Diagnostic & quote
I open it, test it, and tell you exactly what's wrong and what it costs to fix. If you walk away, you owe nothing.
Free$40
Independent · Thunder Bay, Ontario
Phone, laptop and PC repair in Thunder Bay.
One person, flat prices, no storefront. I handle the everyday stuff — batteries, screens, thermal paste, dust-outs, drive upgrades — and I build PCs from your parts list.
- Free diagnostic, always.
- If I can't fix it, you don't pay.
- You pay what I pay for parts. I show you the receipt.
- Most jobs are done the same day.
$0Diagnostic. Shops here charge about $40.
CostWhat I pay for a part is what you pay. No markup.
FlatOne fixed price for the work, agreed before I start.
FreePickup and drop-off inside city limits.
The price list
Every price below is the labour — one flat price for that job, no hourly surprises. If it needs a part, I show you what I paid and add that. Nothing starts until you text me to go ahead.
Nothing here matches that. Try a different word, or just text me about it.
Start here
Slow computer tune-up
I clear out startup junk and preinstalled bloat, update the drivers, and check it isn't overheating. You get a short note on what was slowing it down.
$45$65–85
Virus & malware cleanup
Full scan and manual removal, browser hijacks and scam pop-ups gone, then I show you how the thing got on there.
$55$65–85
Phones & tablets
Battery replacement
iPhone, Pixel, Samsung, iPad. New battery, fresh adhesive, water seal put back properly. At cost, usually $25–55 depending on model.
$40labour$99–129
Screen replacement
Cracked glass or dead display. I quote the exact panel for your model before ordering, and you choose between an original part and a cheaper aftermarket one.
$50labourPanel at cost, shown on invoice
Charging port repair
Loose cable, won't charge, only charges at an angle. Often it's packed-in lint, and that cleanout is free.
$55labourLint cleanout only: free
Laptops
Laptop battery replacement
Swollen, dying after 40 minutes, or refusing to charge. New pack sourced for your exact model number and health-checked before it leaves.
$40labourPack at cost
Laptop screen replacement
Cracked, lines through it, backlight gone. Panel matched by part number so the resolution and hinge fit are right.
$60labourPanel at cost
Keyboard or trackpad swap
Dead keys, spill damage, trackpad that won't click. Full deck replacement on most models.
$60labourPart at cost
Hinge & power jack repair
The crack that spreads out from the screen corner, and power jacks that need resoldering or replacing. Fixed properly, not glued.
$70labour$85
Cooling & cleaning
Laptop thermal paste replacement
Old paste off, quality compound on, heatsink reseated, fan and fins cleared. You get before-and-after temperatures under load, so you can see it worked.
$50Nothing extra for the compound
Desktop CPU thermal paste replacement
Cooler off, chip surface cleaned, fresh compound, cooler remounted with even pressure. If an older gaming PC slows down once it heats up, this is usually all it is.
$35Nothing extra for the compound
Full dust-out & airflow clean
Stripped down, fans and filters and radiator fins cleared, fan curves set so it isn't running flat out. Worth doing yearly if you have pets or a basement setup.
$25$35
Console repair
PS5 and Xbox fan cleans and fresh thermal paste, controller stick drift, HDMI port replacement, Switch joy-con drift and dock issues.
$45–70labourDepends on the job
Storage, data & software
SSD or RAM upgrade
On a machine older than four years this usually does more for speed than anything else. Includes cloning your existing install so nothing is lost.
$45labourDrive or memory at cost
Fresh Windows install
Clean install, every driver, updates run to the end, your files carried across, and none of the junk that came preinstalled.
$50$65–85
Data rescue & transfer
Pulling files off a drive that still spins up, or moving everything to a new machine. I'll tell you honestly if it needs a specialist lab instead.
$60$100–150
Builds & upgrades
Build from your parts
You buy the parts, I assemble it. Cable management, BIOS set up so the memory runs at full speed, Windows and drivers, then a proper stress and thermal test before you take it home.
$80$160
Upgrade an existing PC
New GPU, CPU and board swap, power supply, case transplant. Includes checking your power supply can handle what you bought.
$60labourParts are yours to buy
Parts list & spec advice
Tell me the budget and what you want to run. You get a real parts list with links, sized so no one part holds the rest back. Free if I build it.
$25Free with a build
House calls
I come to you
Wi-Fi that drops, a printer nobody can talk to, a new TV or router to set up, or a desktop too awkward to move. Anywhere in the city.
$60first hour$90–125$30 per half hour after
Pickup & drop-off
I collect the machine from your door and bring it back when it's done. Inside Thunder Bay city limits there's no charge for this.
Free$40Inside city limits
How a job runs
- 01
You text me
A photo and one line about the problem is plenty. No forms, no ticket system, no hold music.
- 02
I look at it, free
Drop it off or I pick it up. I diagnose it and send you the exact price, with parts listed separately.
- 03
You say go
After the diagnostic, I don't order anything or open it further until you text back OK.
- 04
Fixed, tested, back to you
Tested under load before it leaves. Pay when you have it in your hands, e-transfer or cash.
Why it costs less
There's nothing clever going on. A shop on Memorial or Victoria is paying rent, hydro, a counter person, and a franchise fee before anyone picks up a screwdriver. All of that ends up on your bill as a $40 diagnostic and an $85 repair charge.
I work out of a home workshop with my own tools. My costs are parts and my own time, so what I charge is close to what the work is actually worth. It also means I answer my own phone and you deal with the same person start to finish.
What I don't do: soldering repairs on the circuit board itself, recovering a hard drive that has physically failed — that needs a clean-room lab — or warranty work on a device still covered by the manufacturer. If your job is one of those, I'll say so and point you to whoever should actually have it.
Job
Typical shop
Me
Diagnostic$40Free
Standard repair, flat$65–85$25–70
Phone battery, all-in$99–129$65–95
Airflow clean$35$25
Data transfer$100–150$60
PC assembly + cabling$160$80
On-site, first hour$90–125$60
Pickup & drop-off$40Free
Shop figures are the published rates of Thunder Bay repair businesses and national chains as of 2026. They move around; mine are on this page.
Where I go
Free pickup and drop-off anywhere inside the city. Outside it there's a small travel charge — I'll tell you what it is before I head out.
- Port Arthur
- Fort William
- Current River
- Westfort
- Northwood
- County Fair
- Intercity
- Grandview
- Vickers Heights
- Neebing
- Shuniah
- Oliver Paipoonge
- Kakabeka Falls
- Murillo
- Kaministiquia
- Rosslyn
Hours
- Monday to Friday
- 9am – 8pm
- Saturday
- 10am – 6pm
- Sunday
- By arrangement
I answer texts outside those hours too, I just won't be at the bench. Evening and weekend drop-offs are normal — that's the point of not having a storefront.
Straight answers
Do you actually charge nothing for the diagnostic?
Yes. I look at it, test it, and give you a price. If you decide not to go ahead, you pick it up and pay nothing. The only way you owe me money is if I fix something.
What does “parts at cost” mean in practice?
I order the part, and you get shown what it cost me — the invoice or the order page. You pay that, plus the labour price on this page. No percentage on top of the part.
Is there a warranty?
90 days on my labour. If the same fault comes back in that window, bring it in and I'll sort it at no charge. Parts carry whatever warranty the supplier gives, and I'll tell you what that is before ordering.
Can you fix it while I wait?
Often, yes — battery swaps, thermal paste, dust-outs and RAM upgrades are all under an hour. Anything needing a part ordered in depends on shipping to Thunder Bay, which is usually two to four days.
Will you look at my data?
No. I need to boot the machine to test it, so I'll see your desktop and your folders, and that's as far as it goes. If a job needs a password I ask for it in person, and you can change it after.
Do you take business work?
Small shops and home offices, yes — a handful of machines, a printer, a router. Anything needing a service contract or 24-hour response is better handled by a managed IT provider, and I'll say so.
How do I pay?
E-transfer or cash, when the work is done and in your hands. No deposit for repairs. For builds where I'm buying parts on your behalf, parts are paid up front and labour at handover.
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Text a photo. Get a price.
Fastest way to reach me is a text with a picture of the problem. Calls are fine too — if I'm mid-repair, leave a message and I'll call back the same day.