Appliance repair tools

Start with the appliance average as a baseline: refrigerator $400, washer $300, dishwasher $200, oven $200, dryer $150. If a quote is far above that, the answer is usually a big part rather than padding - but you should hear which one.

Then apply the labor rate. Refrigerators $100-$250 per hour, washers $50-$150, ovens $50-$200, dryers and dishwashers $50-$100. Most refrigerator repairs are two hours or less, which puts a ceiling on the labor portion.

Then look up the part band. Cheap: gaskets and coils $50-$150. Middle: elements, pumps and igniters $150-$400. Expensive: control boards, compressors and sealed systems $500-$1,200. Knowing which band you're in is more useful than any calculator.

Finally, the 50% rule. Half of a $700-$1,970 installed dishwasher replacement is roughly $350-$985 - so a $400 dishwasher motor is a marginal call and a $600 one is not. Half of a $600-$1,500 dryer is $300-$750, which makes almost every dryer repair worth doing. Do that arithmetic before you're standing in your kitchen with a technician waiting.