Service-call and diagnostic fees, explained
- $89 + tax diagnostic ($129 + tax gas, commercial or high-end brands), waived with repair
- Written finding
- 90-day warranty on parts replaced
- Insured
- English & French
What the written finding looks like
Every visit produces this one-page report. It's the same document whether you repair or not, and it's what your warranty refers to.
- Appliance, brand, model and serial number
- The symptom you reported and what we observed
- The cause, in plain language
- Recommended fix, parts, labour and total
- Our verdict: repair, or replace, and why
- Your approval line and the warranty terms
- Appliance
- Refrigerator, French door, brand and model from the label, approx. 7 yrs
- Reported
- Fridge section warm; freezer OK
- Observed
- Evaporator coil fully iced; defrost heater open circuit
- Cause
- Failed defrost heater; air can't pass the iced coil
- Fix
- Replace defrost heater; clear ice; test cycle
- Parts / labour
- Itemised, with prices
- Total
- Quoted total (diagnostic waived)
- Verdict
- Repair — worth it Well under replacement cost; compressor and fans healthy.
- Warranty
- 90 days on parts replaced; labour coverage depends on the work done
Sample layout with illustrative values. Real reports carry the brand, model, serial number and actual prices.
Every appliance repair company charges for the visit somehow. Some call it a service call, some a dispatch fee, some fold it into a minimum charge, and some advertise it as free and recover it in the repair price. RepairWell states its diagnostic price before you book, the same way everywhere, and waives it when you proceed with the repair:
| Appliance | Diagnostic visit |
|---|---|
| Ordinary home appliances (electric, non-gas): fridge, freezer, washer, electric dryer, dishwasher, electric range or oven, microwave and others | $89 + tax |
| Gas home appliances: gas range or stove, gas oven, gas cooktop, gas dryer | $129 + tax |
| Thermador, Miele, Viking, Wolf and Fisher & Paykel home appliances, gas or electric (see high-end appliance repair) | $129 + tax |
| All commercial appliances, gas or electric, including commercial kitchen equipment | $129 + tax |
The high-end rate applies to those four brands only; other brands, including other built-in brands, follow the electric or gas rate above. Not sure whether your range or dryer is gas or electric? Choose "not sure" when you book; we confirm it with you before the visit, so you know which price applies.
What the diagnostic buys
- A technician at your home or business in Ottawa or Gatineau, within our standard service area
- A full inspection of the appliance, not a glance
- A one-page written finding: the symptom, what we observed, the cause, the recommended repair with parts, labour and total, and our verdict on whether it's worth doing
- A quote you approve before any work starts
When it's waived
When you approve the quoted repair, the diagnostic ($89 + tax or $129 + tax) is not charged; you pay the quote. If a part has to be ordered and the repair is finished on a second visit, the diagnostic is still waived once the repair is completed.
When you pay it
If you decide not to repair, if we recommend replacing the appliance, or if the part is no longer available, you pay the diagnostic ($89 + tax for an electric home appliance; $129 + tax for a gas home appliance, a Thermador, Miele, Viking, Wolf or Fisher & Paykel appliance, or any commercial appliance) and you keep the written finding. The finding includes what to look for in a replacement. We don't sell appliances, so the verdict is not a sales pitch.
Other visit rules
- An extra travel fee applies beyond 35 km, quoted before booking.
- A second appliance diagnosed on the same visit is $45.
- Emergency service from 6 pm to midnight is a $169 + tax emergency call within 35 km; beyond 35 km an extra travel fee is quoted from your address. Emergency repairs are quoted on site before any work starts and cost more than regular repairs. RepairWell is not a 24/7 service.
- Emergency visits never use the diagnostic price: the $169 + tax emergency call replaces it.
"Free service call with repair" versus a diagnostic fee
They are the same arithmetic when you repair: the visit costs you nothing extra. The difference shows when you don't. A "free with repair" offer often means a fee is charged if you decline, and the amount isn't always stated up front. Our number is on this page, on the booking form and on the invoice.
Quebec customers
Quebec's consumer-protection rules require a written estimate before appliance repairs over $50, and allow a fee for preparing it only if you were told the exact amount beforehand. Our written finding is that estimate; the diagnostic price ($89 + tax, or $129 + tax for a gas appliance, a Thermador, Miele, Viking, Wolf or Fisher & Paykel appliance, or a business) is the amount, and it's stated before you book.
Questions
Is the diagnostic charged if you can't fix it?
If the appliance isn't worth fixing or the part isn't available, you pay the diagnostic for the visit and the finding ($89 + tax for an electric home appliance; $129 + tax for a gas home appliance, a Thermador, Miele, Viking, Wolf or Fisher & Paykel appliance, or any commercial appliance), and nothing else.
Which brands have the $129 + tax home diagnostic?
Thermador, Miele, Viking, Wolf and Fisher & Paykel home appliances, gas or electric, including electric models such as a Miele dishwasher or a Wolf wall oven. It is waived when you proceed with the repair. Other brands follow the home rate for their fuel: $89 + tax electric, $129 + tax gas.
Why does a gas appliance cost more to diagnose?
Gas ranges, ovens, cooktops and dryers are diagnosed by licensed gas technicians, and the visit includes the checks a gas appliance needs. The diagnostic is $129 + tax, and it is waived when you proceed with the repair.
Can I get a price over the phone?
A range for common repairs, yes; a quote, no, because the price depends on what actually failed. The finding gives you the real number before any work.
Do you charge for a second opinion?
The same diagnostic price applies ($89 + tax, or $129 + tax for a gas appliance, a business or a Thermador, Miele, Viking, Wolf or Fisher & Paykel model), and you get the same written finding, which you can compare against the other quote.
Related
Sources
Sources checked 2026-09-24.
Book a diagnostic
$89 + tax for an electric home appliance, $129 + tax for a gas home appliance or any commercial appliance; waived when you proceed with the repair. Written finding on every visit.
Pick a preferred day and arrival window online; we confirm by email once a technician is assigned.
- $89 + tax diagnostic$129 + tax for gas or commercial appliances and for Thermador, Miele, Viking, Wolf or Fisher & Paykel; waived when you proceed with the repair
- Written finding on every visitCause, price and our repair-or-replace verdict
- 90-day warrantyOn parts replaced; labour depends on the work done