Maintenance Contract vs. Break-Fix: The Real Math
"Why would I pay every month when my copier is working fine?" It's a fair question. Here's the honest answer.
How Break-Fix Works
With break-fix (also called time-and-materials), you pay nothing until something goes wrong. Then you pay for the service call, the technician's time, and any parts needed. This sounds economical — until you look at the numbers.
Typical break-fix costs for a commercial copier:
- Service call / labor: $125–$200 per visit
- Parts: $50–$800+ depending on the component
- Average copier: 2–4 service calls per year at full age
That's $350–$2,400+ per year in unpredictable repair costs, plus no priority service and no scheduled preventative maintenance.
How a Maintenance Contract Works
A Pro-Tec Copier Services maintenance contract covers:
- All scheduled preventative maintenance
- Emergency labor and most parts
- Priority response (contract clients come first)
- Optional toner inclusion
Typical monthly cost: $80–$250 depending on machine class and print volume.
Annual cost: $960–$3,000.
Who Should Choose a Maintenance Contract?
A maintenance contract is almost always the better financial choice if:
✅ Your print volume exceeds 2,500 pages/month
✅ Your business cannot tolerate downtime
✅ Your copier is more than 2 years old
✅ You want predictable budgeting
Break-fix may work if you print very low volume (under 1,000 pages/month) and the machine is relatively new.
The Hidden Cost of Downtime
Neither calculation above accounts for lost productivity. A single day of copier downtime in a 10-person office typically costs $500–$2,000 in lost work time. Maintenance contracts include priority response, which dramatically reduces that downtime exposure.
Related: Why Preventative Maintenance Matters | Leasing vs. Buying a Copier
Get a maintenance contract quote from Pro-Tec Copier Services today.
