How Much Does It Cost to Repair a Ceiling Fan?

Ceiling Fan Repair Labor Cost

Labor costs anywhere from $50 to $300 to repair a ceiling fan. When hiring a professional to help with ceiling fan repair, you’ll typically pay per hour or a flat fee for the entire repair. Some repairs cost more than replacing it with another unit. 

"Often, it’s worth repairing ceiling fans if the culprit is a simple fix,” says Andy Kilborn, Angi Expert Review Board member and owner of Andy's Handyman Service in Des Moines, IA. “More complex fixes can lead to paying more labor than the fan is worth. In that case, replacement is a better option."

Per Hour

You’ll pay around $50 to $100 per hour for up to three hours of work to have your ceiling fan repaired. Depending on the repair you require, you might hire a local handyperson for simpler issues or an electrician for more complex ones. Opt for the electrician if you’re unsure which you need. Although more expensive, they can fix any part of the fan.

• Hiring a handyperson costs about $60–$75 per hour, largely dependent on your location. If you hire a handyperson that’s part of a larger business rather than one who owns their own business, you might pay up to $130 per hour.

• Hiring an electrician costs around $50–$100 per hour. Many electricians also charge a trip fee to cover the costs of traveling to your home. This fee might add around $25–$75 per project, for a total of $75 to $180 for the first hour of service.

Per Project

Sometimes, you'll be charged approximately $50 to $350 per project as a flat rate, although this is less common. Repairing a pull chain usually costs around $50 to $100, while repairing the fan's lighting or blades typically costs $70 to $180. How much you'll pay on a per-project basis for ceiling fan repair depends largely on what's wrong.

Ceiling Fan Repair Cost by Repair Type

You may encounter signs of a malfunctioning ceiling fan that detract from its form or function. Keep reading to find out more in-depth information about common issues. 

Excessive Movement

You’ll spend $90 to $200 on average to fix excessive movement, more commonly called wobbling. In most cases, the problem stems from an imbalance with the blades or even the entire unit. To fix a fan that wobbles, an electrician may clean and tighten the blades, install a blade balancing kit, replace the hanger ball, or reattach the fan to the outlet box. 

Excessive Noise

Even if you install a ceiling fan properly and it's functioning correctly, it'll still make a little noise. But if yours is humming, rattling, or squeaking, the fix could be as simple as a quick cleaning. Other times, these noises signify that your fan's screws are loose or that the motor is failing.

Below, we list various ceiling fan noises and ways to repair the issues:

• Humming: Tighten all fasteners, replace ball bearings, or add lubrication to fix a humming ceiling fan. 

• Rattling: Fix loose screws, the cover, blades, or housing.

• Squeaking: Lubricate the problem area. 

Humming

Repairing humming costs around $50 to $200. A local ceiling fan repair pro may tighten all fasteners, replace ball bearings, or add lubrication to fix a humming ceiling fan. A ceiling fan usually hums because some part of the fan vibrates when coming into contact with another surface. You could be dealing with loose screws or ball bearings that are wearing out. Sometimes, it can indicate that the capacitor or motor is failing and will soon need replacement.

Rattling

It’ll cost around $50 to $100 for a service professional to diagnose and repair this issue. As with humming, rattling usually occurs when something is loose. In this case, the noise is likely coming from your blades, lighting kit, or housing cover. If you have basic tools, like a screwdriver, you can attempt to repair this by tightening down the fasteners. 

Squeaking

Squeaking often means cleaning and lubrication for approximately $50 to $150. You can often eliminate squeaking by cleaning the fan. Dust accumulation is the most common cause of a squeaky fan. When it enters small crevices and works its way between moving parts, it causes friction and noise. 

If your fan still squeaks after you've cleaned the blades, housing, and other accessible areas, you may need the help of a professional to clean and lubricate the fan's motor and other internal parts. 

Inadequate Airflow

Fixing the airflow of a ceiling fan costs around $80 to $250. The two most common issues that lead to diminished airflow are incorrect installation height and blade issues.

Installation at the wrong height is the most common problem. If you have a standard room with walls that are 9 feet tall, your fan should hang 12 inches from the ceiling. Installing a rod extension can fix this issue. 

The ideal pitch for a ceiling fan—that is, the angle of its blades—is about 12 degrees. If your ceiling fan blades are positioned at a flatter angle, you may not notice much air movement. A repair technician can fix this by “changing the blade mount arms since most ceiling fans today don't have an adjustable pitch,” says Kilborn.

Lighting

Fixing a ceiling fan light issue costs around $70 to $200. Ceiling fans with light kits may occasionally encounter flickering or malfunctioning lighting issues. Always try a new light bulb before calling an electrician. If the light bulbs aren't the culprit, you might be dealing with damaged light sockets or loose wiring. Both issues are usually easy fixes, but it may take a technician up to two hours to complete the job. 

Pull Chain

Pull chain repairs cost around $50 to $150 since it often requires dismantling parts of the fan. When you pull on a ceiling fan's chain, you may notice that the fan doesn't turn on, doesn't cycle between speeds, or has separated completely and doesn't move at all or move freely. The most common fixes relating to a fan chain include a chain replacement, lubrication, and pull switch replacement. 

Wall Switch

Fixing a wall switch costs around $50 to $150, and installing a new switch costs up to $200. When you flip your wall switch to turn on your ceiling fan and it doesn't respond, it may not be the fan's fault. Sometimes, it might be a problem with the wall switch or something related to the electrical system, such as the circuit breaker.

“Many fans today have wireless switches,” says Kilborn. “Another thing to check is if the wireless switch needs a battery replacement.”

Motor

Replacing a capacitor costs around $85 to $300, while replacing the fan's motor generally runs from $100 to $350. When it's clear that the reason your fan doesn't turn on is some fault with the fan itself, your repair tech will start disassembling your unit. If there are no issues with the wiring, your technician may run tests to determine a problem with the fan's capacitor or motor. 

Remote Control Repair

A new remote control costs about $20 to $40. Typically, you won’t have the remote control repaired. Instead, you’ll opt for replacement if it’s broken since it’s typically an electronic component. 

Fan Blade Replacement

A fan blade replacement costs around $90 to $150 or more for larger shop-style fans. You'll likely only need this done if one of the blades breaks, which can happen easily if they impact something. However, it's not common. More commonly, you'll end up having an imbalanced fan. 

Ceiling Fan Repair Cost Factors

Several factors determine how much it costs to repair a ceiling fan. In addition to figuring out the exact issue, the age and brand of the fan also play important parts in determining repair costs.

Extent of the Issue

The extent of your particular issue plays the largest role in how much it costs to repair a ceiling fan. A ceiling fan that doesn't turn on might suffer from a faulty pull chain that costs as little as $85 to repair. On the other hand, a motor that has worn out could also be the cause, but that repair might cost as much as $350.

Age of the Fan

As ceiling fans age, you'll likely need to spring for repairs because parts wear out. If you clean them at least once a year, you'll often not have any issues for decades. However, parts wear out as they age, particularly if they're in constant use.

If you find yourself replacing multiple parts, it might be time to install a new ceiling fan since it's likely parts will continue to fail, ending up costing more than a replacement. In some cases, an electrician may need to special order a component. If a ceiling fan pro near you can't find a replacement, installing a brand-new ceiling fan may be the only option.

Brand and Model

There are many ceiling fans out there, ranging from inexpensive, entry-level units you can purchase at your local hardware store to luxury ceiling fans made with premium materials and the latest technology.

It's generally more affordable to fix ceiling fans from popular manufacturers because replacement parts are bountiful and, in some cases, interchangeable between brands. More expensive fans are also more expensive to fix because the manufacturer may be the only source for replacement parts.

Repair vs. Replace a Ceiling Fan

Ceiling fan replacement costs about $150 to $350, about the same as fixing the one you have. If you have more than one part fail, consider replacing the fan. However, if you have multiple fans of the same age and brand, consider that the same types of repairs might end up happening soon. If you decide to replace one part, you may want to consider replacing all of them. 

DIY Ceiling Fan Repair vs. Hire a Pro

Fixing a faulty ceiling fan involves two steps: determining what’s causing the issue and then making the necessary repairs. Because a ceiling fan is an electrical appliance, some repair jobs are better left to professionals. It’s easy to clean blades and tighten screws, but it can be dangerous to poke around a ceiling fan motor or any other part of an electrical system if you think your problem stems from loose or damaged wiring.

Unless you have extensive experience working with electricity, it’s generally a safer idea to hire a local electrician.

Cost to Repair a Ceiling Fan Yourself

You can save money if you can diagnose and repair a ceiling fan. You can find many replacement parts at your local hardware store or online, and you won't have to pay for labor costs. Sometimes, you might not even have to spend a penny on repair costs. Sometimes, ceiling fans need a good cleaning, retightening of their screws, or a bit of lubricant.

There might even be times when you find that replacing an entire ceiling fan is easier or more economical than figuring out or fixing what's wrong with it. This situation is especially true if you purchase entry-level fans or brands common in hardware stores. New fans can cost as little as $50, and because you're changing one out for another, you don't have to worry about running new wire since you'll use the existing outlet box.