Cost guide 02
Repair or
replace?
Every broken appliance asks the same question, and the answer is arithmetic, not sentiment. Two numbers decide it: what the repair costs, and how much useful life the machine has left.
The fifty-percent rule
If the repair quote is under half the cost of a comparable replacement — fitted, delivered, installed — repair almost always wins. You keep the machine that fits your kitchen, skip delivery-and-haul-away fees, and pay a third to a quarter of replacement cost for years more service. If the quote is over half, look hard at the machine's age before signing anything.
Expected lifespans, honestly stated
- Refrigerator — 10–15 years with normal household use.
- Washer — 10–13 years with normal household use.
- Dryer — 10–13 years with normal household use.
- Oven / Stove — 13–15 years with normal household use.
- Dishwasher — 8–10 years with normal household use.
The question is where your machine sits in that band. A 6-year-old dishwasher is middle-aged — repair it. A 12-year-old dishwasher is at the far edge — one more cheap repair maybe, anything sealed or electrical and it's time.
When repair clearly wins
In Brooklyn and Queens it wins more often than almost anywhere, for boring reasons: a 36-inch range in a pre-war cabinet opening doesn't come out without carpentry; a stacked washer-dryer in an Astoria closet wasn't designed to be replaced with what's on the market now; a co-op board makes replacement a two-week conversation and repair a one-day visit. If the quote is reasonable and the machine is under about half its lifespan, fix it and keep your kitchen.
When replacement clearly wins
- The machine is past ~75% of its lifespan AND this is its second failure in a year
- The repair quote crosses half of fitted replacement cost
- Parts are discontinued and the quote includes remanufactured sourcing
- The failure is the compressor on a budget fridge — at that point the repair math and the energy math both point to the curb
Either way, the diagnosis comes first — the work order takes sixty seconds and the quote you approve comes after someone has actually looked at the machine. Start in Brooklyn orQueens, or readwhat repairs cost first.
Decision questions
Straight answers
Should I repair an appliance that's already broken down twice?
Two failures in a year is the classic inflection point. If the machine is past half its expected lifespan and the second repair costs more than a third of replacement, the math says replace. If both failures were the same cheap part — one honest repair each time under $200 — one more try is defensible.
Does repair make sense in a rental apartment I don't own?
Almost always, and doubly so: the appliance isn't yours to replace, the landlord's decision cycle is slower than a broken fridge, and repair keeps your kitchen running without a lease negotiation. Submit the work order and loop the landlord in if the lease requires it.