GE clothes washer belt change price

[Stormin Mormon]

A friend of mine has a commercial GE washing machine with access panel on the front. Runs on four quarters, the landlord got it from some where. Coin box is out, so they just run the same four quarters through again and again.

The guy says it refuses to spin. I took the front off, and the belt is broken.

Internet search. Sears gets 17.99, and one other parts house gets $8.99 retail. Who's had a washing machine belt changed, and what did it cost? I'm curious how much other folks charge for this kind of thing.

It's for a friend of mine, so I'm letting him off way too cheap. I'm just curious how much too cheap.

[dpb]

Whatever service rates are for the area. Here they're about $45-50/hr. I'd expect metro areas to perhaps be at least 50% higher.

[DonC]

Are you asking "how much labor to charge"? Or what to charge him for the belt.

If the landlord owns it, you're doing it for the landlord and it would be appropriate to expect a reasonable labor. It's $75 per hour here with a typical one-hour minimum. But you don't have a typical service company's overhead -- taxes, Soc. Sec., sick leave, vacations, insurance, etc., etc. $40 bucks would be more than fair barring any complications.

If your friend owns it, and he/she's a close friend, I'd have to ask why you charge anything other than the part cost? It's not that difficult a repair job anyway.

Just curious as heck : )

[JimR]

[snip]

If it's for a friend, I'd have him buy the part and wouldn't charge him for my time. If you're going to take his money you have to be ready to do a professional job, including being willing to guarantee your work and make return visits if something goes wrong -- for example, if the belt broke because of some other problem you hadn't spotted, etc.