Gauteng · Local appliance technicians
How much does an appliance repair cost?
It depends on the appliance, the fault and the part, and anyone who gives you a firm number before seeing it is guessing. The technician we put you onto looks at it first and quotes before any work starts.
Why there is no rand figure here
Each technician we work with prices their own jobs, and the one who takes yours quotes before any work starts. We are not going to copy a figure off another website or an industry average instead. You would plan around it, and it would not be the price of your repair.
What we can tell you is what moves the price and what to ask, so the quote makes sense and two quotes can be compared.
The longer answer
An appliance repair bill is usually three things: a call-out or diagnosis fee, the part, and the labour to fit it. Some technicians give one fixed price once they have found the fault. Either way, ask for the three as separate lines so you can see where the money goes.
The part moves the price more than anything else. A door switch on a microwave and a control board on a washing machine are both one visit, and they are nowhere near each other on the bill. Whether the part is still made matters too: an obsolete part can end a repair however small the fault.
Then the sum that matters: the repair against what a new machine costs and how old yours is. A good technician tells you when it is not worth fixing. Ask them straight.
What decides the price
| Call-out and diagnosis | Usually charged whether or not you go ahead, because somebody drove out and opened the machine. Ask up front whether it comes off the bill if you do go ahead. |
|---|---|
| The part | Most of the cost on most repairs. Whether it is still made matters as much as what it is: an obsolete part on an older machine is the usual reason a repair stops being worth it. |
| Still under warranty? | If it is, the manufacturer's authorised service agent should do the work. Letting anybody else open it can void the warranty, which is a much bigger cost than the repair. |
| Fridges, freezers and air conditioners | Anything that opens the sealed refrigerant system is a different class of job and should be done by a registered gas practitioner. A regas quoted suspiciously cheap is worth a second question. |
| Repair or replace | A rule of thumb worth applying: if the repair is approaching half what the machine is worth today, and the machine is past halfway through its life, it is usually the wrong spend. Ask the technician what they would do. |
Ask before they start
- Is the call-out taken off the bill if I go ahead with the repair?
- Is the part new or reconditioned?
- Under the Consumer Protection Act, parts and labour carry three months. Are you giving longer, and in writing?
- Is it worth fixing, honestly, or should I put the money towards a new one?
- Is that including VAT?
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to fix an appliance in South Africa?
It depends on the appliance, what has failed and the part. The bill is usually a call-out or diagnosis fee, the part and the labour, so ask for each one and for the total including VAT. The technician should quote before starting.
Do I pay the call-out if I do not go ahead with the repair?
Usually yes, because somebody drove out and found the fault. Ask before they come whether the call-out is charged separately and whether it comes off the bill if you go ahead.
Price questions, one job at a time
Tell us what is wrong
Takes under a minute. An appliance technician near your area phones you back and quotes before any work starts. There is nothing to pay to be put in touch.