Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Diagnostic fee recapture rate
30.0%
Monthly diagnostic revenue collected
$3,315
Monthly revenue waived
$7,735
Net after tech diagnostic labor cost
-$510
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How to use this
- 1Enter diagnostic tickets per month.
- 2Enter posted diagnostic fee ($).
- 3Enter percent of fees waived on approval (%).
- 4Enter loaded tech labor cost per diagnostic ($).
- 5Read your diagnostic fee recapture rate on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Most shops post a diagnostic fee, then waive it whenever the customer approves the repair — a customer-friendly policy that quietly zeroes out diagnostic revenue on the majority of tickets even though the technician's time diagnosing the problem was real and billable-quality work. This calculator compares your posted diagnostic fee against your waive rate to compute actual recapture rate and monthly diagnostic revenue left uncollected, so you can decide whether to move to a partial-waiver policy (crediting only part of the fee toward the repair) or hold the line on fee collection for complex diagnostic work like intermittent electrical issues that take real technician time regardless of whether the customer proceeds.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Diagnostic tickets per month: 85
- Posted diagnostic fee: 130 $
- Percent of fees waived on approval: 70 %
- Loaded tech labor cost per diagnostic: 45 $
Results
- Diagnostic fee recapture rate: 30.0%
- Monthly diagnostic revenue collected: $3,315
- Monthly revenue waived: $7,735
- Net after tech diagnostic labor cost: -$510
What each field means
Inputs
- Diagnostic tickets per month
- The diagnostic tickets per month used in the calculation. Starts at 85 so you have a working example on load.
- Posted diagnostic fee ($)
- The posted diagnostic fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 130 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Percent of fees waived on approval (%)
- The percent of fees waived on approval used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 70 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
- Loaded tech labor cost per diagnostic ($)
- The loaded tech labor cost per diagnostic used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 45 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Diagnostic fee recapture rate
- Returned as a percentage and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Monthly diagnostic revenue collected
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Monthly revenue waived
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Net after tech diagnostic labor cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Should the diagnostic fee ever be fully waived?
A partial waiver (crediting half the fee toward the repair, keeping the rest) protects diagnostic labor cost while still feeling like a discount to the customer. Full waivers on every approved repair essentially mean diagnostic time is only monetized on jobs customers decline, which is backwards.
What waive rate is typical?
Shops with a strict no-waiver policy on complex diagnostics (electrical, intermittent, no-start) can hold waive rates under 30%, while shops that waive on any approved repair often run 70-90% waive rates and effectively give diagnostic labor away for free most of the time.
How do I raise the recapture rate without upsetting customers?
Reframe the fee as covering the diagnostic time regardless of outcome, similar to a doctor's visit fee, and reserve waivers for simple 15-minute checks rather than multi-hour diagnostic pulls. Clear upfront communication before the diagnostic starts reduces pushback significantly.
Does this differ for warranty or comeback diagnostics?
Yes — comeback diagnostics tied to your own prior repair shouldn't be billed to the customer at all; that cost belongs in your comeback cost tracking, not diagnostic fee recapture, since charging twice for the same failure damages trust.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Diagnostic Fee Recapture Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/diagnostic-fee-recapture
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/diagnostic-fee-recapture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diagnostic Fee Recapture Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Diagnostic Fee Recapture Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/diagnostic-fee-recapture) (2026).