How much does a dryer heating element replacement cost?#
Replacing the heating element in a dryer typically runs $130 to $280, and a routine job lands around $205. Two things move that number, and the brand of the part is neither of them. The first is whether your dryer even has an element: it is a coil of resistance wire in a housing behind an electric dryer, and a gas machine has none, so a quote written off the words "no heat" alone was written before anyone looked at the appliance. The second is access. A dryer whose rear panel lifts off in four screws sits at the bottom of the $130 to $280 spread; one that has to be dismantled from the front, with the drum and belt out to reach the heater housing, sits at the top of it — and the same element costs the same either way. The third thing worth asking about is not on any price list: whether the thermostat and thermal cutoff beside the element are being renewed in the same visit. A careful shop insists on it, a cheap quote leaves them, and the second one is why some owners pay for this repair twice. Set against the $450 to $1,300 a new dryer costs to buy and install, restoring the element is the economical move on any machine with good years left in it.
First: does your dryer have a heating element at all?#
Half the people pricing this repair are about to pay for the wrong part. An electric dryer heats with a resistance element; a gas dryer heats with a burner, and has no heating element anywhere in it. Look behind the machine: a thick three-prong or four-prong cord and no pipe means electric, while a flexible metal gas line running into the back means gas. Then find your symptom below.
| Your dryer | What it is doing | What is actually failing | Does the element quote apply? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | Drum turns, cycle runs, no heat at all | The element has gone open, or the thermal cutoff mounted beside it has blown | Yes — and insist the thermostat and thermal cutoff are checked in the same visit, because the element rarely fails alone. |
| Electric | Heats weakly, loads take two or three cycles to dry | Half the element coil open — or, far more often, a blocked vent run | Only after the vent is cleared. Fitting an element into a restricted duct buys you the same fault back within months. |
| Electric | No heat, and the breaker keeps tripping | The element has shorted to its housing | Yes. The tripping breaker is the symptom, not the fault, and it is doing its job. |
| Gas | Drum turns, cycle runs, no heat at all | Igniter, flame sensor or the gas valve coils — there is no heating element in the machine | No. This price is for a part your dryer does not contain; ask the shop to quote the ignition parts instead. |
| Gas | Heats at first, then goes cold partway through the cycle | Flame sensor or valve coils dropping out once hot | No. Same reason — this is the burner circuit, not an element. |
| Either | No heat and the drum does not turn | Belt, motor or a door switch — the heat circuit is not in the picture yet | No. Get the drum turning before anyone prices a heat part. |
| Either | Plenty of heat, but clothes still come out damp | Venting, a lint-choked duct, or the moisture sensor misreading | No. Nothing inside the heat circuit needs replacing here. |
| Either | A burning or scorched smell during the cycle | Lint against a hot surface — a fire risk before it is a repair question | Stop the machine and have it looked at. This one is not a pricing decision. |
If the fuel check sends you to the gas column, nothing on the rest of this page applies to your quote: an igniter, a flame sensor and a pair of valve coils are separate parts with their own prices, and a shop that quotes an element for a gas dryer has not looked at the machine. If it sends you to the electric column, the breakdown below is the one to read.
What a fair quote looks like on this job, since the spread alone will not tell you: it should name the element as measured rather than inferred, it should include the thermal cutoff and the operating thermostat that sit against the element housing, and it should say something about the vent. A shop that has taken the back off has already seen whether the duct behind the machine is packed, and mentioning it costs them nothing. An estimate that names only "heating element" and a number has told you the part and not the repair.
There is one more figure worth holding beside the two on this page, and it is not money. An electric dryer's element is a consumable in the sense that a brake pad is: it lives as long as the conditions it runs in allow. Fitted into a clear duct behind a clean screen it lasts years; fitted into a restricted one it can fail inside a single season. That is why two households pay the same $130 to $280 and get very different value from it, and it is the one variable on this page you control.
Denominator: the $130–$280 spread on this page is this guide's own figure for one repair — an electric dryer's heating element, part plus labor, fitted by a shop — and the $450–$1,300 is what it is set against, a new dryer bought and installed. Two figures for two things, not an average across brands or regions, and neither covers a gas dryer's ignition parts, which are priced separately.
Dryer heating element replacement cost
- What it does: the heating element heats the air the drum tumbles your load through.
- Signs it is failing: cold results, long cycles, or no heat at all.
- The repair job: testing continuity, replacing the element, and checking the connected sensors.
- DIY or pro: a confident DIYer can manage a plug-in element, but a hardwired one is safer for a pro.
| What you pay for | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Part plus basic labor | $130 |
| Typical repair | $205 |
| Premium part or hard access | $280 |
| A new dryer, installed | $450–$1,300 |
Against a new dryer at $450–$1,300 installed, a heating element repair at $130–$280 is usually the cheaper fix — unless the dryer is already old or has other faults.
Pro note: the element rarely fails alone — a good tech also checks the thermostat and thermal cutoff so the new element does not burn out early.
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Is replacing the heating element on a dryer worth it?#
On a reasonably young unit, $130 to $280 to restore the heating element beats the $450 to $1,300 of buying new without much debate; the fix buys years more use from a machine that is otherwise sound. The judgment call is an aging machine with other symptoms brewing; there, a near-$280 repair on the heater is money many owners would rather redirect to a new one. Rule of thumb — restore a sound machine, and think hard before spending the high end of that range on one already worn out. Booking a pro means the element is diagnosed right the first time and the repair carries a written guarantee, which matters most on a part buried this deep.
Dryer Heating element replacement cost: FAQ#
How much does a dryer heating element replacement cost?#
A dryer element replacement generally runs $130–$280, and about $205 on a routine job. Part grade, brand, and how hard the heating element is to reach are what set where you land.
Is replacing the element worth it, or should I just buy new?#
Usually worth it on a machine that is not too old — $130 to $280 is minor next to the $450 to $1,300 of buying new. Replacement only wins once the unit is aging and other repairs are stacking up behind this one.
What makes the heater fail?#
Common causes are the constant heat-and-cool cycling that eventually cracks the element or burns out its coil. The warning signs to watch for are cold results, long cycles, or no heat at all.
Can I replace the element myself?#
Most owners leave this one to a pro: reaching the element and confirming the diagnosis takes the right tools, and a wrong part is money down the drain. A technician also carries the exact component and stands behind the work.
How long does the job take?#
Plan on a couple of hours for the swap itself, plus a test cycle afterward to confirm the fault is cleared. A tech who has done it before tends to work at the fast end of that estimate.
Senior Gas Appliance Specialist · 18 years experience
AGA-certified gas appliance specialist with 18 years of experience in residential and commercial oven, range, and cooktop repairs.
