Repair Quote Comparison

What this calculator does

Two repair quotes can look different because one bundles the service call into labor while another lists every fee separately. This tool helps you put two or three written offers into the same table. Use it before authorizing work, or when you want to ask a technician a precise question about a charge.

The calculator adds the amounts you supply and displays the warranty wording alongside the totals. A lower total is a spending comparison, not a ranking of workmanship. First make sure the offers address the same appliance, symptom and proposed repair. If one quote is provisional, label it clearly and ask what could change after inspection.

How to use it

1. Select two or three quotes. Give each a short label you will recognize, such as the business name or the date of the written estimate. Labels are optional and remain part of your browser session.
2. Enter labor and parts separately using the technician's document. If an offer gives only a combined repair price, ask for clarification rather than splitting that amount into guessed categories.
3. Add the diagnostic fee and service-call fee only if each is an additional charge. A bundled fee belongs in one field, once. Check whether travel, an extra visit or other agreed charges are already included in the written labor total.
4. Enter a confirmed fee credit when an already-entered diagnostic or service-call fee will be applied toward the repair. A credit reduces the total. The credit must not exceed those two fee amounts together.
5. Enter the actual quoted tax amount in dollars, not a tax percentage. Copy the written warranty's duration, parts coverage, labor coverage and exclusions into the warranty field. An empty field is shown as not supplied.
6. Calculate and inspect the table. Compare each line as well as the grand total, then use Copy results or Print report to keep a record. Changing a field clears the old result so the next comparison reflects your current inputs.

Worked example

Illustrative inputs only; these are not actual technician quotes or repair-price estimates. Quote A lists $120 labor, $80 parts, a $50 diagnostic fee, $20 service call, a $50 confirmed credit and $16 tax. Its total is $236.

Quote B lists $150 labor, $70 parts, no diagnostic or service-call fee, no credit and $18 tax. Its total is $238. Quote A is $2 lower using those entered amounts.

The small difference makes the written scope particularly useful. If one offer excludes a return visit or covers only the part rather than labor, ask the provider to clarify that term before comparing the offers as equivalent. The calculator preserves the wording you enter instead of converting a warranty into an invented cash value.

How the math works

Subtotal = labor + parts + diagnostic fee + service-call fee. Net charges = subtotal − confirmed fee credit. Total = net charges + entered tax amount. Each quote is calculated independently, with all amounts expressed in U.S. dollars.

The tool does not calculate state or local tax rules. Use the dollar amount in the offer and ask the provider to resolve a missing tax line. Zero is a deliberate assumption, not confirmation that an item is tax-exempt. Quotes with different repair scopes or missing charges need clarification even when their arithmetic is correct.

Tips for a better decision

• Ask whether the quote is fixed or whether additional authorization is required if inspection reveals another problem.
• Confirm the appliance model and exact repair scope on every offer.
• Get credit terms in writing, including whether the fee is credited only if you proceed immediately.
• Compare appointment availability, warranty handling and included visits alongside the total.

Frequently asked questions

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