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From 'an arm and a leg' to 'how long is a piece of string', here's our (very) rough guide to the price of PC surgery.

Before you start shopping around for support, it helps to have an idea of the charging structures and rates that you're likely to encounter. You may find the costs surprisingly high, especially compared to the low prices of PCs these days. But this is a business that's all about labour, not mass-produced hardware. When a skilled technician spends an hour fixing your PC, nobody is paying his wages except you, and his employer's overheads and profit are on top of that. It's not going to be cheap.

Spreading the cost

Tech support subscriptions generally have three components: a monthly membership fee; a per-minute charge for telephone support; and a scale of extra charges for things you might occasionally need that aren't included, such as onsite visits. Check all of these before judging value for money, and take into account any built-in extras, such as an annual PC check-up or free security software.

To keep your phone bill down, a free 0800 number is best, but it probably won't be free if you ever have to call from a mobile. 0845 numbers are nominally 'local rate', but this can vary depending on your phone company, and the same goes for 0870 'national rate' lines, which can actually work out quite pricey.

Check if there's a cap on how many incidents or how much time you're entitled to within a month or a year. Local businesses are more likely to promise 'unlimited' support, but be reasonable; if you pay £10 a month, then phone every couple of days and bend the technician's ear for an hour, your custom isn't going to be welcome.

House calls

Onsite support is harder to price up, because preset fixed fee services tend to be expensive (as well as inflexible), while paying by the hour is unpredictable. Getting the best deal doesn't always mean going for the lowest headline price, but thinking about what's likely to be the most cost-effective option in your situation and actively ensuring that costs don't spiral.

Before shelling out for a fixed fee repair, take the time to rule out any obvious causes of your PC's problem, for example by checking all connections (including internal cabling if you're happy about opening the case), switching it off, leaving it to cool down fully, then switching on again. It may sound obvious, but it's well worth a try.

Paying a flat fee for the first hour, then by the half hour after that, is generally a fair pricing model. Most everyday issues will get fixed within the first hour. When the technician is on your premises, don't smother him but keep in mind that he's on the clock and answerable to you. After a minimum of polite chat, the first few minutes should be all about diagnosis, identifying the problem and telling you what it is and how long it's going to take to fix. There's nothing clever about wading in and taking the machine apart or immediately reinstalling Windows; the aim should be to do as little as possible, as fast as possible, to resolve the problem. If that doesn't seem to be happening, ask questions.

Sum of the parts

These are issues that arise with troubleshooting, which by nature is open-ended. If you're asking for help with a setup task rather than a problem, any support company should be able to tell you on the phone how long it'll take and what it'll cost, before you agree to a visit. You're entitled to assume this figure will only change if something unexpected arises, and that you'll be given the earliest opportunity to agree to any extra costs.

If your PC needs new parts, the support company should be able to supply these quickly and at a competitive price. That doesn't mean cost price - it's normal to make a profit on parts as well as labour - but if you can find the same part significantly cheaper online, say so and ask them to match the price.

Finally, watch out for prices quoted without VAT - the extra 17.5% can be an unpleasant surprise on the final bill. The law says goods or services aimed at consumers, rather than businesses, must be priced inc VAT, but smaller providers are sometimes unaware of this. Keep an eye open for the asterisk.

£30-£60
Typical cost of onsite support, per hour

£30-£90
Typical minimum for onsite callouts

£149.99
Cost of Tech Guys fixed price PC repair

1 hour
Time within which most issues are fixed

2 hours
Longest time it should take to complete almost any single job, including upgrades