What an appliance repair change order is for
Appliances hide second faults: you replace a control board and find the motor it was protecting has failed, or you clear a drain and find the tub bearing worn. Going ahead without asking leaves the customer with a bill bigger than they expected. A short change order with the new part and labor, signed before ordering, keeps it fair.
What to put on an appliance repair change order
- The original estimate and its total.
- The new fault and how you found it.
- Added parts and labor, or credits.
- The new total.
- Customer approval before ordering more parts.
A worked example
After replacing the washer drain pump, the test cycle shows water leaking from the tub seal and the bearing is noisy. The customer agrees to the extra repair but wants to skip the new inlet hoses.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tub seal and bearing kit | 1 | each | Your price |
| Repair labor, bearing replacement | 3 | hour | Your price |
| Credit: inlet hoses not replaced | -1 | each | Your price |
A bearing job can approach replacement cost on an older washer. Say so in the notes and let the customer decide before you order the kit.
Line items appliance repair techs use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Service call and diagnosis | each | Say whether it is credited toward the repair if the customer goes ahead. |
| Repair labor | hour | Or a flat repair price from your price book. |
| Refrigerator compressor start relay | each | Brand and part number on the line. |
| Washer drain pump | each | Name the part and the model it fits. |
| Dryer heating element or igniter | each | Electric element or gas igniter, by model. |
| Dishwasher control board | each | Boards are costly; say so before ordering. |
| Oven bake element | each | Model and wattage. |
| Door gasket | each | Refrigerators, freezers and dishwashers. |
| Water inlet valve | each | Washers, dishwashers and ice makers. |
| Dryer vent cleaning | each | Often found as the cause of a slow dryer. |
| Return trip for ordered part | each | Say whether the second trip is charged. |
| Appliance install, customer supplied | each | Hookup, leveling and haul-away of the old unit if agreed. |
| Haul away old appliance | each | When the customer replaces instead of repairing. |
Terms and deposit language for appliance repair
- Deposit. No deposit on most calls. When an expensive part must be ordered, such as a control board or a sealed system part, take payment for the part before ordering, since it often cannot be returned.
- Payment. The service call is due at the first visit; the repair is due when the appliance works. If a part is ordered, say whether the service call is credited on the return trip.
- Warranty. State how long your repair is covered, for labor and for the part you installed, and that it covers that repair only, not other failures in an older machine.
- If the repair would cost a large share of a new appliance's price, you will say so before going ahead.
- Appliances under the maker's warranty may need the maker's authorized service; say if you are not.
- The customer clears access to the appliance and is present for the diagnosis.
How to fill it in
- Put in the original estimate number and amount.
- Write what changed in the reason box, plainly.
- Add the new work; type a minus quantity for any credit.
- Fill in the days added.
- Print it for a signature on site, or send it from Koira to sign by phone.
Free tools for appliance repair
The same change order for other trades: auto detailing, carpet cleaning, chimney, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, concrete, drywall, electrical, fence, flooring, garage door, general contractor, gutter, handyman, hvac, irrigation, junk removal, landscaping, lawn care, locksmith, moving, painting, pest control, plumbing, pool service, pressure washing, remodeling, roofing, septic, snow removal, solar, tree service, waterproofing, window cleaning.