What a Computer Repair Actually Costs
Repair pricing is not a secret. Here is what we charge, and the handful of things that genuinely move the number up or down.
The honest version
Most repair quotes depend on one question: does the machine need a part, or just labour? Labour is predictable and we publish it. Parts vary enormously — a laptop keyboard and a laptop motherboard are both "the part", and they are not in the same price range. So we diagnose first, tell you what is wrong, and give you a number before any work starts. If you approve the repair, the diagnosis time is credited toward it — you are not paying twice for the same hour.
What We Charge
The same rates everywhere we work. No travel fee, no city surcharge.
The part that matters:If you approve the repair, the diagnosis time is credited toward the job. Parts are quoted separately and only after you have approved them — we do not replace anything you have not agreed to.
What actually moves the price
Five things, and only five, change what a repair costs.
Labour or parts
Labour is billed by time and is predictable. Parts are the variable — and the same fault on two different machines can differ by an order of magnitude depending on how available the part is. We quote the part before fitting it.
Whether it is still under manufacturer warranty
If the machine is inside its manufacturer warranty, a hardware failure is a supplier claim, not a repair you pay for. We handle the claim on your behalf. This is the single most common way people pay for something they did not need to.
Laptop or desktop
Laptops are more labour-intensive to open, diagnose and reassemble, and their parts are far less interchangeable between models. A desktop that does not boot is usually a faster diagnosis than a laptop that does not boot.
Age and parts availability
On older machines, parts can cost more than the machine is worth. When that happens we say so rather than quoting a repair that does not make financial sense — replacing one ageing machine is often cheaper per year than repeatedly repairing it.
On site or on the bench
On-site work is billed by the hour from the moment we arrive, which is the right choice for network and environment problems. For a machine you can drop off, bench work is usually the more efficient option for the same fault.
What to check before you pay for a repair
Five questions that stop a repair becoming a repeat purchase.
Find out what is actually wrong first
A fault identified is a quote you can judge. Authorising "a repair" without a diagnosis is how people end up paying for parts that were never the problem.
Check whether the machine is still in warranty
Before paying for a repair, it is worth knowing whether the manufacturer should be covering it. Business machines commonly carry three-year onsite cover, and many owners do not realise it applies.
Ask whether the part is new, refurbished or pulled
All three are legitimate in the right circumstances, and they are priced differently. You should know which one is going into your machine before it is fitted.
Ask when replacing beats repairing
If a machine is several years old and the mainboard has failed, the arithmetic often favours replacing it. A repair should be the cheaper option over the time you keep the machine, not just the cheaper option today.
Back up before anything is opened
Any work involving a drive carries risk. Backing up first is cheap; recovering data afterwards is not. If the drive itself is the problem, say so up front — that changes both the approach and the price.
How Quickly You'll Hear From Us
These are our published commitments — the same everywhere we work.
How a Quote Works
We look at what is actually needed before quoting, so the number you receive matches the work.
- You describe the problem or the job — no obligation.
- We diagnose or scope it and tell you what is involved.
- You get a fixed quote for an agreed scope before any work starts.
- If the scope changes, you hear about the cost before we continue.
Nothing is ordered, replaced or produced without your approval.
Response Times
How quickly you'll hear from us.
Computer Support
PC and laptop repair, diagnostics and custom builds — on site or dropped off.
IT Support in Johannesburg
On-site repairs and call-out detail for Johannesburg and the northern suburbs.
What IT Support Costs
The difference between paying per visit and a fixed monthly amount.
Custom PC Builds
When replacing makes more sense than repairing, and what a build includes.
Questions About Cost
Is the call-out fee on top of the repair price?
The call-out covers the first hour on site at R750, then R450 an hour. If you approve the repair, the diagnosis time is credited toward the job. Parts are quoted separately.
What if the machine is not worth repairing?
We will tell you. Where a repair costs more than the machine is worth, quoting it would only cost you more later. You pay for the diagnosis, and you keep the information.
Do you charge less if it is a quick fix?
The call-out is the first hour on site, so a fault resolved inside that hour costs R750 and nothing further. Bench diagnostics start from R450 if you would rather drop the machine off.
Do you supply the parts?
Yes. Parts are quoted for your approval before anything is fitted, and where a machine is under manufacturer warranty we process the claim on your behalf instead.
Is on-site more expensive than bringing it in?
On-site is billed by time, so it depends how long the job takes. For a machine you can drop off, bench work is usually more efficient. For network, power or multi-machine problems, on-site is almost always the better value.
Do you recover data from a failed drive?
If the drive is readable we will get your data off it and onto something reliable before doing anything else. If the drive has physically failed, that is a specialist recovery job and we will tell you honestly rather than attempt it.