Appliance sale calendar
| Month | Sale Event | Discount | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| November | Black Friday / Cyber Monday | 20-40% off | Best of year |
| January | New Year clearance | 10-20% off | Old model years |
| May | Memorial Day | 15-25% off | Renovation timing |
| September | Labor Day | 10-20% off | Mid-year refresh |
| July | 4th of July | 10-15% off | Modest deals only |
Contractor pricing by season
| Window | Contractor demand | Your leverage |
|---|---|---|
| January-February | Slowest | Rates 10-15% softer; fastest schedule |
| March-April | Rising | Pre-renovation ramp-up |
| May-August | Peak | 3-4 week wait, no discounts |
| September-October | Moderate | Slowing down, decent availability |
| November-December | Slow | Holiday lull, often available |
2026 Black Friday playbook
- Top discounters: LG, Samsung, Whirlpool typically lead the Black Friday discount race (30-40%). Bosch holds firmer (20-25%). Miele almost never discounts heavily.
- Where to shop: Major home improvement retailers, Best Buy, Costco for bundled installation. Compare with manufacturer direct pricing.
- Timing: Deals start the second week of November now, peak around the actual Friday-Monday window, then a smaller drop again on December 23-26 for holdouts.
- Watch: Camelcamelcamel for Amazon historical pricing on portable units.
Signs your dishwasher is beyond repair
- !Leaking from the door seal (expensive repair, often beyond DIY)
- !Not draining despite a clean trap and disposal (pump failure)
- !Control board error codes that need a $300+ board replacement
- !Visible rust on the interior tub (water contamination risk)
- !Unit is 10+ years old (efficiency far behind Energy Star current)
- !Repeated repair calls within 12 months
Strategic replacement: 5-step plan
- 01October: Start watching prices on your shortlist (3 models)
- 02Black Friday: Buy. Take retailer-bundled install if it's free, otherwise buy unit only.
- 03November-December: Store the unit flat, covered, in a climate-controlled room
- 04January: Book installer for late January or early February (rates negotiable)
- 05Install day: Have installer haul old unit, run a full test cycle, ask for receipts