Find the part the technician named and compare. Anything inside the range is normal; well above it deserves a second quote.

Dryers announce their problems clearly, and the symptom tells you which part — and which price — you’re facing.

The most common complaint, and it points to one of three cheap parts: the heating element ($100–$350 on electric), a thermostat ($100–$300), or a blown thermal fuse ($75–$150). On gas dryers, no heat usually means a failed igniter ($100–$250). Before paying for any of these, the technician should confirm the vent isn’t clogged and both 240-volt breakers are on — a tripped breaker or blocked vent mimics a heating failure exactly and costs nothing to fix. (More detail: why your dryer isn’t heating.)

Almost always the drive belt ($100–$250) — the belt costs as little as $10, the rest is labor. If it’s not the belt, it’s the pulley assembly ($200–$350) or, rarely, the motor.

Points to worn drum bearings or rollers ($100–$250) or a failed drum seal ($100–$250). These are nuisance repairs rather than emergencies, but ignoring a bad bearing eventually damages the drum. (See what each dryer noise means.)

Often the door switch — frequently under $50 in parts — or, if the door latches and still nothing happens, a control board issue ($250–$500).

The two dryer types share most parts and most prices, with a few exceptions worth knowing. Electric dryers fail at the heating element, fuses, and thermostat. Gas dryers add their own failure points — the igniter, flame sensor, and gas valve coils — and gas repairs generally run $50–$100 more than the electric equivalent because of the added complexity and the requirement that a professional handle the gas components.

Standard vented dryers, gas or electric, are the cheapest to repair because their parts are common and access is easy. Heat-pump and ventless dryers — increasingly popular for efficiency — cost the most to service because their sealed systems carry premium parts and more electronics.

Dryers are less affected by climate than water-using appliances, but two regional factors still matter. In hot, humid coastal markets like Tampa, Naples, Boca Raton, and Aventura, hurricane-season power surges are a leading cause of failed heating elements and control boards — the surge spikes the heating circuit, blows the element or fuse, and on electronic models can take out the board. A surge protector on the dryer outlet is cheap insurance against the two priciest dryer repairs. (More: how power surges destroy appliances and whole-house surge protection.)

The more universal issue is venting, and it’s the most overlooked cause of dryer repair everywhere. A clogged or restricted vent makes the dryer overheat, which blows thermal fuses, burns out heating elements, and shortens the life of every heat-related component. Annual vent cleaning prevents more dryer repairs than any other single action — a dryer that keeps blowing fuses almost always has a venting problem, not a wiring problem. (See how often to clean your vent in Florida and the fire risk of a clogged vent.)

Apply the 50% rule against an $800–$1,200 replacement for most dryers. Because dryers last about 13 years and most repairs are cheap, the math usually favors repair — a $150 fuse-and-element job on an eight-year-old dryer is an easy yes.

Replacement becomes the better call in three cases: a motor ($200–$400+) or control board ($250–$500) failure on a dryer past roughly 10 years; repeated repairs in a single year that together approach half the replacement cost; or a dryer so old that replacement parts are getting hard to source — parts availability, not the dryer itself, is often what finally ends its life. A dryer under five years old is almost always worth repairing regardless of the part, since it has most of its life left.