Cost to repair a dryer

The most common dryer problems

Dryers only have one real job to do, but multiple dryer components can cause problems. We reached out to seven appliance repair companies around the country to ask about the issues their customers frequently have with their dryers and get the estimates we used for our costs in this article.

According to these industry professionals, the two most common problems by far are when heating elements stop working and when drums stop spinning. Both of these will prevent your clothes from drying properly and can cost a few hundred dollars to fix.

Our sources mentioned that lint building up in the exhaust system or filter is also common. This can cause a dryer to run less efficiently or worse — lead to safety concerns like overheating or starting a fire. The good news is that this is a more affordable fix, with professional cleaning available for less than $100 in some areas.

Dryer repair cost by problem

Dryers are fairly simple home appliances, but it’s usually a good idea to have a trained technician come out to diagnose whatever problem your dryer is having. “It’s not always just one part that’s broken or needed,” said Ron Shimek, president of Mr. Appliance (an appliance repair franchise based in Waco, Texas). “That’s why a thorough diagnosis is needed to get to the root of the problem and all the different things that could have caused it.”

Not all dryers have the same components, either — you may face different problems depending on whether you have an electric dryer or a gas dryer.

Electric dryer problems

In general, electric dryers are cheaper to repair than gas dryers, and one major reason why is that electric dryers are simply more common.

Gas dryer problems

Because gas dryers are connected to your gas supply, you may want to find a technician who’s experienced in this type of repair, especially if the problem is in the gas line itself.

Dryer repair cost by brand

We repeatedly heard from appliance repair technicians that the cost and ease of repairs really depend on your brand of dryer. While it’s true every technician has their own biases on what brands are more reliable, there are some common trends they mentioned seeing. Of course, even within a brand, there’s a range of potential issues which will affect your overall costs.

Dryer repair part costs

If you’re able, doing your own dryer repairs can save you a considerable amount in labor costs. Assuming you already have the right tools and know-how, all you need to pay for is replacement parts.

Part costs vary based on what part you need, what brand the part is for and how widely available the part in question is.

Bear in mind that a part that’s relatively inexpensive to purchase isn’t always cheap to replace if you’re paying someone for labor. Most technicians charge between $100 and $150 for a service call, but they may waive this fee if they end up doing work. Labor costs typically run anywhere from $50 to $100 an hour after that.

Broken dryer: repair or replace?

If you have a dryer long enough, you’ll inevitably have to decide whether it’s best to repair or replace it, and there are a few factors that should influence your decision. Probably the most important factors are the age of your dryer and how expensive the repairs are. The average dryer lasts around 10 years, but many models can make it longer with proper maintenance.

To make an educated decision, balance the cost of your current repairs against the potential life span of your dryer. As a general rule — if your dryer is over five years old and the repairs would cost at least half of the price of a new dryer, it’s probably time to cut your losses and buy a new one.

If your dryer is more than five years old and the repairs would cost at least half of the price of a new dryer, it might be time to replace it.

It’s also worth considering the fact that washers and dryers often come as matching sets. If you’ve already sprung for a matching set, you may decide to spend more on a repair since replacing just one unit could be prohibitively expensive or outright impossible. On the other hand, if your matching washer is also having issues, a problem with your dryer could tilt the scales in favor of replacing the whole set.

One way to avoid making this decision is to get a home warranty ahead of time. Home warranty companies almost always have options for appliance coverage. Once your plan is in place, all you have to pay for covered repairs is a service call fee.

» LEARN: What does a home warranty cover?

While dryer repairs alone probably aren’t enough to justify the cost of a home warranty, plans with dryer coverage will usually cover your other appliances too.

» CALCULATE: How much does a home warranty cost?

A reviewer from Texas had this to say about having their dryer repair covered by their home warranty: “I had an issue with the dryer. It's old and it was making funny noises. … The tech came out and said that the motor has to be replaced. … We had one less thing to figure out and I appreciated that.”