Repair a washing machine for a drain pump, door lock, or inlet valve — those run $100–$300, well under a $600–$1,300 new washer, and they are common on machines under 7 years old. The one that usually means replace is a tub-bearing failure on an older front-loader: it is a full teardown, the labor is what kills it, and washers only average ~10 years.
Typical, national repair costs (parts and labor), compiled from published appliance repair pricing guides. "Worth it" assumes an average-age unit — a newer washing machine 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Drain pump | $150–$300 | usually repair |
| Door lock / lid switch | $100–$200 | usually repair |
| Water inlet valve | $100–$200 | usually repair |
| Tub bearing (front-load) | $150–$400 | usually replace |
| Belt / suspension | $100–$200 | usually repair |
The 50% rule: replace when the repair is over half the price of a new one AND the washing machine is past half its ~10-year life. Run the numbers for yours →
For a drain pump, door lock, or inlet valve on a machine under about 7 years old, yes — those run $100–$300 against a $600–$1,300 new washer. A tub-bearing failure on an older front-loader usually is not worth fixing.
Most washing machine repairs run $100–$400. Drain pumps, valves, and switches are on the lower end; a front-load tub bearing is the expensive, labor-heavy repair.
A washing machine lasts about 10 years on average, per the National Association of Home Builders. Front-loaders and top-loaders are similar; overloading and hard water shorten it.
Usually not. It is a full teardown of the machine — often three hours of labor — and the cost can approach a large share of a new washer, on a machine already near the end of its life. Run the replace math before committing to it.
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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