HOW TO HIRE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a microwave engineer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
No register applies to microwave engineers. Check for a recall, agree diagnosis and parts prices first, and know where gas and wiring rules start.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a microwave engineer in five steps
- Stop using itIf it sparks, smokes or runs with the door open, unplug it.
- Never open the casingThe capacitor can hold a dangerous charge.
- Search the recall listBefore paying.
- Find the model numberBack or inside the door frame.
- Repair or replace?On a cheap countertop model, compare prices.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
No licence or register applies to microwave engineers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland: the microwave repair of a plug-in electrical appliance is not regulated work. The law steps in for gas appliances and for new fixed wiring.
Ask for a business name, the insurer and a written diagnosis before the microwave repair goes ahead.
Product recall check
The Office for Product Safety and Standards publishes product safety alerts, reports and recalls on gov.uk, searchable by category including electrical appliances. Some faults are fixed free under a recall, which saves paying for the microwave repair; a paid repair is covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 instead.
Search your microwave's make and model on the recall list before you book. gov.uk →
Insurance and your rights
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 microwave repair must be done with reasonable care and skill, and if it fails because of poor work you can ask the microwave engineer to redo it at their cost. Public liability insurance covers damage to your kitchen or floor.
Ask the microwave engineer who insures them and what guarantee the microwave repair carries.
Fixed wiring is electrical work
The microwave repair stops at the appliance. A new cooker circuit, spur or socket is electrical installation work that must meet the Building Regulations in England and Wales, and notifiable work — near a bath or shower, and in Wales in kitchens too — needs an electrician on a competent person scheme or building control.
If the microwave repair reveals a wiring fault, book a registered electrician and ask for the certificate. electricalcompetentperson.co.uk →
VAT
Microwave repair is standard-rated at 20%, including the removal and refit of a built-in unit. A trader whose taxable turnover passes £90,000 must register, charge it and show it as a separate line; one below that threshold adds none.
Ask the microwave engineer for a VAT number on the job sheet before VAT is added. gov.uk →
A good answer: Yes — they explain how.
A good answer: Fuse, door switch, magnetron or board — diagnosed.
A good answer: An honest comparison with a new one.
A good answer: Yes, so it cannot run with the door open.
A good answer: Yes, removing and refitting is priced.
A good answer: A period for parts and labour.
Getting the quote right
- Diagnosis fee
- Part and labour
- Built-in removal and refit
- Guarantee
- Who actually attends — the firm's engineer or a subcontractor
- The VAT number, and VAT at 20% listed after the repair
Walk away if
- Opens the casing without discharging it
- No door interlock check
- Repair price close to a new microwave without saying so
- No guarantee
What a microwave engineer costs: £40–£120 per repair
Microwave repairs are priced as diagnosis plus part; on a basic model, compare with a new one. Microwave 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
Microwave engineers 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.
- Make safeUnplugged and capacitor discharged.
- DiagnoseTested to find the fault.
- RepairPart replaced.
- Door checksHinges, latches and interlocks checked.
- TestWater heated to confirm.
- Magnetron
- The part that makes the microwaves.
- Capacitor
- Stores high voltage; dangerous even unplugged.
- Door interlock
- Switches that stop it running with the door open.
- Turntable motor
- Turns the plate.
- Combination microwave
- One with grill and oven functions.
- Built-in
- Fitted into a kitchen housing.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a microwave engineer: questions people ask
No. No register applies to microwave repairs.
Do not open the casing; the capacitor can hold a dangerous charge.
Search the make and model on gov.uk's product recalls.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can ask for it to be redone at the engineer's cost.
Fifteen minutes for a switch to two hours for a major part.
£40–£120 per repair, about £75 on average. The microwave repair price guide has the detail; enter your town above for engineers near you.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in home repairs & handyman
Microwave engineers near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- gov.uk — product safety alerts, reports and recalls (Office for Product Safety and Standards)
- Registered Competent Person Electrical register
- gov.uk — Approved Document P: electrical safety in dwellings (England)
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 3
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 55 — repeat performance
- Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
- VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
- GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register