Data Recovery Costs Sydney: What You Pay to Get Files Back in 2026
Service: Data Recovery
Data recovery pricing depends on damage type, parts needed, and how urgent you need files back. Simple deletions cost less than physical drive failures. Understanding typical costs helps you budget for recovery and avoid shops that overcharge or make impossible promises.
Price ranges explained
Logical recovery
Deleted files on healthy drives cost $150-$350 depending on data volume and complexity. Formatted drives with no physical damage sit in the same range. Corrupted file systems and partition table repairs typically run $200-$400. These prices include diagnosis, imaging, scanning, and file extraction to new media.
Physical damage recovery
Clicking or failed drives start at $400-$700 for desktop drives and $500-$900 for laptop drives. Parts replacement adds cost. Water damage ranges from $350 for minor exposure to $800 for severe corrosion. Drives needing clean room platter work can exceed $1000. RAID arrays with multiple failures cost more due to complexity.
What affects pricing
- Drive size and data volume to scan
- Physical damage severity and parts needed
- Urgency and same-day turnaround requests
- RAID complexity and number of failed drives
- Cleanroom requirements for opened drives
- Encrypted drives needing special handling
- Business rates for priority service
Getting accurate quotes
Smart steps
Describe symptoms accurately including any sounds, when failure happened, and what you tried. Ask if diagnosis fees apply toward final costs. Check what the quote covers including parts, media for recovered data, and verification. Understand success rates for your failure type. Confirm data return format and any ongoing storage fees. Compare two or three providers but watch for unrealistic promises or pressure tactics.
Hidden costs to watch for
Some shops charge diagnosis fees that do not apply if you decline recovery. Media costs for new drives to receive recovered data may be extra. Rush fees for faster turnaround add to base prices. No-data-no-fee promises sometimes have hidden evaluation charges. Storage fees apply if you delay collecting recovered data. Shipping costs matter for remote recovery services.
Sydney pricing examples
Real cases
A Paddington freelancer paid $280 to recover accidentally deleted client files from a healthy drive. A Bondi business spent $650 on physical recovery after a clicking external drive failed with accounting records. A Newtown student paid $220 to recover a formatted USB with thesis work. A North Sydney office paid $450 for same-day recovery from a failed laptop drive needed for a presentation. A Surry Hills creative agency paid $850 for RAID recovery after two drives failed simultaneously.
FAQs
Q1: Do I pay if recovery fails?
Reputable providers offer no-data-no-fee recovery for physical damage cases. You typically pay diagnosis fees even if recovery is impossible. Logical recovery with successful file extraction charges full rates. Ask about refund policies before starting work.
Q2: Is cheap recovery worth trying first?
Very low prices often mean offshore services with no clean room, inexperienced staff, or bait-and-switch quoting. Failed cheap attempts damage drives and reduce success rates for proper recovery later. Mid-range pricing from established Sydney providers offers better value.
Q3: How do I avoid surprise costs?
Get written quotes covering all fees before approving work. Ask about parts charges, media costs, and rush fees. Confirm the quote covers worst-case scenarios. Choose providers who call for approval if diagnosis reveals higher costs than estimated.
Get transparent pricing today
Data recovery pricing in Sydney ranges from $150 for simple deletions to over $1000 for severe physical damage. Most cases fall between $200-$700 with honest assessment and quality work. Same-day diagnosis provides clear quotes before you commit to recovery. Available across CBD, Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, and North Shore. Service: Data Recovery