Oven Service Cost: What You Really Pay for Repairs and When to Replace

When your oven, a key appliance in commercial kitchens that heats food using electric or gas elements stops working right, the first question isn’t "Can it be fixed?"—it’s "How much will it cost?" Oven service cost varies wildly, from under £100 for a simple thermostat swap to over £500 if the control board or heating element needs replacing. The real issue isn’t the price tag alone—it’s whether spending that money makes sense for your business. If you run a restaurant, café, or catering service, every minute your oven is down costs you sales, staff time, and customer trust.

Most commercial ovens last 13 to 15 years, but many fail before then because of neglect. A dirty heating element, a worn-out door seal, or a faulty thermostat can all trigger expensive repairs. The oven control board, the digital brain that manages temperature, timers, and safety functions is often the most expensive fix—and the most common reason businesses consider replacement. If your oven is over 10 years old and the control board has failed, you’re not just paying for a part—you’re paying to extend the life of an outdated system that’s probably using 20% more energy than a new model. Replacing the oven control board, a complex electronic component that controls oven functions might save you a few hundred pounds now, but if the heating elements are starting to wear out too, you’re just delaying the inevitable.

So how do you decide? Look at the pattern. If you’ve had two repairs in the last year, or if your oven takes twice as long to preheat, or if the temperature is off by more than 25°F, it’s not a glitch—it’s a warning. The oven service cost isn’t just about the technician’s hourly rate. It’s about hidden costs: spoiled food, delayed service, angry customers, and lost productivity. In Birmingham’s busy food scene, downtime isn’t an option. That’s why so many businesses choose replacement over repair after the third repair—or when the repair bill hits 50% of what a new unit costs. You don’t need to be an expert to spot the signs. If your oven feels like it’s working harder than it should, it probably is.

Below, you’ll find real-world breakdowns of common oven problems, what they cost to fix, and when walking away is the smarter move. No guesswork. No sales pitches. Just clear, practical advice from businesses that’ve been there.