs.
When your fridge is on the fritz or your stove is being stubborn, you may have no choice but to hire a professional appliance repair technician. Some tasks - like replacing the rubber gasket in a kitchen sink - are projects you can tackle on your own, but for major projects, hiring a professional is your best bet. This kind of assistance, however, can be pricey. How do you avoid paying too much for appliance repair?
1. Find the Right Repair Service
Any good repair starts with a great company. To find a likely candidate, begin by talking to friends and neighbors who have had work done. Were they satisfied with the price? The technician's skill? The work? Did they have the same problem reoccur? Next, look online and find reviews of prospective companies or individual professionals. Trusted sites like Angie's List have local listings which include "best and worst" ratings for your area, helping you to avoid problem contractors.
Once you've found a prospective repair pro, call or email and make inquiries. Start with questions about how much a basic service call-out will cost; most companies charge a minimum fee (anywhere from $50 to $100) just for coming to your house and looking at the problem. This means if they can't fix it, or don't have the parts to fix it right away, you're still on the hook for the appointment.
2. Average Cost for Appliance Repairs
There's no set standard for appliance repair costs, meaning a company can charge you as much or little as they want. If you find a local, independent contractor (via friends or local job boards) you may be able to save a significant amount of money, but these same contractors come without the safeguards of a licensed, bonded business.
Most contractors charge an hourly rate, and some will roll the call-out fee into their repair if the problem is one they can actually fix. Always ask how the total bill is calculated; it should be a combination of parts, labor and ideally the service fee. Hourly rates can range between $99 and $150 per half hour; this seems extremely high, but bear in mind many small jobs take less than a half hour to complete. Fixing the defrosting unit on a fridge, for example, is often as simple as changing out connectors which have become damaged, and can take less than fifteen minutes. Be wary of any company which charges a cut-rate for service, especially if they want to be paid in cash. Companies which accept credit cards also accept a certain level of liability - in the event they provide poor service, or no service at all, the payment can be clawed back by your credit card issuer.
3. Keeping Appliance Repair Costs Low
There are several ways to help lower costs for appliance repair. First, know the difference between what should be repaired and what should be replaced. The average lifespan for most large appliances is between eight and ten years; while many last longer, the price of repairing an old appliance combined with its high likelihood to break again may make replacement a better option.
In addition, you can save money by being as detailed about your problem as possible before the appliance technician arrives. This means providing symptoms of the issue along with the make, model and serial number of the appliance in question. Often, an experienced contractor will be able to make an interim diagnosis, and bring the appropriate parts on the first visit. This saves you excess labor cost and time spent identifying the issue. In addition, make sure to get quotes from more than one company. Some professionals won't want to provide an estimate over the phone: Avoid these companies, as they are likely trying to get you to commit to a service charge with no real idea of total cost.
Keeping costs down for appliance repair means doing your homework on companies, providing detailed information about your problem and sidestepping providers who don't offer solid estimates.