How Much Should You Charge for Computer Repair Services?

Posted by Jeff Weisbein on July 6th, 2008

How much should you charge for your repair services? It really depends on how much your time is worth, how good you are at what you do, and how much your competition is charging. I typically charge $50/hour, however, I may up that rate to $60/hour in the near future.

You should never charge too little - it makes you look bad. How so, you ask? Well, by charging much less than everyone else it makes people (possible customers) question your abilities and wonder why you charge so little. However, you do not want to over charge, especially if you are just a local shop or do this occasionally as a side job. I have found that anywhere from $50-$75/hour is relatively common and affordable for most people.

People are willing to pay for your services (provided you can give professional support) so do not be afraid to charge people, of course you can give discounts to your friends if you are feeling generous.

How much do you charge for your services? Leave a comment!

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Business, IT

Randy Nacol said,Reply to this comment

July 6, 2008 @ 8:47 pm

Jeff good post. I know I’m not in your type of business ,as in the tech type, but you got me thinking on how I can use it in the business i am starting. I am a professional when it comes to the Jewelry Industry. I sometimes have a tendency to low ball myself. You know I am worth premium for my service. Thanks man

daniel said,Reply to this comment

October 5, 2008 @ 8:13 pm

how much should i charge for reinstall windows?

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Memo said,Reply to this comment

October 9, 2008 @ 7:48 pm

I’m an IT at a professional business and all the employees know that I am good at what i do. So now they are bringing their personal computers to me and I am not sure how to charge, for example, installing a usb driver by running a cd. I let one employee go, which was a bad idea, and i still feel that i should still charge him because other employees will say its not fair and then i’ll lose profit. How should i charge for my expertise?

Jeff Weisbein said,Reply to this comment

October 9, 2008 @ 8:33 pm

@daniel: How much is your time worth? It really comes down to that - opportunity cost. What else could you be doing instead of reinstalling Windows and what benefit would it bring to you? It could be money or something else like education - which could lead to more money in the future.

Bottom line, you need to sit down and figure out what costs you have and how much your time is worth. Then figure out how much to charge. Also, depending on where you live - price varies. I would say, anywhere from $40-$60/hour for an OS reinstall would be fine. If you choose to do it on a flat rate - $100 is pretty good. Especially considering Geeksquad charges $230.

Jeff Weisbein said,Reply to this comment

October 9, 2008 @ 8:41 pm

@Memo: What I said to daniel also applies to you. Obviously, you’re getting paid a salary from your job, however, if employees are bringing in personal machines then sure you should charge them. It’s extra work for you that you really aren’t getting paid for. Since they are co-workers perhaps you should consider some kind of “discount”.

I’d say, if it’s something as simple as installing a driver which probably took you all of 2 seconds - let that slide. It’s good business practice - don’t worry they’ll be back.

I’d say $20-30 per computer would be fair. After all, it’s just extra cash in your pocket.

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