One score. Real data. A clear answer — in seconds.
Every year, American homeowners waste billions of dollars making the wrong call on broken appliances. Some replace appliances that had years of life left. Others pour money into repairs that fail again within months. The difference between a smart decision and a costly mistake is almost always the same thing: better information. ApplianceMath was built to give every homeowner access to that information — free, fast, and built on real data.
The ApplianceMath Score — your AM Score — is a single number between 0 and 100 that tells you whether repairing or replacing your appliance is the smarter financial decision for your household. It is not a guess or an opinion. It is a calculation built from your specific appliance, your local market, and real appliance repair data.
| AM Score | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 0 – 39 | Repair — the math clearly supports fixing it |
| 40 – 64 | Repair with Caution — review the details carefully |
| 65 – 100 | Replace — the math clearly supports replacing it |
Your AM Score is built from four independently sourced data inputs. Here is what each one means and where the data comes from.
Appliance repair labor costs vary significantly across the US. A technician in San Francisco charges nearly 40% more per hour than one in Indianapolis. Ignoring that difference produces inaccurate repair estimates. When you enter your zip code, ApplianceMath looks up the current labor rate for your specific market from our database of 92 US metro areas. If your zip code falls outside our covered markets, we apply the current national average rate.
| Market Type | Typical Labor Rate |
|---|---|
| Rural markets | $95 – $105/hr |
| Mid-size metros | $108 – $120/hr |
| Large metros | $125 – $145/hr |
| High cost metros | $148 – $165/hr |
Source: Angi 2026 Appliance Repair Cost Data. HomeGuide 2026 Appliance Repair Cost Guide.
Your repair cost is estimated from two components — the cost of the part most likely needed and the labor required to install it. Part costs reflect current market pricing. Labor estimates are based on repair complexity, cross-referenced against 2026 published cost data from Angi and HomeGuide. We show you the estimated cost range for your specific repair — not a single number — because real-world repair costs vary by brand, technician, and market conditions.
| Part | Estimated Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Door gasket / latch | $15 – $75 |
| Water inlet valve | $25 – $85 |
| Drain pump | $35 – $115 |
| Fan motor | $45 – $150 |
| Heating element | $20 – $80 |
| Control board | $100 – $350 |
| Drum bearing | $50 – $175 |
| Compressor | $200 – $650 |
Source: Current market parts pricing. Labor estimates based on Angi 2026 and HomeGuide 2026 appliance repair cost data.
Age alone does not determine whether an appliance is worth fixing. What matters is how far through its expected lifespan your appliance has traveled — and that varies significantly by category. A 9-year-old refrigerator is well within its expected lifespan. A 9-year-old microwave is at the end of it. ApplianceMath uses category-specific lifespan data to ensure your score reflects reality, not a one-size-fits-all assumption.
| Appliance | Expected Lifespan | Notable Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 10 – 13 years | Smart/connected models trend shorter |
| Washer | 10 – 11 years | Front-load bearings reduce lifespan vs. top-load |
| Dryer | 10 – 13 years | Gas dryers trend longer than electric |
| Dishwasher | 9 – 10 years | Control board failures most common after year 7 |
| Range — Gas | 13 – 15 years | Longest lifespan of any kitchen appliance |
| Range — Electric | 11 – 13 years | Smooth-top models trend shorter |
| Microwave | 9 years | Over-range models trend shorter due to heat exposure |
Actual lifespan varies based on brand, usage intensity, maintenance history, and local climate conditions.
Source: National Association of Home Builders Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components (2020). J.D. Power U.S. Appliance Reliability & Service Study (2025).
What's actually wrong with your appliance matters as much as the numbers. A worn door gasket and a failed compressor are both refrigerator problems, but they lead to very different decisions. When you select your symptom, ApplianceMath matches it to known failure patterns for that appliance — the typical cost of that repair, whether it is a do-it-yourself fix or one best left to a professional, and how serious and likely to recur the failure tends to be. That shapes both your recommended next step and your AM Score.
Your AM Score is produced by our scoring model, calibrated against real-world repair outcomes across US markets. The model weighs your inputs — your local labor rate, your estimated repair cost, your appliance's age relative to its expected lifespan, and the specific symptom you're experiencing — and produces a single score between 0 and 100.
We don't publish the exact formula, for the same reason Carfax doesn't publish its scoring model and FICO doesn't publish its credit formula — the value is in the outcome, not the mechanics. What we will tell you: cost relative to replacement value carries the most weight, and age relative to expected lifespan carries the second most. The nature of the failure also shapes the result — a serious failure that tends to recur, like a compressor or magnetron, can point toward replacement even when the cost math alone looks borderline. Every input is sourced independently.
Every data point behind your AM Score is drawn from real, cited sources — not manufacturer estimates, not industry guesses, and not opinion.
In the interest of full transparency, here is what the AM Score does not currently factor in:
We are transparent about these limitations because they matter. The AM Score is a powerful financial decision tool — and like any tool, it works best when you understand what it measures and what it does not.
Q: Why do you need my zip code?
A: Your zip code sets the local labor rate for your market. A repair in New York costs significantly more in labor than the same repair in Oklahoma City. Without it, your AM Score would be based on a national average that may not reflect what you would actually pay.
Q: Why do you need my model number?
A: It's optional. When you enter it, we can pull your appliance's current replacement price and its known failure patterns for a more precise score. If you'd rather skip it, just select your appliance type and we'll use category-level data instead — you'll still get a solid score.
Q: Is the AM Score a guarantee?
A: No. The AM Score is a data-backed recommendation, not a guarantee. Actual repair costs vary based on your specific technician, local market conditions, and the exact nature of the failure. Use your AM Score as a confident starting point — not the final word.
Q: What if my zip code isn't in your database?
A: ApplianceMath applies the current national average labor rate. Your score will still be accurate — it may just reflect a slightly different labor cost than your hyper-local market.
Q: How often is the data updated?
A: Labor rates, parts pricing, and replacement prices are based on current published market data and are reviewed as market conditions change, so your AM Score reflects realistic, up-to-date costs.
Q: Who builds ApplianceMath?
A: ApplianceMath.ai is owned and operated by SB Logical Properties LLC. Learn more on our About page.
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