"Urgent", "Emergency Service" and "night/weekend" servic charge for showing up to provide an initial assessment can cost between $75-$149. We suggest that you ask before the tech is dispatched.

"No Service Charge With Repair"
When the rate is $59-$75: If a repair is performed many companies apply the initial payment "towards the labor", or they say that they waive the Diagnostic/Service Charge:"No Service Charge With Repair"
 Typically, if the fee is waived the repair rates start at about $89 or $99 on a repair ( and this includes the trip fee) plus parts. Many appliances could be repaired with labor ranging from $99 to $199 plus "parts".

Our experience has shown, that companies that charge a very low service fee, or provide a 'free' diagnostic rate often fall into one of the following categories:

• Inexperienced tech

• A company that has a technician in the area (anyhow, or idle staff on a payroll).

• A lone technician or a small, unknown company, that are working “off the books”, or do not have a solid infrastructure. We have heard and seen several such cases with people who found technicians at online bulletin boards such as CL. There is a risk, but you could find highly qualified and established technicians at bargain pricing too.

• Where there is a high probability of a 'positive outcome' (defined as a likely repair, or high profit margin). In this scenario we are often prepared to charge a very low service fee! 

  A knowledgeable technician is often able to tell you the expected repair cost depending on the symptoms!

• An established company during a slow season, or off season, or on a slow day.

We believe that many companies may mark up the parts several considerably which might give an impression of "cheap labor". I find that some companies find it easier to charge for "parts" than confidently charge the normal labor rate. Keep in mind that for many repairs (and estimates) the technician has to spend time traveling to and from the customers home, and there are insurance fees, fuel, and vehicle expenses too.

If you ask a company to provide you with an "estimate" over the phone, we often are told that most companies typically say that they "can not" diagnose over the phone. This is especially true when you are talking to a receptionist. I suggest that you ask to speak to the technician over the phone.

In our experience, it is often possible to provide an educated diagnosis and expected price range "estimate" over the phone for most given malfunctions (and yet it is hard to find a someone that will give an estimate. There are several reasons for this as we mentioned above.)


Higher rates for Commercial Appliances & HVAC Diagnostic Service call
I have seen commercial HVAC and Refrigeration companies charge a fixed labor rate by the hour. They often charge a minimum of $99.00-$150.00 for the first Half hour or so and some of these HVAC and Refrigeration companies might charge for travel time and mileage.
Typical repair net earning after parts:
Editorial note: It appears that many companies use an informal "sliding scale" system where they try to earn between $99-$275 per repair. With some customers, and certain types of repairs technicians may find themselves losing money and time by spending more time than initially estimated, especially if a second problem surfaces, or if they get caught in rush hour traffic. Often due to the low cost of a replacement appliance product ($200-$300 for used appliances, and $300-$500 for low end products) the technician has no choice but to keep the price within the range that the customer was initially willing/able to pay. 

Perhaps the price is limited especially due to the fact that the cost of new appliances have droped and customers are often reluctant to pay more than $350 for a repair (unless the replacement will cost near $1000 US Dollars. Since the cost of replacement appliances often cost $500-$800  repair rates are being kept low, even when the repair is extensive and parts need to be ordered and a second visit is required.

This creates a disparity between what an appliance technician can earn in contrast to what an equally skilled HVACR (heating ventilation and Air Conditioning/Refrigeration) technician and auto mechanic peer charges with out much misgivings.  

I think that the laws of 'supply and demand', the "declining cost" of  new appliances and the lack of motivation of customers to pay high labor rates are the (invisible) factors that created the apparent lack of standardized hourly rates (and the cheap replacement cost is competing and squeezing the livelihood earnings of the skilled tradesman). At peak summer season or peak winter companies can recoup some of their losses with charging for emergency services when the 'supply' of service is low.

I feel that technicians should be upfront and transparent about the labor that they need to charge and avoid "selling" parts. But customers often do not like paying for labor, especially when some competitors conceal and lower the 'labor' rate through marking up parts several hundred percent (%).

It is sometimes challenging to give a quote by phone due to the practice of many competitors to not disclose the expected profit, or likely repair rate. This could make them sound less expensive.

It seems to work to the advantage of the service company when they do not provide a price quote over the phone. Since we find that most customers do proceed with a repair once they made a commitment to pay the technician for the service call ( therefore, providing pricing, from a pure marketing point of view seems counter productive (in light of the norms in the industry).

When calling for service, please keep in mind that repair circumstances vary and several factors could determine the final quote price. It is always a wise to ask the technician to communicate clearly what his pricing structure is.  Also, emergency service rates and variables such as travel time and distance, brand and type of appliance could all have an impact on repair and service call rates. Some companies in the field will charge more for high-end products, for refrigeration, imports, front loading washers and stackable washer/dryer units.

For people on a budget, or for those whom are comparison shopping for the best price, they might find it useful to ask the repair company or tech for a quote, or a price range for a repair (in the "best case scenario" the "worst case" plus what in his assessment is "most likely cost". I encourage you to get this quote over the phone. The technician will need to know the make, model, approximate age of the appliance and a good description of the symptoms and malfunction. 

The pricing information provided here intended to provide a snapshot of common rates for   consumers by service and repair companies. If you would like to know exactly what we will charge you on our next service call please call us first. 

 This page is intended to provide a general overview about Appliance and HVAC service industry pricing trends and consumer behavior with regard to shopping for service. the pricing information provided here does not necessarily represent the rates that 24/7 Express charges. We hope that consumers would find this information useful when considering servicing an appliance or HVAC system.

PLEASE NOTE: The information provided here is an opinion based on impression alone! The writer of this article did not use a scientific method of data analysis. He approached this as an anthropologist or sociologist using observation alone [with a focus on economic trends, consumer behavior and general patterns observed]. 
Why is it hard to find a fixed "repair" "price list" on repairs
Our experience is that many companies only offer a fixed price for the initial visit or estimate. When I called GE and Sears for a specific quote for a given repair, I was not able to get a price. It appears that what one normally finds is a repair "price range" and not a fixed rate.

When I attempted to collect data from major players in the Major appliance repair industry, no company that I contacted was willing to provide a concrete pricing quote beyond the service call/trip charge. A former Sears employee told me that Sears used to charge a $240 flat rate for repairing a refrigerator plus parts. He also told me that technicians were encouraged to sell accessories.

I think that many companies avoid giving pricing over the phone perhaps because they are afraid of starting a bidding war where the rates will diminish or the customer will go to the lowest bidder. 
 In fact, when I initially tried to establish a price structure for our company, I called GE and Sears and I was very frustrated that the actual repair pricing appeared to be shrouded with secrecy.  I was not able to get a quote, not even if I specified a specific type of repair. The pricing mentioned in the ezine article are lower than I have seen in my area.

  HVAC and commercial refrigeration service charge rates are typically higher: These  start at $89.00 up to $150.00