In short
- Visit and diagnosis: $89 + tax electric, $129 + tax gas at B&M, credited to the repair if you approve it.
- Most dryer repairs land between $130 and $350 at B&M and between $100 and $400 at Capital Appliance Repair.
- Cheap end: belt, thermal fuse, door switch. Dear end: motor, control board, heating element.
- A new dryer costs $700 to $1,500 or more installed, per Capital. The half-of-new rule decides repair or replace.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Drive belt | $99–$250 | Express $99–$199 (labour estimate); B&M $130–$250 (parts and labour) |
| Thermal fuse or thermostat | $99–$280 | Express $99–$199; B&M $130–$280 |
| Drum rollers or idler pulley | $150–$300 | B&M; Express lists $179–$249 |
| Heating element (electric) | $179–$400 | Express $179–$249; B&M $200–$400 |
| Igniter or gas valve (gas) | $179–$380 | Express $179–$249 per part; B&M $200–$380 |
| Drive motor | $199–$450 | Express $199–$249; B&M $250–$450 |
| Control board | $199–$400 | Express $199–$249; B&M $200–$400 |
Sources. B&M Canada Appliances, Dryer repair cost in Ottawa, parts and labour ranges, seen 29.10.2026. Express Appliance Repair Ottawa, dryer repair, estimated labour cost table, prices current as of 19.05.2026, seen 29.10.2026. Capital Appliance Repair, dryer repair, seen 29.10.2026. Gas rule: O. Reg. 212/01, s. 6, seen 29.10.2026. Venting: Whirlpool Product Help, dryer heating page, seen 29.10.2026.
What the numbers are
Two Ottawa firms publish dryer prices by part, and they use different yardsticks. B&M Canada Appliances prints typical ranges for the Ottawa–Gatineau area, parts and labour included. Express Appliance Repair prints an estimated labour cost for twenty dryer jobs and dates the list May 2026. Capital Appliance Repair gives one band for electric dryers: $100 to $400.
Read them as reference points. The company that takes your request diagnoses the dryer and names its own price; the table shows where that quote falls.
The visit comes first
Every repair starts with a diagnostic visit. At B&M the electric visit is $89 + tax and the gas visit $129 + tax. B&M applies the residential fee toward an approved repair. Capital waives its service call fee when the repair goes ahead. If you decline, the fee is what you pay for the technician’s time.
B&M also charges a flat $100 extra from 9 PM to 7 AM and may add travel beyond 30 km of downtown. Other firms set their own terms.
What moves the price
- The part. A belt, thermal fuse or door switch sits at the low end. A motor or control board sits at the high end.
- Gas or electric. Gas dryers add an igniter, valve coil and flame sensor. Gas work in Ontario is for certificate holders, which shows in the fee. See gas dryer repair.
- Brand and model. Parts for some models cost more or take longer to arrive. Brand pages such as Whirlpool say what to include in the request.
- A cause behind the cause. Good heat with slow drying usually traces to the vent, by Whirlpool’s account. Capital says a restricted vent can blow the thermal fuse again, so a fuse swap without a vent check can mean a second visit.
Symptom to likely part
B&M ties symptoms to parts: no heat on an electric dryer points to the heating element, thermal fuse or cycling thermostat; no heat on a gas dryer to the igniter, flame sensor or valve coil; a drum that will not turn to the belt or idler pulley; squealing or thumping to the rollers, glides or idler pulley; a dryer that will not start to the door switch, thermal fuse, start circuit or control board. The symptom guide is dryer not heating.
Repair or replace by the numbers
B&M’s rule: repair when the cost is under about half of a comparable new dryer and the dryer is under roughly eight to ten years old. Capital’s figure for a new installed dryer runs $700 to $1,500 or more, so the halfway mark sits at $350 to $750. A quote of $180 on a $1,000 dryer passes. A $450 motor on a dryer past ten years points toward a new one. The longer decision page is repair or replace.
What a written dryer quote should show
- The fault found and the part named.
- Parts and labour on separate lines.
- Tax, the visit fee and whether it is credited.
- Any after-hours or distance charge.
- The warranty on the part and on the labour. B&M states 3 months and Capital up to 1 year.
For the other appliances, see appliance repair cost in Ottawa. The page on dryers in general is dryer repair.
Your own dryer number
It comes from the one independent company your request reaches, written after its technician has tested the dryer. Hold it against the three lists above. The Desk forwards the request; it has no price list and takes no part in the repair.
Questions to ask the company
- Is the price you quote parts and labour together, or labour only?
- If I say no to the dryer repair, what is left on the bill?
- Does the quote include tax, and is any after-hours or travel charge added?
- If the first part does not fix it, what happens to the price of the second?
- What is the warranty on the part and on the labour?
Have this ready for the call
- Brand, model and serial number from the plate
- Gas or electric, since the visit fee and the parts differ
- The age of the dryer, even roughly
- The symptom in one line, and any code on the panel
- The price of a comparable new dryer, so the repair quote has a number to sit against
Questions people ask
Why do two Ottawa firms print different prices for the same part?
Express prints an estimated labour cost for each job, while B&M prints typical ranges including parts and labour. The lists measure different things, so a figure from one firm does not carry over to the other. Compare the quote from the company that calls with its own list.
Is the diagnostic visit part of the repair price?
Both B&M and Capital say the fee is applied or waived when you go ahead with the repair. B&M states that the $89 residential fee is applied toward an approved repair. Declining the repair means paying the visit, so ask the amount before booking.
Does a gas dryer repair cost more?
B&M charges $129 + tax for a gas dryer visit against $89 + tax for electric, and lists igniters and gas valves at $200 to $380. Gas repair also requires a person holding a certificate for that work under O. Reg. 212/01, section 6.
Is vent cleaning part of a dryer repair price?
Usually it is a separate line. Express Appliance Repair lists internal exhaust vent cleaning at $99 to $199 in its labour table. Capital notes that a blocked vent can blow a new thermal fuse, so ask whether the quote includes an airflow check.
My belt repair is cheap but the dryer is old. Is it worth it?
B&M’s example is a $180 belt or fuse repair on a $1,000 dryer, which it calls easy math. Its rule is repair when the cost is under about half of a comparable new dryer and the unit is under roughly eight to ten years old.
