Before you book
- Look up the BHGS registration
- Ask the service-call price and whether it is credited
- Ask the labor warranty length
- For built-ins, confirm they work on your brand
When the technician is there
- Get the estimate in writing before work starts
- Approve any extra work explicitly
- Ask for the replaced parts
- Keep the itemized invoice
Check the state registration before you book
In California it is unlawful to repair major home appliances for pay without a current registration with the Bureau
of Household Goods and Services (Business and Professions Code §9840). The law covers refrigerators,
freezers, ranges, microwaves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, trash compactors and, since 2024, ice makers and dehumidifiers
(§9801). Referral services that take your call and pass it to another repairer are covered too.
You can look a company up by name or number in the DCA License Search. Of the 17 companies
we scored, 15 have an active registration we could match; only 3 print the number on their
own website, so ask for it when you call. Ads may not call technicians "licensed", "certified" or "factory authorized"
unless that is true, or promise "24 hour" service that is not really available around the clock
(16 CCR §2751).
Get the service-call price before the visit
A repair company must quote its service-call charge, including any diagnosis fee, before it comes out, and it cannot
add anything to that quoted price (16 CCR §2752). Among the companies we scored, published service-call
fees run from $70–$100 with a median of $90; 12 of the 13 that
publish a fee waive or credit it when you go ahead with the repair. Ask what the visit costs if you decide not to repair,
and whether a second appliance checked on the same visit costs extra.
Insist on a written estimate
Before any repair the company must give you a written estimate covering parts and labor, and it cannot charge more
without your consent (§9844). The estimate has to include the service call and cannot be stated as a
"minimum" (16 CCR §2722). If the bill comes out higher than the estimate you approved, the company has no
right to hold on to your equipment until you pay (§9844.5).
Compare warranties, not just prices
The labor warranties published by the companies we scored range from 15 days to one year; three months is the most
common. A guarantee has to be in writing and say what it covers. If a company gives no guarantee and states no exclusions
on the invoice, California treats the repair as carrying 30 days on labor and 90 days on parts
(16 CCR §2736). Where a company's pages quote different lengths, ask which one goes on your invoice.
Refrigerators: ask about EPA 608 certification
Opening a refrigerator's sealed system to add or recover refrigerant requires a technician certified under Section 608
of the Clean Air Act; household refrigerators and freezers fall under the Type I "small appliance" category
(EPA). The certification does not expire. If the diagnosis points to a compressor, a leak or a refrigerant
charge, ask whether the technician coming out holds it.
Sub-Zero, Wolf and other built-ins
Sub-Zero's residential warranty gives two years of full coverage and sealed-system coverage up to twelve years, and
says warranty work must be done by Sub-Zero Factory Certified Service (Sub-Zero warranty); the
manufacturer publishes a locator for those companies (Factory Certified Service). Outside the warranty an
independent repairer is a normal choice: the FTC notes that a manufacturer cannot void a warranty just because you used
independent service or third-party parts, though it can refuse to cover damage they cause (FTC).
Repair or replace?
Consumer Reports' rule of thumb is not to spend more than half the price of a new appliance on repairing an old one
(Consumer Reports), and it considers most refrigerators under ten years old worth fixing
(Consumer Reports). ENERGY STAR estimates that a refrigerator older than 15 years can cost about $95 a
year more to run than a new certified model (ENERGY STAR). The published repair ranges in our
comparison, typically $150–$500 for common refrigerator repairs, help put a quote in that context.
Keep the invoice and ask for the old parts
Every job must be written up on an invoice that lists each service and part, says whether any used parts were
installed and shows the company's registration number (§9842, 16 CCR §2725).
Replaced parts must be returned to you, except warranty and exchange parts; large parts such as compressors can be kept by
the company only if you waive them in writing (§9843, 16 CCR §2765).
If you replace: disposal and rebates in Palo Alto
Palo Alto residents get two Clean Up Day curbside pickups a year through GreenWaste of Palo Alto
(City of Palo Alto); each takes up to three bulky items of 200 lb or less, and stoves and washing
machines are among the listed examples (GreenWaste). Replacing a gas range with induction? City of
Palo Alto Utilities lists a $500 rebate, $1,000 for income-qualified households (CPAU Rebate Hub).
If something goes wrong
Try to settle it with the company first. If that fails, file a complaint with BHGS online, by mail or by phone at
(916) 999-2041 (BHGS complaints), with the invoice, the estimate and a description of what went
wrong.