Appliance Repair Job Math Sheet: Service Call, Flat-Rate & Break-Even Template (Google Sheets + Excel)

A service call pays for a lot more than the diagnosis: the drive both ways, the write-up, the van, and the tools. Flat-rate repairs can look fine and still lose once a second trip for a part is counted.

The Appliance Repair Job Math Sheet does that math for every service on your menu. You type your own numbers into the yellow cells. The formulas do the rest.

For each service it shows:

• Real hourly rate: what the job pays per hour of your time, before and after a tax set-aside.

• Owner compensation and business profit, kept separate: your wage at your target pay, and what the business keeps after paying you.

• Cost floor: the price that only covers costs and pays you $0.

• Break-even price: the lowest price that pays your full target hourly, with $0 left for the business.

• Suggested price: target pay plus your profit goal, rounded up.

• Suggested trip fee: what the drive costs you, if you bill it as its own line, plus 4 distance bands.

• A status flag: LOSES MONEY, BELOW TARGET PAY, BELOW PROFIT GOAL, or ON TARGET.

Example tab (illustrative). The sample tab is filled with EXAMPLE numbers for a one-van appliance tech's menu: a service call / diagnostic plus flat-rate washer, dryer, fridge, dishwasher and oven repairs; $2,000 a month in fixed costs over 70 jobs, 2.9% + $0.30 card fees, $0.65 a mile, and a $45/hr target. With those inputs the Service call / diagnostic column at $95 shows about $43.06/hr, a $97.40 break-even, a $110 suggested price and a $36 trip fee (STATUS: BELOW TARGET PAY). Part costs are illustrative. The $95 service call sits inside commonly published 2026 service-call / diagnostic fee ranges of about $70–$150 (2026 appliance repair cost guides), not a promise. These are example numbers for illustration, not real customer data. Your results depend on what you enter.

Every formula is visible. Formula cells are locked so a stray tap can't break them, and you can unlock them (no password) if you want to change something.

What's included

• Appliance-Repair-Job-Math-Sheet.xlsx, with 3 tabs:

  ◦ Start Here: short instructions and definitions.

  ◦ Example: filled in with an example menu (6 columns: Washer drain pump, Service call / diagnostic, Dryer heating element, Fridge defrost repair, Dishwasher not draining, Oven igniter).

  ◦ My Numbers: blank prices, up to 6 columns with name hints, and 4 trip fee distance bands.

• Appliance-Repair-Job-Math-Sheet-Quick-Start.pdf: a one-page quick-start guide with the worked example and the formulas.

Works in Google Sheets (upload to Drive, then File > Save as Google Sheets) and Microsoft Excel. No macros, add-ons or subscription.

Who it's for

• Solo and small-shop appliance repair techs who set their own service-call and flat-rate prices.

• Owners who want to check whether a service call fee, a flat-rate repair, a trip fee or a second-trip repair covers their time and costs.

• Not built for payroll, scheduling, inventory, bookkeeping or customer quotes/invoices.

FAQ

Does it work in Google Sheets?

Yes. Upload the .xlsx to Google Drive, open it, and choose File > Save as Google Sheets. It also opens directly in Excel.

Do I need to know spreadsheets?

No. Type only in the yellow cells. The grey and blue cells are formulas.

Can I add more services?

The blank tab has 6 columns. For more, unprotect the tab (no password) and copy a column to the right.

Where do parts go?

Put what YOU pay for the part (plus shipping) in the yellow per-job row. The price is what the customer pays including the part, so any parts markup shows up as profit.

Why do add-on columns sometimes show LOSES MONEY?

Each column still carries a full fixed-cost share when priced alone. When an add-on rides on top of a main job, that share is already covered by the main job.

Is this financial or tax advice?

No. It's a spreadsheet template that does arithmetic on the numbers you enter. The tax set-aside % is a savings rule of thumb, not a tax calculation. Talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.

Will this increase my income?

The sheet doesn't promise any result. It shows what your current prices pay you, based on your inputs. What you charge is your decision.

Are the example numbers real?

No. They're illustrative numbers, not data from a real business.

How do I get support?

Use the "Contact" link on our Payhip store page and we will reply within one business day.

• This is a spreadsheet template for estimates, not financial, tax, or legal advice.

• All example numbers are illustrative, not real customer data.

• AI assistance: AI tools helped draft the spreadsheet, the guide, this listing, and the product images. The formulas were checked with a LibreOffice recalculation against independent calculations.