Start a home-based electronics repair bench

Fix phones, tablets, laptops and small gadgets from a home workbench, with customers posting or dropping off devices.

Technician repairing a phone circuit board at a small repair shop bench.

Startup cost£300 to £1.5k

Monthly revenue£300 to £1.5k

Time needed6+ h/week

First incomeWeeks

£300-1.5k
Side hustle
From home

Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.

Official data

1,549 UK companies in this field, 32% registered in the last 2 years

SIC 95210 “Repair of consumer electronics”. Source: Companies House, November 2026.

What it is

A small repair bench at home where you fix common faults such as cracked screens, tired batteries, charging ports and games consoles. Customers drop off by arrangement or send items by post.

Your first three steps

Choose a narrow starting range, such as phone screens and batteries, and practise on spare or second-hand devices
Buy a basic toolkit and an anti-static mat, and set up a parts supplier account
List a price menu on local community pages and ask friends and neighbours for a first few repairs and reviews

Who pays

Households with a broken phone, tablet, laptop or console who want a cheaper option than replacing it, plus local people through word of mouth and online listings.

How it makes money

A fixed price per repair, made up of your labour plus the cost of parts. You can add a small fee for diagnosis if the device turns out to be unfixable.

Skills that help

Fine, careful handiwork
Fault finding and patience
Clear, honest customer communication

Watch out for

Check whether your landlord, mortgage lender or council needs to agree to running a business from home
Public liability insurance, and cover for customers' devices while in your care (check what policies include)
Data privacy: customers' devices hold personal information, so decide how you handle it and consider data protection registration requirements with the ICO
Lithium batteries need careful handling and storage, and old parts and batteries need proper disposal (check waste rules for businesses)
Repairing some branded or mains-powered items may need extra skills or testing, so avoid work you are not trained for

Deep research report · UK

Everything you need to start: home-based electronics repair bench

Researched with live web search for United Kingdom: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.

Startup costs with real prices
Licences, registration and rules
Pricing: what others charge
Break-even example
Finding your first customers
30-day launch plan
Risks and how to reduce them

Ready in about 2 minutes · one-off payment, tax included

See a full sample report

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to start an electronics repair business at home?

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around £300 to £1,500, depending on the tools, parts and insurance you need. Starting with the common repairs, such as screens and batteries, can keep early costs down.

How much can a home electronics repairer earn?

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £300 to £1,500, depending on how many repairs you take on and the devices you can fix. Word of mouth and online listings can help bring in customers.

What should I check before repairing devices from home?

Check whether your landlord, mortgage lender or council needs to agree to a home business. Also check insurance for you and customers' devices, data protection and ICO registration, safe handling and disposal of lithium batteries, and avoid work you are not trained for.