HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a computer repair technician in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to computer repairers. Here is how to get a written quote, protect your data and check the warranty.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a computer repair technician in five steps

  1. Back up and sign out firstCopy your files somewhere safe and sign out of accounts before you hand the laptop over.
  2. Get the diagnosis in writingThe fault, the fix, the part and the price, before the computer repair technician starts.
  3. Ask if the diagnosis fee is deductedMany shops charge to diagnose, then take it off the repair price if you go ahead.
  4. Ask about the partsGenuine or compatible, new or refurbished, and the warranty on each.
  5. Test before you paySwitch on, charge, type, connect to Wi-Fi and open your files before you leave.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses computer or laptop repairers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is required. The checks that matter are a written quote, a warranty, reviews from booked jobs and how the shop treats your data.

Ask for the quote and warranty in writing before leaving the machine.

Reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015)

A trader repairing your computer must do it with reasonable care and skill. If the repair falls short, you can ask for it to be done again at no cost, and if that fails, for a price reduction.

Keep the written quote and invoice; they are what you rely on if the fault comes back. legislation.gov.uk →

Your data on the device

A laptop holds personal data about you and others. Data protection rules require a business handling personal data to keep it secure, and most must pay the ICO data protection fee.

Ask whether the repairer will need your password, who can see the files, and whether they are on the ICO register. gov.uk →

Cancelling a repair booked online

If you agree the repair online or at your home, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 usually give you 14 days to cancel a service, paying only for work you asked to start early.

Check the terms say how to cancel, and what you pay if the work has begun. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Computer repair is standard-rated, so a registered computer repair technician adds 20% to parts and labour and to any diagnosis fee kept. Registration becomes compulsory once a computer repair technician has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the computer repair technician for the VAT number on the repair ticket and for parts, labour and VAT shown as three figures. gov.uk →

“What is the computer fault, and what exactly will the repair be?”

A good answer: A clear diagnosis in plain words, with the part to be replaced or the software fix.

“How much is the repair in total, and is the diagnosis fee taken off?”

A good answer: A written total including parts, labour and VAT, and what happens to the diagnosis fee.

“Is the part genuine, compatible or refurbished?”

A good answer: A straight answer, with the price difference and the warranty for each option.

“Will you need my password, and who will see my files?”

A good answer: Only if the repair needs it, with an explanation; a good computer repair technician tests without browsing your files.

“How long is the warranty on the laptop repair?”

A good answer: A period in writing covering parts and labour.

“What happens if you find another fault?”

A good answer: They stop and ask before doing any extra work.

“How long will the computer repair take?”

A good answer: A time estimate, and notice if a part has to be ordered.

Getting the quote right

  • The diagnosed fault and the repair to be done
  • Who actually attends to the device: the computer repair technician at the counter, an employed technician, or a subcontracted workshop for board-level work
  • Parts (genuine, compatible or refurbished) and labour, priced separately
  • Diagnosis fee and whether it is deducted
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on parts and labour as its own line
  • The warranty on parts and labour
  • Turnaround time, and that extra work needs your approval

Walk away if

  • No written quote before the work
  • Demands your password for a hardware fix
  • Will not say whether parts are genuine
  • No warranty offered
  • Extra work added without asking
  • Cash only with no invoice
LOW
£45
TYPICAL
£75
HIGH
£300

What a computer repair technician costs: £45–£300 per repair

Computer repairs are quoted per repair after diagnosis: parts plus labour, sometimes with a diagnosis fee that is deducted if you go ahead. Computer & Laptop Repair price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Computer repair technicians near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Check-inThe device, its condition and accessories recorded, with your contact details.
  2. DiagnosisThe computer repair technician tests to find the fault.
  3. Quote and approvalA written price; nothing more happens until you agree.
  4. RepairThe part replaced or software fixed.
  5. Testing and handbackTested in front of you where possible, with the invoice and warranty.

Diagnosis fee
A charge to find the fault, often deducted if you go ahead.
Genuine part
A part from the original manufacturer.
Compatible part
A part from another maker designed to fit.
SSD
Solid-state drive: the fast storage in most modern laptops.
Motherboard
The main circuit board everything connects to.
Clean install
Wiping and reinstalling the operating system; back up first.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoiceWith the warranty terms. You will need it if the same fault returns.
Change passwords you sharedIf you gave a password for the repair, change it once the laptop is back.
Check your filesOpen documents, photos and email to confirm nothing is missing.
Leave an honest reviewYour review helps the next person choose; Locufy only accepts reviews of booked work. If there is a problem with the computer repair technician, the make-it-right step gives them a chance to fix it first.

STEP 1Start with the computer repair technicianSet out the problem, the date and what would put it right. Trading as a business, the computer repair technician owes you reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and where that was missing you can require the work done again or a lower price.
STEP 2Make-it-right on LocufyUnder four stars, you are asked whether to send the problem to the computer repair technician before reviewing. We chase it with them, and your review follows.
STEP 3The consumer helplinesTrading Standards takes complaints through the national helplines: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland, which is its own helpline there.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsIf nothing else works, claim from the computer repair technician in the small claims court: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 in Scotland by simple procedure, and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a computer repair technician: questions people ask

No. UK law sets no licence, register or qualification for it.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the repair must be done with reasonable care and skill. If it was not, ask for it to be redone free, or for a price reduction.

Only if the repair needs it. Back up, sign out of accounts and change the password afterwards.

Usually £45–£300 per repair, with £75 typical. The fault, the part and the make (premium and touchscreen laptops cost most) set the price. See the computer repair technician price guide for the detail, or enter your town above for computer repair technicians near you.

Ask for the repair price against the cost of a replacement; a good technician will tell you when it is not worth it.

Many repairs take an hour or two of work; ordered parts can stretch it to a few days.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Data RecoveryHow to hire: Phone & Screen RepairHow to hire: Games Console RepairHow to hire: Computer Setup & InstallationHow to hire: IT SupportHow to hire: Network EngineerHow to hire: Managed IT ServicesHow to hire: Cybersecurity ConsultantAll 701 hiring guides →

Computer repair technicians near you

Computer repair technicians in LondonComputer repair technicians in ManchesterComputer repair technicians in BirminghamComputer repair technicians in GlasgowComputer repair technicians in BelfastAll computer repair technicians on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 55 — repeat performance
  3. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  4. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register