Appliance repair
Refrigerator Repair Cost Calculator
Prices a fridge repair, where the sealed system and everything else are two different jobs.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus the part and the call-out. Fridge faults divide cleanly. Non-sealed repairs, meaning the defrost system, evaporator and condenser fans, thermostats, door seals, control boards and the ice maker, are ordinary part-replacement jobs with predictable parts and an hour or two of labour. Sealed system work, meaning the compressor, the refrigerant circuit and a leak anywhere in it, requires EPA certification, recovery equipment and brazing, and the cost is a large multiple of a fan or a board.
What moves the number
- Whether the fault is in the sealed system, which changes the cost by a wide margin.
- Part availability, since control boards for older models are frequently obsolete.
- Whether it is a built-in or counter-depth unit, as those cost far more to replace.
- Age against expected life, which decides whether the repair is worth making.
Where this one goes wrong
Diagnose whether it is sealed system before quoting, because the two answers are not close. A fridge that is not cooling could be a failed evaporator fan, a defrost system fault icing up the evaporator, or a refrigerant leak, and only the last one is expensive. On economics, be honest: a sealed system repair on an older standard fridge frequently approaches the cost of a new one, and the common guidance of not repairing above roughly half the replacement cost is a reasonable test. Built-in and integrated units are the exception, because replacement means cabinetry as well as appliance, which justifies a repair that would be uneconomic on a freestanding unit.
Before you quote
- Establish sealed system or not before giving a price.
- Check part availability for older control boards before committing.
- Compare the repair against replacement cost, including cabinetry on built-ins.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
Why are some fridge repairs so much more expensive?
Because sealed system work is a different trade. The compressor and refrigerant circuit need EPA certification, recovery equipment and brazing, while a fan, thermostat, defrost heater or control board is ordinary part replacement. A fridge not cooling could be either, which is why diagnosis comes before a price.
When is a fridge not worth repairing?
A reasonable test is whether the repair exceeds roughly half the replacement cost, weighed against the unit's age and expected life. The exception is a built-in or integrated unit, where replacement means cabinetry work as well, so a more expensive repair can still be the better option.
My fridge is warm but the freezer is cold. What is it?
Commonly the evaporator fan or a defrost system fault, both of which are ordinary repairs, rather than a refrigerant problem. The fridge section is usually cooled by air moved from the freezer, so a fan failure or an iced-up evaporator produces exactly that symptom at modest cost.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.4 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $115.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $85.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 1.4 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $115 |
| Parts and materials | $85 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $341 |
| Labour | $161 |
| Before tax | $341 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $341: $161 of labour, $85 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $58 | $261.20 |
| $86 | $300.40 |
| $115 example above | $341 |
| $173 | $422.20 |
| $230 | $502 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 1.4 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $115.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $85.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.