How to Price Your Diagnostic Fee

Your diagnostic fee needs to cover two things: the time it takes to get to the call and at least thirty minutes of troubleshooting on site. That's your truck rolling, your fuel, your insurance, and your expertise. If your diagnostic fee doesn't cover those costs, you're losing money on every call that doesn't turn into a repair.

Build this number into your custom pricebook in PrecisionOps. When the diagnostic fee is a line item in your pricebook, it shows up automatically on estimates and invoices. It's not an awkward conversation -- it's a standard part of doing business, presented professionally.

Track your average drive time and on-site diagnostic time using PrecisionOps job tracking and time logs. If your real numbers show that diagnostics take longer than you're charging for, adjust the fee. Your pricing should reflect your actual costs, not what you charged five years ago.