There are over 80 million dishwashers in households in the US with it becoming one of the most popular and used appliances in day-to-day life.
Long gone are the days of having to use pure elbow grease to clean your dishes – the dishwasher has eradicated all of that.
If you’re having a new dishwasher installed or perhaps the repair guy is coming round to service your unit, you might be wondering what the etiquette is for tipping.
Tipping is a crucial part of maintaining a budget.
If you’re too quick to tip or tip too much you’ll put a huge dent in your finances. If you don’t tip at all when you should, or tip too little, then you may have a few heads turning.
To help you out with this we’ve looked at the common practice of tipping the dishwasher installer or repair guy to bring you up to speed with what the etiquette is.
We’ve covered common customs, what dishwasher installers earn, and other important considerations like the cost of a dishwasher and of repairs.
Keep reading to find out…
Do You Tip the Dishwasher Installer/Repair Guy? Short Answer
While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to tipping for dishwasher installation or repair, many people do so given how labor-intensive the job can be, especially if the unit is being dragged up flights of stairs or into a remote location in your home.
Keep reading below to see how much we suggest you tip…
How Much Do Dishwasher Installers and Repair Guys Earn? Do They Need Tips?
One of the main things you might want to look at when deciding whether to tip is how much the worker earns.
We’ve pulled up the data from Comparably to take a closer look.
According to Comparably, appliance installers earn the following:
| Level of Salary | Salary |
| Low level | $21,650 |
| Average | $45,643 |
| Higher level | $67,630 |
On this basis, it would seem that the average salary for a dishwasher installer is likely to be around the mid $40k mark with it likely being in the lower level category for apprentices and higher level for senior technicians.
This average is a fairly reasonable salary and very close to the median US average, which according to Zippia, is $47,520 per year.
On that basis, there isn’t really a need to tip dishwasher installers to supplement low-income as you might find with, say, pizza delivery guys or diner workers.
Indeed, we discovered something similar when we looked at whether to tip Xfinity cable technicians.
Skilled workers generally don’t need to be tipped to supplement low income as they earn a good salary to begin with.
How Much Will Dishwasher Installation/Repair Cost Me?
Another factor to think about is how much the installation or repair will cost.
This will help you decide how much to tip and whether to tip at all.
According to Bobvilla, expect to pay between $70 – $500 for the installation of a dishwasher with the average cost being around $190.
If you’ve bought the dishwasher new then expect to add between $250 – $2000 for the cost of the unit.
If you’re having repairs done on your dishwasher then expect to pay about $180, rising to $400 if you need new parts like a circuit board or bump.
How Much to Tip Dishwasher Installation or Repair Guy?
The usual rate in the US is 10-20% of the cost of the service.
If we apply that to the figures above then that would equate to a tip between $7 – $100 depending on the cost of the installation.
If it’s a repair then a tip of $18 – $80 on the above figures.
However, most people will consider $100 is way too steep and will just pay a fixed sum.
We’d suggest $5 – $20 is plenty.
It’s important to remember that dishwasher installation or repair guys aren’t generally expecting tips so you’re hardly going to ruffle any feathers if you don’t pay one.
We spoke to an appliance installer and he said:
“I would estimate I get tipped about once every 5-10 jobs. It’s normally $10-$20. I tend to get tips if it’s been a big job. For example, if I’ve spent longer than usual on the job or have had to lift and carry the unit quite far. I tend to get a bit more around the holidays or if it’s during unsociable hours.“
Jimmy Watkins, appliance installer
Tipping in Other Ways
If you don’t want to tip with cash then there are plenty of other ways you can show your gratitude.
When we spoke to Jimmy above he said that verbal praise and just food or drink were often enough to brighten his day up.
Here are some ideas to show your appreciation if you don’t want to part with your cash:
- A thank you card
- Food or drink
- A Google review or review on the company’s Facebook or other social media page
- Gift vouchers
- Verbal praise
When and When Not to Tip?
There will be times when exceptional service demands that you tip or tip more even if it’s not common practice to do so.
Some examples might be if the dishwasher installer/repair guy has:
- Provided excellent service and gone beyond what’s expected. For example, if they’ve carried your dishwasher up 3 flights of stairs, if they’ve fixed a particularly difficult problem or have come out in bad weather such as snow
- Been professional and courteous
- Kept his/her work area tidy and done the job efficiently
- Around Christmas
You probably shouldn’t tip if:
- The job has been done to a poor standard
- The job has been done slowly or costs more than quoted
- The technician was rude or unprofessional
- The work area has been left untidy or messy
Final Thoughts
It’s certainly not required to tip a dishwasher installer or repairman but many people do simply because the job is quite heavy going.
If you do tip then 10-$20 should be enough to brighten up the technician’s day.
Even verbal praise or offering a coffee is likely to go down well.
However, even if you don’t tip, it’s unlikely you’re going to turn any heads or upset anyone as tipping isn’t generally required within this industry.
It’s not like dishwasher installers earn stupidly low wages and need tips to get by like in some industries.
It’s really one where your own judgment is the best guide.
