Get Quotes from Top Appliance Repair Services in Fort Worth, TX

Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Appliance Repair Service in Fort Worth

The decision to repair your microwave, freezer, washer, or dryer is worthwhile if such work is not a short-term fix, would not void your warranty, or result in injury from heavy lifting or electrocution. Qualified appliance repairs in Fort Worth are experienced to help mitigate any of these liabilities and save you money. However, before you settle for an appliance repair service in the city ensure to ask the following questions to determine if the technician can complete your repair effectively:

Are You Licensed to Practice as an Appliance Repair Service in Fort Worth?

Appliance repair men in Fort Worth do not typically require any locally issued occupational licenses to provide their services to interested residents of the city. However, any of these technicians that wish to offer refrigerator repair services in the city must obtain a state-issued Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Providing refrigeration-related services in Fort Worth without possessing a valid TDLR-issued license is considered a criminal offense and is punishable by fines of up to $5,000.

Individuals that wish to obtain air conditioning and refrigeration contractor licenses will be required to meet complete and submit an application form to the TDLR at:

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
P.O. Box 12157
Austin TX, 78711-2157

These applicants must also fulfill certain eligibility criteria, which include:

  • Submitting verifiable proof of acceptable educational and work-related experience
  • Sitting for and passing a licensing examination
  • Providing proof of acceptable insurance coverage
  • Paying all stipulated licensing fees

Likewise, appliance repair men that wish to provide residential appliance installation services in Fort Worth must also obtain a state-issued license from the TDLR. This license can be obtained by submitting a completed Residential Appliance Installer License Application Form, along with the stipulated application fee, to the department at the address provided above. These applicants will equally be required to sit for and pass a licensing examination before being issued the requested license. Note that businesses that offer residential appliance installation services in the city must apply for a separate Residential Appliance Installation Contractor License from the TDLR. These businesses must also have a licensed residential appliance installer on record and provide proof of acceptable insurance coverage before they can be issued this license.

You can get more information on state-issued appliance repair-related licenses by contacting the TDLR at (800) 803-9202 for callers within the State of Texas and (512) 463-6599 for callers outside the state. You can also verify the validity of TDLR-issued licenses via the department's online License Data Search platform.

Finally, even though appliance repair men in Fort Worth do not generally require occupational licenses to ply their trade, some of these technicians obtain voluntary professional certifications from trade associations. Examples of these associations include the International Society of Electronics Technicians, the Professional Service Association, and the United Appliance Servicers Association. Appliance repair men that have been trained and certified by these types of organizations typically have more on-the-job experience and are also held to higher professional standards than non-certified repair men, which, in turn, translates to better service delivery. However, you should always verify any certifications that your intended appliance repair man offers by contacting the appropriate certifying organization.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Appliance Repair Services in Fort Worth?

Data published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that appliance repair men in the Fort Worth area earn hourly wages of over $24 per hour. Nevertheless, the total cost of repairing your faulty appliances in the city will be affected by several factors, some of which include:

  • The type and brand of appliance
  • The nature of the problem
  • The extent of damage to the appliance
  • The appliance's power source

It is advisable to get and compare quotes for your repair job from at least three different appliance repair men in the city before making your final hiring decision. You should also get these repair men to physically inspect the faulty appliance before they provide their quotes. Doing this helps you get a fair idea of the average cost for these repairs within your vicinity and also helps you spot technicians that fraudulently overcharge for their services.

Appliance repair men in Fort Worth earn an average annual wage of $51,470. Provided below is a comparison of the hourly average wage for appliance repair men in Fort Worth with those of these technicians in other areas of the State of Texas and several other locations across the United States:

Fort Worth Appliance Repair Man Average Hourly Wage
$24.75
Texas Appliance Repair Man Average Hourly Wage
$22.78
Houston Appliance Repair Man Average Hourly Wage
$22.60
Chicago Appliance Repair Man Average Hourly Wage
$17.16
Los Angeles Appliance Repair Man Average Hourly Wage
$23.44
New York City Appliance Repair Man Average Hourly Wage
$27.05
San Antonio Appliance Repair Man Average Hourly Wage
$22.59
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Are You Certified by the Manufacturer to Repair the Appliance in Fort Worth?

Factory certification is an important factor to consider when searching for the right technician to help you fix major appliances like refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, stoves, and microwave ovens. Factory-certified technicians typically receive routine and ongoing training on specific types and brands of appliances from manufacturers, which provides them with the specialized knowledge needed to properly and expertly fix these appliances. Other benefits of hiring factory-certified technicians are:

  • They have access to authentic and genuine appliance repair parts
  • They receive direct technical and administrative support from appliance manufacturers
  • They ensure that the terms and conditions on your appliance's warranties are not invalidated

As such, even though factory-certified technicians typically cost more than non-certified technicians, hiring them saves you the risks of dealing with inexperienced technicians that may end up causing more damage to your faulty appliance. Note that you should always validate claims of factory certification from any appliance repair service in Fort Worth that you intend to hire. Also, in some situations, you may be unable to find a factory-certified technician for your particular type or brand of appliance. Under these circumstances, you should ensure that the technician you hire is not only adequately experienced and equipped but also has access to any authentic parts and components that may be needed to fix your faulty appliance.

Will You Get the Appliance Parts and Accessories Required by the Manufacturer?

Appliances like freezers, refrigerators, stoves, microwave ovens, dryers, and dishwashers typically contain components and accessories that fail over time, which in turn reduces their overall efficiency. When this happens, it is important to make sure that the technician you hire to fix your appliance uses original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts when replacing these faulty components.

OEM parts are appliance parts that are made by the original manufacturer of the appliance in question and are supplied specifically for this appliance. On the other hand, generic appliance parts refer to parts, components, or accessories that were made or supplied by any firm or company that is not the appliance's original manufacturer. It is best to use OEM parts for appliance repairs for the following reasons:

  • OEM parts come directly from the appliance's manufacturer and thus they generally have a higher quality than generic parts
  • OEM parts are more durable than generic parts, thereby saving you money in the long run
  • OEM parts help protect your appliance's warranty

However, it should be noted that, in some situations, you may have to end up using generic parts for your appliance repair. This is usually the case when the production of OEM parts for the appliance has been discontinued by the manufacturer and these parts also cannot be sourced via local suppliers, appliance parts stores, or online marketplaces. Under these circumstances, a professional appliance repair man will typically inform you of the situation and request your go-ahead to use generic parts for the repair job.

Finally, always request a warranty from your technician for any parts that are used for your appliance repair. Professional appliance repair men in Fort Worth typically issue manufacturer's warranties for appliance parts that are purchased and replaced during repair jobs as well as workmanship warranties that guarantee that the repair was done properly. Note that, while some appliance repair men may offer verbal workmanship warranties, it is always a good idea to get warranties in writing with their terms and conditions clearly stated.

What Kind of Appliance Repair Services Do You Offer?

Appliance repair in Fort Worth typically include a wide range of services, such as dishwasher and microwave oven repair and installation, stove repair and installation, washer and dryer repairs, and refrigerator repairs. As such, before hiring any appliance repair man in the city, you should always confirm that this technician not only offers services for the type of appliance that you own but also specializes in the specific brand of this appliance. Doing this reduces your chances of being on the receiving end of unsatisfactory or shoddy repair services.

Another key step to take in avoiding misunderstandings with appliance repair men in the city is finding out how much you will be charged for the job before concluding any hiring agreements with them. The list below provides cost estimates for common services that professional appliance repair men in Fort Worth offer to interested parties:

Central vacuum system installation
$1,428 - $2,122 (for existing typical four-bedroom home)
Dishwasher repair
$112.50 - $187.50
Dishwasher water and drain line installation
$112 - $130
Dryer repair
$110 - $185
Electrical appliance installation
$108 - $147 (for basic appliance hookup only)
Garbage disposal unit repair/installation
$300 - $380
Gas appliance installation
$100 - $200 (for basic appliance hookup only)
Ice maker water line installation
$105 - $155
Kitchen hood repair
$100 - $200 (labor only)
Microwave oven installation
$109 - $122 (labor only, for basic microwave installation)
Microwave oven repair
$112.50 - $187.50
Refrigerator water line installation
$110 - $160
Washer repair
$110 - $185
Stove repair
$100 - $220 (labor only)
Refrigerator repair
$110 - $200 (labor only)

How Do You Handle Issues of Product Repairs Going Wrong?

Even after taking actions like hiring factory-certified technicians, comparing cost estimates, and using OEM parts, there is always the possibility that you end up unsatisfied with your appliance repair service. If this happens, it is advisable to personally reach out to the appliance technician that handled the job and inform them of the situation. In many cases, the technician will reasonably try to resolve the matter by either re-doing the repair, offering you a partial or complete refund, or referring you to another technician.

However, if you suspect that the appliance repair job turned out unsatisfactorily due to negligence or fraudulent behavior on the part of the technician, you can take up the matter with an appropriate third party. This may be the Texas Attorney General's Office, which is charged with protecting residents of Fort Worth from deceptive and fraudulent business practices, or the Better Business Bureau, which also assists consumers on these types of matters.

Matters concerning unsatisfactory appliance repairs can be filed with the Texas Attorney General's Office by calling its consumer protection hotline at 1-800-621-0508 or by filing a complaint online. Similarly, you can get assistance on consumer-related matters by contacting the Better Business Bureau's Heart of Texas regional office located at:

306 W. Broadway Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76104
Phone: (844) 477-1099

It is important to note that there is no guarantee that these agencies can help you get monetary compensation or other forms of personal remedy for the actions of the appliance technicians in question. However, if you wish to seek these personal remedies for up to $20,000, you can do so by filing a lawsuit against the technician with an appropriate precinct of the Tarrant County Justice of the Peace Courts. It is advisable to always consult with a licensed private attorney before commencing any legal actions. You can find consumer attorneys in Fort Worth by utilizing referral services provided by the Tarrant County Bar Association and the National Association of Consumer Advocates.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Appliance Repair Services in Fort Worth?

The importance of hiring properly insured technicians cannot be overstated. Working with insured technicians provides you with financial and legal coverage in situations where an injury occurs as a direct result of your appliance repair job or the technician damages your property during the job.

Note that there are generally no local insurance obligations for appliance repair men in Fort Worth. However, technicians that wish to engage in refrigeration repair and residential appliance installation activities in the city must comply with certain mandatory insurance requirements before they can obtain the required state-issued license for these activities. These requirements generally include maintaining minimum liability insurance of $300,000 per occurrence or a minimum of $600,000 aggregate for property damage and bodily injury coverage as well as minimum liability insurance of $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operation.

Always make sure that your intended appliance repair technician maintains a valid liability insurance plan with coverage limits that are adequate for your specific repair job, regardless of whether or not the job requires a state-issued contractor license. You can do this by requesting a copy of the technician's insurance certificate and validating the contents of this document with the issuing insurance provider.

You can also get additional information on the mandatory insurance requirements for appliance repair men that hold state-issued contractor licenses by contacting the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation at (800) 803-9202 and (512) 463-6599 for callers within and outside the State of Texas respectively.

How to File a Complaint Against a Bad Appliance Repair Service in Fort Worth

In February 2021, local news station WFAA-TV reported that over nine homeowners in the North Texas area had collectively lost thousands of dollars to a fraudulent individual offering home improvement and repair services to unsuspecting homeowners in the area. According to the report, this individual had previously been several felony convictions for theft and was the subject of several bad reviews on the Better Business Bureau website. Scams are an unfortunate occurrence in Fort Worth and across the State of Texas, and the state's Attorney General's Office estimates that it handles thousands of consumer fraud-related every year.

As such, when looking for qualified technicians to help you fix faulty refrigerators, dryers, microwave ovens, dishwashers, or handle any type of appliance repair in Fort Worth, it is necessary to take precautions to avoid falling victim to conmen. These precautions include:

  • Be wary of door-to-door technicians. Contact your appliance manufacturer to get referrals to factory-certified technicians within your vicinity. You can also find and look up reviews and testimonials on appliance repair men in the city via reputable sources like the Better Business Bureau
  • Always get and compare quotes for your appliance repair job from several technicians
  • Always verify that your technician holds a valid state-issued license if the task involves refrigerator repair or appliance installation
  • Do not pay upfront fees. Only pay for repairs that have been completed
  • Make sure that the technician gets your approval before purchasing any parts and ask to see defective parts that are being replaced
  • Request warranties for all purchased parts as well as for the work done. You should also take the time to read and understand these warranties so that you do not end up invalidating them

The Texas Attorney General's Office is responsible for handling matters involving fraudulent appliance repair men in Fort Worth. You can file complaints with this office by calling its consumer protection hotline at 1-800-621-0508. Complaints can also be filed with this office either by completing and submitting a consumer complaint form online or by mailing a completed pdf consumer complaint form to:

Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548