Pricing
Flat quotes.
No hourly surprises.
The evaluation is free and the quote comes before you owe anything. The number I give you is the number you pay. Not a "starting at" with asterisks.
No data, no charge.
The evaluation is free. I'll show you what's recoverable before you pay anything. If what you're looking for isn't there, you owe nothing.
How pricing works
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01
Free evaluation
I look at the device and work out what can be recovered. No fee for this.
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02
A report of what's recoverable
File count, file types and date range, so you can see whether what you need is in there.
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03
A firm quote
One flat number, given with the report. You decide whether to go ahead.
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04
Payment on delivery
You pay when the recovered files are ready to hand over, by Dropbox link.
Recovered files are delivered by Dropbox link. Very large recoveries can cost more, because I need extra storage to hold them. If that applies to yours, it is in the quote. Return shipping is on me, whether or not anything was recovered, unless you ask for rush return shipping. That is quoted with the job.
Memory Cards & Cameras
Card and camera recovery pricing
SD, microSD, CF, CFexpress and XQD. USB flash drives follow the same prices. Which price applies depends on what the recovery takes. More about card recovery →
Standard
$100 flat
A deleted or formatted card that still reads, where the files come back intact.
- › Deleted photos or video
- › Card formatted by accident
- › Card asks to be formatted
- › SD, microSD, CF, CFexpress, XQD, USB flash drives
Complex
$150–$250
Quoted after evaluation. The files are there but need rebuilding before they are usable.
- › Reconstruction from fragments
- › Corrupted video repair
- › Very large cards
Rush
Add-on
48-hour turnaround from the day the card arrives. Added to the Standard or Complex price, and quoted with the job.
- › Ask for it on the intake form
- › Amount confirmed with your quote
Not detected at all
Case by case
A card that no reader or camera can see is a physical case. Some of these I can do at my bench, quoted after evaluation. The rest I refer out, at no charge.
- › No capacity, no name, nothing
- › Checked in more than one reader
- › If it's not one I can do, I tell you and send it back
Repairing corrupt photo or video files you already have is a flat price per job, not per file, quoted after a free look. It typically runs $150 to $250. More about file repair →
Hard Drives & SSDs
Drive recovery pricing
Quoted after evaluating the specific failure. These brackets reflect what the work typically costs. Your exact quote will be within or below the range shown. More about drive recovery →
By device: external drives, SSD and NVMe, Mac, RAID and NAS (quoted case by case).
Most common
Logical Recovery
$150–$250
The drive works mechanically but the file system or data has been lost. Most common type of recovery.
- › Accidentally deleted files
- › Quick or full format
- › Corrupted file system (NTFS, APFS, HFS+)
- › Partition table issues
- › Drive mounts but files missing
Degraded Drive
$250–$400
The drive is mechanically struggling: bad sectors, slow reads, intermittent detection. Still spinning, but failing.
- › Bad sector remapping
- › S.M.A.R.T. errors accumulating
- › Very slow performance
- › Intermittent detection
- › Clicking or grinding (light cases)
Light Physical
$350–$500
Physical component failure: PCB, USB controller, motor controller. The drive itself may be fine.
- › Burned PCB / circuit board
- › Failed USB bridge controller on external
- › Seized motor (some cases)
- › Dropped laptop drive (some cases)
- › WD My Passport controller failure
Out of scope / refer out
Cleanroom Cases
Refer out
Requires specialized cleanroom equipment I don't have. I'll point you to the right lab.
- › Head stack replacement
- › Platter transplant
- › Firmware corruption (some models)
- › Fire or severe water damage
- › Physically destroyed platters
Floppy Disk Recovery
Floppy disk pricing
Priced per disk. All reads use flux-level imaging with a Greaseweazle, not a basic USB drive. Bulk pricing available for 10+ disks. More about floppy recovery →
Standard Read
$30–$50
Disk is physically healthy and reads with flux-level imaging on the first pass.
- › Per disk pricing
- › Includes flux-level imaging
- › PC, Mac, and other formats
- › Bulk rates for 10+ disks
Degraded Disk
$50–$100
Disk has weakened signal, requires multiple imaging passes or surface cleaning before read.
- › Weak magnetic signal
- › Mold cleaning required
- › Multiple-pass flux recovery
- › Partial recovery possible
VHS & Tape Digitization
Digitization pricing
Priced per tape. Volume pricing available for 5+ tapes: contact me to discuss. Payment after delivery.
VHS / VHS-C
$25–$40
Standard VHS cassettes and compact VHS-C camcorder tapes. VHS-C adapter included.
- › Per tape pricing
- › Output: MP4 (H.264/AAC)
- › Delivery: USB or download
Hi-8 / 8mm
$30–$45
Sony Hi-8 and standard 8mm camcorder tapes. Higher quality format than VHS.
- › Per tape pricing
- › Output: MP4 (H.264/AAC)
- › Delivery: USB or download
Common questions
- What if what I'm looking for can't be recovered?
- The evaluation is free. I'll show you what's recoverable before you pay anything. If what you're looking for isn't there, you owe nothing.
- Do I pay before or after recovery?
- After. The evaluation is free. You get a report of what's recoverable (file count, file types, date range) and a firm quote. If you approve it, you pay on delivery.
- How long does data recovery take?
- Logical recovery typically takes 2–5 business days. Physical cases can take 1–2 weeks depending on complexity. I'll give you a timeline with the quote.
- What payment methods do you accept?
- Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, and cash for in-person drop-offs. Check for business clients.
- How do I ship my drive safely?
- See the full shipping guide at theatticlab.net/shipping. You do not need to remove the drive — shipping a full laptop is fine. The short version: anti-static bag if you have one, bubble wrap on every surface, snug box so nothing moves. Never use newspaper — the ink particles are abrasive.
- Are these prices fixed?
- Standard memory card recovery is a flat $100. The ranges are my standard brackets, and the exact quote depends on what the evaluation finds. I give you a firm, flat number before you owe anything. No hourly rates.
Ready to get a quote?
Describe what happened. I'll evaluate and give you a firm number before anything else.
Start a Case