How much would you expect to pay for a zip replacement?

[PunishmentRoundupWithJoon]

A favourite cardigan that I've had for years needs a new zip. I don't sew so can't do it myself. Naively perhaps, I imagined it might be about £10-15 to replace a zip, but I've been quoted £25.

Is this normal? Please don't shout at me if it's actually quite a big task - I have no idea about these things!!

It was Euro 20 about a decade ago so it sounds right.

I paid £13 to a local seamstress last summer

Thanks, that's useful to know. Just had a look at Johnsons dry cleaners as they do a repair service. It says £10 for dresses and £18 for jackets and coats - not sure if they'd class a cardigan as a jacket.

We had a broken zip on DS's school coat and unfortunately it cost more to replace the zip than a new coat.

£15 for a pocket zip, also repair to a tear at the pocket, in a local independent shop in my town

Where did you take it ? Find a local seam stress , if you go to a business or dry cleaners you will be paying twice .

I was quoted £40 for a coat.

I bought a new coat instead.
Like you, I assumed it would be about £15

Pre covid, I enquired about a zip in a canvas bag (handbag size, not a big one) & they wanted £27. I declined.

Zips are a pain in the arse to replace. Could take well over an hour even for someone who knows what they are doing plus good quality ones are expensive to buy.
Options are:

1. do it yourself
2. pay someone quite a bit of money to do it
3. buy a whole new item

This is true.

Local lady on the market charges £25. Ended up buying a new coat instead.

I think £25 is more than fair.

A seamstress won't have a full selection of zips in every length and colour so they'd likely have to buy that as a one off and they're not cheap. Zips are a PITA to unpick and as you said it's a cardigan, I'm assuming it's woollen so might not be the most straightforward machine stitching job.

I paid £30 for a zip on my jacket last year.