Dishwasher Repair Cost: What Common Repairs Run

Most dishwasher repairs land between $160 and $300, according to HomeAdvisor's cost guide, and Fixr puts a common repair at $100 to $300. The total depends mostly on which part failed: a door gasket or detergent dispenser is cheap, while a wash motor or control board can approach the price of a new machine.

Below are the published numbers for the repairs technicians do most often, what you can check yourself before paying for a visit, and how to tell when a repair stops making sense.

What a repair visit costs before any parts

Every repair starts with someone showing up and finding the problem. Fixr reports a service call fee of $35 to $100, which many companies credit toward the repair if you go ahead with it, and a separate diagnostic fee of $50 to $75 at some shops. Ask which one applies when you book.

Labor is the other fixed piece. HomeAdvisor puts dishwasher technician labor at $75 to $100 an hour, and Fixr reports $50 to $100 an hour plus materials. Most single-part jobs take an hour or so, which is why the part itself drives most of the difference between a cheap repair and an expensive one.

Common dishwasher repair costs by part

These ranges include parts and labor and come from two published consumer cost guides, Fixr and HomeAdvisor. Local rates, the brand, and how hard the part is to reach all move the final number.

HomeAdvisor's full range for dishwasher repairs runs from about $70 at the low end to $600 at the high end. If a quote falls well outside the ranges above, ask the technician to explain what is driving it.

Which repairs are cheap and which are expensive

Usually inexpensive

• Door gasket. A worn or torn seal is a common cause of leaks at the front of the door and is one of the lower-cost fixes.
• Detergent dispenser. A dispenser door that won't open leaves detergent unused and dishes dirty.
• Spray arm. A cracked arm or one with clogged holes cuts cleaning power. Clearing the holes is often free; replacing the arm is still modest.

Middle of the range

• Drain pump. When the tub holds standing water after a cycle and the filter and hose are clear, the pump is a common culprit. See our guide to a dishwasher not draining for the checks to run first.
• Water inlet valve. A valve that fails to open leaves the tub dry; one that won't close can overfill it.
• Heating element. A bad element shows up as wet dishes or poor cleaning on cycles that rely on heat.

Usually expensive

• Control board. Electronic faults, dead panels and recurring error codes often trace here.
• Wash motor and pump assembly. This is the largest single repair on most machines, and on an older unit it is often the point where replacement wins.

What you can check before paying for a visit

Some problems that look like a failed part are really a clog or a setting. Before you check anything inside the machine, unplug the dishwasher or switch off its circuit breaker, according to Whirlpool's own repair guidance. If you are going to look under the tub or behind the kick panel at the bottom front, also shut off the dishwasher's water supply. GE notes the valve is usually under the kitchen sink on the line that feeds the dishwasher and closes by turning clockwise; if there is no working valve there, close the main water supply to the house.

• Clean the filter. Most brands, including Bosch, GE and Maytag, point to a clogged filter first for both drainage and cleaning complaints.
• Look at the drain hose. GE's installation instructions call for a hose with no kinks or pinches and a high loop or air gap so dirty water cannot siphon back.
• Check the detergent. Whirlpool warns that hand soap or laundry detergent makes a dishwasher over-suds and spill onto the floor, which can look like a leak.
• Run hot water at the sink first. Several manufacturers recommend water at about 120°F so detergent dissolves. Lukewarm water causes cleaning complaints that no part will fix. Our guide on a dishwasher not cleaning dishes covers this in detail.

If those checks don't solve it, stop there. Pumps, valves, heating elements, wiring and control boards involve electrical testing and water connections, and a wrong move can cause a leak under the floor or a shock hazard.

What a technician tests

A technician typically confirms the symptom, reads any error code, and then tests the suspect parts rather than guessing. That usually means checking the drain pump and inlet valve for continuity or voltage, testing the heating element, inspecting the door latch and switch, and confirming the control board is sending power where it should. You are paying for that diagnosis, so ask what was tested and which part failed before you approve the repair.

Brand matters too. Some brands use more expensive parts or electronics that take more time to diagnose. If you know your brand, our brand pages for Bosch dishwasher repair, Whirlpool dishwasher repair and GE dishwasher repair explain the common faults, and the full list is on our brands page.

Repair or replace?

Fixr reports a new dishwasher at $400 to $700 for the unit plus $100 to $300 for installation, or $700 to $1,970 all in. Fixr's guidance is that if a repair costs more than about half the price of a new dishwasher, replacing it is usually better value, and that around 10 years old, replacement generally makes more sense. HomeAdvisor adds that an aging unit with no manufacturer coverage that needs frequent or major repairs is a good time to start planning for a new one.

A drain pump on a four-year-old dishwasher is usually worth fixing. A wash motor on a twelve-year-old one usually isn't. Our guide on how long dishwashers last walks through that decision.

How to keep the bill down

• Describe the symptom, brand and any error code when you call. It helps the technician bring the likely part.
• Ask whether the service call fee is credited toward the repair.
• Get the price for the part and labor before work starts.
• If the quote is near half the cost of a new unit, get a second opinion.

To compare local companies, start with our dishwasher repair directory or browse by state. For restaurants and other businesses, see commercial dishwasher repair, since commercial machines are priced differently from home units.