What free data recovery actually costs
Time first. Imaging a drive, transferring a backup, checking that the files open and that the photos are the right photos: that's 30 to 90 minutes of bench time, sometimes more. None of it appears on the invoice.
Then risk. Once you've said "we'll try to save your data", you own the outcome. If the transfer fails, the customer remembers the sentence and forgets the "try".
And the quiet cost: customers learn that data work is free. The next one asks for it before you've opened the device.
What you can and can't promise on Apple hardware
Modern Apple devices encrypt storage with keys tied to the device. On most iPhones, T2 Macs and Apple Silicon Macs, recovering data from a dead board usually means repairing the original board far enough to boot. Moving the storage chip to another board doesn't make it readable.
That has one practical effect on your pricing: the work is an attempt, not a guaranteed result. A fixed price for a guaranteed outcome puts you in a position you can't hold.
Two service levels
Keep it to two.
Transfer. The device boots. You copy the data to a new device or an external drive. A fixed fee, quoted before you start. Something like €30 to €80 depending on volume and your market, with a clear scope: what gets copied, to where, and how long it stays on your side before deletion.
Recovery. The device doesn't boot. Getting the data out needs board-level work. Quote an attempt fee separately from any repair, with the result explicitly not guaranteed. If the board work succeeds, the customer pays for the repair too. If it doesn't, they've paid for a serious attempt.
Both are line items on the estimate, with their own names. Neither is "included".
What to put in writing
Data work involves personal data. Before you touch it, get three things on paper:
Consent. The customer authorises you to access the device and its data for this purpose.
Scope. What you will attempt, and that the result isn't guaranteed.
Deletion. When you remove any copies you made.
Two lines each. Add them to the intake form next to your pre-repair notes. If a dispute arrives later, this is the page you'll want.
Using AI to build the price sheet and the consent wording
I run an independent Apple repair lab in Portugal. Build me a one-page data service sheet with two items: "Data Transfer" (device boots, fixed fee, scope and deletion policy) and "Data Recovery Attempt" (device doesn't boot, board-level attempt, result not guaranteed, quoted separately from any repair). Include a short consent paragraph the customer signs, covering authorisation to access the device, scope of the attempt, no guarantee of recovery, and deletion of any copies within [X] days. Plain English, under 250 words in total.
Fill in [X] and your prices. Put it on the counter next to the estimate pad.
Want the complete toolkit?
The Apple Repair Lab Toolkit — v1.0 includes 5 ready-to-use tools: AI diagnostic prompts, a repair estimate template, 6 customer email templates, a SOP template and a weekly KPI tracker. Everything an independent technician needs to run a more consistent lab.
Want the full prompt pack?
There are four more AI techniques in the free guide, including diagnosing faster, writing better estimates, handling difficult customer conversations and building your own SOPs.
AI on the Bench — 5 ways to use AI in your Apple repair workflow.
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