Appliance Repair Cost (2026)
Updated October 2026
Prices checked 2026-10-04 — sources cited below.
Appliance repair runs $50–$645 per job (parts + labor, Fixr rows). By appliance: refrigerator $250–$500, washer $137–$400, dryer $100–$200, dishwasher $100–$359, oven/range $150–$400. Labor bills $40–$110/hour on top of a $35–$200 service call.
What drives the cost
- The part. The single biggest swing: a refrigerator thermostat is $100–$260, but a compressor is $500–$1,000 before labor (Fixr).
- Sealed-system work. Refrigerant-circuit repairs (compressor, evaporator coil $200–$300) need certified techs and bill at the top of the band.
- Labor structure. $40–$110/hour, service call $35–$200, diagnostic $50–$75 — often waived when you approve the repair.
- Brand and part availability. Obscure brands and discontinued parts stretch lead times and push the quote to the band ceiling.
- Repair vs replace. Microwaves ($100–$220 to repair) sit at the replace border; for large appliances the 50% rule applies.
Repair vs replace
The honest comparison is repair quote vs new-unit price for the same capacity and brand tier. Sealed-system fridge work ($250–$500 typical, up to $1,000+ for the compressor alone) is where the math gets close. Simple jobs — dryer belts, dishwasher pumps, disposal jams — are almost always worth repairing. This cluster covers repairing existing appliances; for installing new ones, see the dishwasher installation cost guide. For the room these appliances live in, the kitchen remodel cost guide covers the full scope, and electrical panel replacement matters when an old panel can't support modern appliances.
FAQs
How much does appliance repair cost?
Most appliance repairs fall between $50–$645 per job (Fixr rows, parts + labor). Thumbtack pegs the average closer to $250, with some jobs near $400 — the publishers diverge, so we keep both bands rather than blending them.
What is the most expensive appliance to repair?
Refrigerators: $250–$500 for the typical job, and the compressor part alone runs $500–$1,000. A compressor failure can push a sealed-system repair past half the price of a new fridge — that is the classic repair-vs-replace decision point.
How much is the service call and hourly labor?
Labor runs $40–$110/hour, the service call $35–$200, and a diagnostic fee $50–$75 (Fixr). Many companies waive the diagnostic if you approve the repair.
When is it not worth repairing an appliance?
When the part plus labor approaches replacement cost. Microwaves (jobs run $100–$220) sit right at the border — replacement often wins. For big appliances, the 50% rule of thumb: if the repair exceeds half the price of a new unit and the appliance is past its expected lifespan, replace it.
Do repair quotes include parts?
The bands on this page are parts + labor per job (Fixr's unit definition). Part examples are listed separately in the table — e.g. refrigerator ice maker $350–$500, thermostat $100–$260 — because the part choice is the biggest swing factor inside each band.
Cost by appliance
| Appliance | Repair (parts + labor) | Typical failure points |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | $250–$500 | Ice maker $350–$500; compressor $500–$1,000; thermostat $100–$260. |
| Washing machine | $137–$400 | Pump, motor, bearings, transmission, control board. |
| Dryer | $100–$200 | Belt, heating element, motor, drum, thermostat. |
| Dishwasher | $100–$359 | Pump, control panel, motor, heating element, leak. |
| Oven / range | $150–$400 | Heating element, control board, igniter, thermostat. |
| Microwave | $100–$220 | Often the repair-vs-replace borderline. |
| Garbage disposal | $100–$250 | Jam, motor, leak — sometimes replacement. |
| Freezer | $100–$400 | Sealed system, thermostat, fan. |
| Washer-dryer combo | $653–$653 | Both units serviced in one visit. |
| Labor / service call | $40–$110/hr · call $35–$200 · diag $50–$75 | Applies on top of parts for every row above. |
Source: Fixr appliance repair pages, retrieved 2026-10-04; Thumbtack average ($250) and This Old House / HomeAdvisor context carried in the dataset notes. Bands are quoted per source and never averaged across publishers.
Sources
- Fixr - Refrigerator Repair Cost
- Fixr - Washing Machine Repair Cost
- Fixr - Dryer Repair Cost
- Fixr - Dishwasher Repair Cost
- Fixr - Oven Repair Cost
- Fixr - Microwave Repair Cost
- Fixr - Garbage Disposal Repair Cost
- Fixr - Freezer Repair Cost
- Thumbtack - Appliance Repair Cost
- This Old House - Appliance Repair Cost
All sources retrieved live on 2026-10-04 (per the dataset source log). Estimate only — get local written quotes. Figures gathered 2026-10-25; see the dataset file for the full source log.