How Much does it Cost to Fix a Coffee Machine?

Coffee Machine Repairs Cost and Pricing Factors Explained

In this article we’re going to answer the difficult question of ‘What’s the cost of  repair for a coffee machine?’.

This is a difficult question to answer, so make sure to keep in mind that there are many factors that go into the final price of a coffee machine repair. Before we get into the real numbers and give actual examples of typical coffee machine repairs, we’ll first tackle all of the factors that influence how much a coffee machine costs to repair.

What Affects the Price of a Coffee Machine Repair?

1. The Cause of the Breakage

The main factor affecting the cost of a repair is the cause of the issue. As a rule, any issues that you can see externally are generally cheaper to repair compared to broken internal components.

On the cheaper end of repairs, we often see common parts that needs replacing such as a leaky seal or gasket, maybe the pump pressure is too low and needs a basic adjustment, or maybe all it takes is a proper deep clean and descale of the machine. These are all quick repairs and are often simple enough where we can send you the part and guide you through the repair yourself, making them quite affordable.

On the more expensive end, you have the more hands-on internal repairs such as issues with boilers, broken heating elements or main circuit boards. These issues are more expensive to fix but are thankfully quite rare, especially if you’ve utilised barista training and are keeping your espresso machine clean

2. The Cost of Replacement Parts

Following on from the cause of the issue, the next thing that affects price is any new parts that are required.

As mentioned with some of the more minor fixes, some issues will be very cheap to fix with common parts such as replaceable seals or gaskets. Whilst major issues such as broken boilers, motherboards or heating elements require parts that are harder and more expensive to manufacturer and not as readily available.

Whilst we have a first time fix rate of over 98%, we can’t guarantee that we’ll have the exact part required in stock. This is especially true of rare issues and uncommon machines, and may mean a second visit an additional time cost is required.

3. Labour Cost and Time

Thirdly, a big factor in the cost of a coffee machine repair is how much time the issue will take to fix. If the repair is simple and something we can guide you through quickly over the phone, it saves significantly on the cost of labour and transport. However, if the issue requires one of our service and maintenance to be there in person, the price will go up depending upon the total time invested.

Our pay-as-you-go repair fees include an initial callout time, with further labour time being charged in addition. We’ll go into the numbers down below. Enrolling yourself onto a retained service & maintenance contract allows for additional or unlimited labour leading to significant cost savings when issues come up.

4. Insurance, Damage Cover or Maintenance Contracts

Finally, the last factor in the cost of fixing your coffee machine is whether you already have insurance of any kind, service cover or equipment protection from your supplier.

If you are insured and you have been taking care of your machine according to the providers requirements such as regular descales and boiler inspections, then you should have nothing to worry about when it comes to paying for repairs. If you are paying for continued service and maintenance cover, then you’ll have a guaranteed level of cover including parts, response times, and any additional labour charges. This can significantly reduce or eliminate the cost of the repair altogether.

So, How Much do We Charge for a repair?

So now that we have explained why the price can vary drastically and what factors go into the final cost, let’s dive into some real examples to explain how our pricing works.

For pay-as-you-go repairs, our initial call-out fee is £150 with an included first half hour of labour, plus £15 for every 15 minutes additional labour cost and the additional cost of any replacement parts.

It’s impossible to say how much every repair costs because of the factors we’ve discussed, but some of the most common issues we see range from a simple espresso machine steam valve replacement which starts at around £300 (£150 callout + £90 90 mins labour + £70 parts), to a more involved Steam Boiler replacement around £900 (£150 callout + £360 6hrs labour + £400 parts) due to the additional complexity, labour and replacement part costs.

Our ongoing service contracts entitle you to complementary repairs, a guaranteed level of cover, response time and remote assistance, and included labour time. The price of these contracts depends on another wide range of factors including the type and number of machines, along with the overall scope of the contract such as machine rental, wholesale coffee beans etc.

Why Wait For a Breakage?

With our UK-Wide team of service and maintenance engineers, your coffee machines and equipment is in good hands. By enrolling into a service contract, you’ll save the cost of labour and repair callouts. We have a number of contracts available to suit your budget and needs, find out more here -> Service and Maintenance.

Learn more about our pricing:  Our Pricing Page, How Much does White Label Coffee Cost? & The Price of a Wholesale Coffee Supplier