If your MacBook broke mid-semester and you're near UC Berkeley, here's the short version: we repair Apple laptops — screens from $269, batteries $149–$259, keyboards, charging ports, liquid damage, and data recovery — out of a shop on Telegraph Avenue, a short walk from campus. Most common jobs are same-day or next-day by appointment when the part's in stock and the schedule allows, and an $89 diagnostic covers anything that needs a look before we can quote it. Final price is confirmed at drop-off before work begins.
This is the map of what we fix and what it costs, model by model, so you can figure out whether your machine is worth repairing before you haul it down Telegraph. Prices below are as of August 2026 and get confirmed at drop-off. Where a repair has its own booking page, the link goes straight to it; otherwise start from the Apple laptop page and pick your model.
Screens
Cracked or dead display is the repair we do most. The common models start at $269 for a 2015–2017 Air and run to $479 for a 2022 Air M2, with the 2020 Air M1 at $380 and the 13-inch Pro A2338 at $449. Newer 14-inch and 16-inch Pros and M3/M4 Airs are quoted at diagnosis rather than off a list, because those panels and their pricing move too much for a printed number to stay accurate.
The full table by model, plus the resale-value math on whether a screen is worth fixing, is in our MacBook screen replacement guide. To book directly, the Air M1 screen replacement is the one we replace most.
Batteries
A MacBook battery that only lasts an hour or has physically swollen (pushing up the trackpad or the case) is a straightforward, worthwhile fix. Pricing by model:
| Model | Battery replacement |
|---|---|
| MacBook Pro Retina 13" (A1502) | $149 |
| MacBook Air 2015–2017 | $159 |
| MacBook Air Retina 2018–2020 | $169 |
| MacBook Air 13" M1 2020 | $189 |
| MacBook Pro 15" 2016–2017 | $249 |
| MacBook Pro 16" 2021 | $259 |
A swollen battery is worth acting on sooner than later — it can warp the case and press on other parts. The Air M1 battery replacement has a live booking page; for other models, start at the Apple laptop page.
Keyboards
Keyboard prices run from $179 on older Airs and the Retina Pro A1502 up to $249 on the A2338 and the 2018–2019 Retina Air, and $379 on the 2018–2019 15-inch Pro with the butterfly mechanism. One honest note for anyone with a 2015–2019 machine: Apple's free butterfly keyboard service program ended in November 2024 after six and a half years, so a free swap from Apple is no longer on the table for those models. If you've been limping along with a sticky or repeating key on a butterfly Mac, the fix now comes from a shop. Start a keyboard repair request and tell us the model.
Charging ports
A MacBook that won't charge, charges only at a certain cable angle, or has a scorched or loose port is usually a charging-port job, not a dead machine. That's $229 on the Air M1 and M2 and on the 15-inch Retina Pro A1398. If the machine won't power on at all, that starts with the $89 no-power diagnostic so we can tell whether it's the port, the board, or the battery. Book from the Apple laptop page and pick your model and service.
Water and liquid damage
Spilled a drink on it? Power it off, unplug everything, tent it over a towel, and don't turn it back on — the full first-aid steps and why they matter are in our MacBook water damage guide. It starts with an $89 water-damage diagnostic, then board-level cleaning and microsoldering under a microscope, then a confirmed quote. Liquid damage is our most common MacBook diagnostic intake, so it's familiar work — but it's also time-sensitive, so move fast.
No power and board-level work
If the machine is dead — no chime, no fans, no display, nothing — that's the $89 diagnostic (or no-power diagnostic). We diagnose at the component level under a microscope, find the actual failed part, and quote you for that rather than pricing a whole-board swap. A backlight fuse or a single failed component is a very different bill from a new logic board, and the only way to know which you've got is to look. Start from the Apple laptop page.
Data recovery and data transfer
If the real worry is what's on the drive, we run data-first. For a machine that won't boot, data recovery treats getting your files off as the priority. If the machine is fine and you just want everything moved to a new one, data transfer is $79. Read the technical challenges of data recovery if you want to understand what's actually involved.
Logistics for students
The shop is on Telegraph, a short walk from campus and the south-side dorms, which is the whole point — you can drop a machine between classes and often pick it up the same day or next day by appointment when parts and the schedule allow. Two bits of practical advice: back up before you bring it in if the machine still boots, because no repair can guarantee against data loss; and plan around finals. The week before finals is the worst time to be without a laptop and the busiest time on our bench, so if something's been flaky, deal with it in week ten, not week fifteen. The Berkeley repairs page has current openings.
AppleCare price vs. the real cost of downtime
AppleCare+ or an active service program can make Apple's line-item price look lower. Even when a covered Apple quote lands about $40 below ours on a particular repair, that is not the whole cost if the machine leaves you for days and it holds your schoolwork, client files, or only current project copy. Ask how long the service will take, whether the machine may be sent off-site or exchanged, and what must be backed up before you hand it over.
Apple's own U.S. repair terms say data loss during service is always possible and specifically do not guarantee repair or replacement without loss of programs or data. Our advantage is the service itself: local intake on Telegraph, targeted component-level repair on your original machine, a confirmed quote, and same-day or next-day turnaround on many common jobs when parts and the bench are available. For a student with a deadline, paying a little more to get the same computer back quickly can be the lower-cost decision.
Start with our local quote before treating a covered price as the automatic winner. We walk through the broader comparison in why the best repair shop in Berkeley isn't the Apple Store.
Book an appointment or browse all Apple laptop repairs and pick your model.
FAQ
Do I need an appointment?
Appointments are recommended so we can reserve an intake time and check that your part is in stock. Custom requests and jobs with unavailable parts get staff review before they're confirmed. Hours and contact details are on the contact page; live openings show when you book online.
Should I back up before dropping off my MacBook?
Yes, if it still boots. Back up your device and remove anything you don't want present during service. No repair process can guarantee against data loss, so a current backup is your safety net. If the machine won't boot to let you back up, tell us at intake and we'll handle it data-first.
How long do MacBook repairs take?
Many screen and battery repairs are same-day when the part and a technician are available. Charging-port, liquid-damage, no-power, and board-level jobs may need diagnosis or an ordered part first, so those timelines are confirmed once we've looked at the machine. Booking ahead lets us reserve the part and the bench time.
What's the diagnostic fee for?
The $89 diagnostic covers opening and inspecting the machine so we can quote a real repair price instead of guessing. It's the starting point for no-power, water-damage, and any model we quote at diagnosis rather than off a price list. You get a confirmed quote before any repair work begins.
More detail on the big three: MacBook screen replacement prices, what to do about water damage, and the honest Apple Store comparison.