For most countertop microwaves, replace rather than repair — a magnetron (the part that fails when it stops heating) plus labor lands right at the price of a new unit that starts around $150. A door switch or turntable motor is cheap enough to fix, and built-in or over-range microwaves — which cost far more to replace — are worth repairing.
Typical, national repair costs (parts and labor), compiled from published appliance repair pricing guides. "Worth it" assumes an average-age unit — a newer microwave tips toward repair, an older one toward replace. Researched estimates, not a quote — parts availability and your local labor rate move the real number.
| Failure | Typical repair | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Magnetron (no heat) | $100–$300 | usually replace |
| Door switch | $75–$150 | depends on age |
| Turntable motor / diode | $75–$200 | depends on age |
The 50% rule: replace when the repair is over half the price of a new one AND the microwave is past half its ~9-year life. Run the numbers for yours →
For a countertop microwave, usually not — a magnetron repair plus labor approaches the cost of a new unit that starts around $150. Built-in and over-range microwaves cost far more to replace, so those are worth fixing.
On a countertop unit, replace it. A microwave that runs but will not heat is usually a failed magnetron, and that repair costs about what a new countertop microwave does. A built-in is the exception worth fixing.
Microwave repairs run $75–$300. A door switch or turntable motor is cheap; a magnetron is the costly one that usually favors replacement on countertop units.
A microwave lasts about 9 years on average, per the National Association of Home Builders.
The free calculator takes the failure, your quote, and the age and gives a repair-or-replace verdict with the math shown. See the full repair-or-replace guide for every appliance, or — if you fix appliances for a living — how SideWRK works for appliance repair, or open the live demo with no signup.
Run the calculator →SideWRK runs an appliance repair business from your phone — flat-rate invoices with the service-call fee credited, billable mileage, truck stock that warns before you run out, and the honest warranty check that earns the next call.
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