What an appliance repair proposal is for
Repair or replace is the hardest call in appliance service, and customers feel pushed either way. Three written options settle it: the cheapest repair that gets it running, a fuller repair that heads off the next failure, and replacing the unit. The customer picks, and you have done your job whichever way they go.
What to put on an appliance repair proposal
- The diagnosis, the same for all three options.
- What each option fixes and what it leaves.
- The repair warranty for each.
- For replacement, the install and haul-away.
- A place to choose and sign.
A worked example
A twelve-year-old dryer with a failed heating element and a worn drum belt and rollers. You price each line from your price book.
Option 1: Good: replace the heating element. Gets the dryer heating again; other worn parts stay.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dryer heating element | 1 | each | Your price |
| Repair labor | 1 | hour | Your price |
Option 2: Better: element plus belt and rollers. Fixes the heat and the worn parts likely to fail next.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dryer heating element | 1 | each | Your price |
| Drum belt | 1 | each | Your price |
| Drum rollers | 1 | set | Your price |
| Repair labor | 2 | hour | Your price |
Option 3: Best: install a new dryer. Customer buys the dryer; we install, vent and haul away the old one.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dryer install and hookup | 1 | each | Your price |
| New dryer vent duct | 1 | each | Your price |
| Haul away old dryer | 1 | each | Your price |
Put the dryer's age in the notes. Customers choose option three more readily when they see the age written down next to the repair cost.
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
- Fill in the customer and the job.
- Check each option's name, its one-line difference and its lines.
- Add your prices; each option totals on its own.
- Set tax, the deposit and the good-until date.
- Print it, download it, or send it from Koira so the customer can pick and sign on the phone.
Free tools for appliance repair
The same proposal 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.