How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Dryer?

A dryer installed costs $500 to $2,475, reusing the vent, outlet, or gas line already there. The unit itself runs $450 to $2,300 across gas and electric models Consumer Reports has actually tested; installation labor adds $50 to $175 for a straightforward swap. It costs more if a new gas line or electrical circuit is needed — see the "what pushes the price up" section below.

How much does it cost to replace a dryer?

$500 to $2,475 installed, most of it the unit:

Unit (CR-tested range)

$450–$2,300

Labor, standard swap

$50–$175

Total, installed

$500–$2,475

Sources: Consumer Reports, Bob Vila. If you're replacing the washer at the same time, what a washing machine costs covers that half of the job separately — the two don't have to be bought together just because they sit side by side.

Is a gas dryer more expensive than electric?

To buy, about $100 more on average at the mid-range (Bob Vila) — mid-range electric runs $400 to $600, mid-range gas $500 to $750. High-end models cost about the same regardless of fuel, $1,200 to $1,600. Consumer Reports' tested range agrees: electric $450 to $2,200, gas $530 to $2,300 — gas runs slightly higher throughout.

To install, gas costs more too. A plumber's gas-line hookup runs $75 to $125 on top of the unit — a cost an electric dryer simply doesn't have, since it only needs a 240V outlet. A ventless electric model, if you're considering one, adds another $75 to $125 over a standard vented unit.

If your current dryer is dying rather than merely dated, check its age first — dryers are mechanically simple enough that most faults are worth fixing well past the point other appliances would be replaced. How long a dryer lasts covers where your unit's age actually sits on that curve.

What can push the price up?

The base numbers assume a dryer is already there and the hookup — gas or electric — is reusable. It costs more when that's not true:

Switching fuel type is the biggest jump — going from electric to gas or back means paying for a hookup the old dryer never needed, on top of the unit itself.

What does a dryer repair cost?

$180 on average, with most repairs landing $100 to $430 and the full range running $10 to $550 depending on the part (HomeAdvisor):

Thermal fuse

$5–$20

Start switch

$5–$40

Door switch

$8–$30

Lint filter

$10–$35

Drive belt

$15–$35

Thermostat

$15–$60

Motor

$60–$150

Control board

$90–$280

Consumer Reports' own member survey found similar territory by price tier — a median of $116 to $200 depending on whether the dryer itself was a budget, mid-range, or premium model, plus a $120 to $170 service call fee on top (higher in major cities). Gas dryer repairs run $50 to $100 more than electric for the same fault, since gas components add a diagnostic step electric dryers don't need.

Repair or replace — which is cheaper?

Almost always repair. Dryers are the most repairable major appliance in the house — a drum, a belt, a motor, and a heating element, and every one of those parts is individually inexpensive. Consumer Reports frames the decision as repair cost against the dryer's original price rather than a flat age cutoff: a $118 repair on a $600 dryer at year 9 is a closer call than the same repair on a $2,200 dryer at year 3. Reserve replacement for a cracked drum, a motor failure past year 12, or a repair quote that actually tops half the price of a new unit — genuinely rare outcomes for this appliance.

How to keep the cost down

• Check the vent before paying for a repair. A large share of dryer faults in the first few years are restricted venting, not a bad part — clearing the duct run can fix the exact symptom a repair quote is priced against.
• Buy during appliance sales windows — Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Black Friday typically bring the deepest discounts.
• Don't switch fuel type without a reason. The hookup cost alone often exceeds the price difference between a gas and electric unit.
• Match it to your washer's capacity, not the other way around — an undersized dryer for an oversized washer means longer cycles and more wear per load.
• Budget for it before it fails. A dryer is a when-not-if expense — the maintenance budget calculator folds a replacement like this into a yearly figure.