Sometimes zippers fail. Sometimes, it's an easy fix; other times, the entire zipper has to be replaced.
This one below is one of the easy cases. A section of a zipper slider broke off (black one on the left), and it had to be replaced. I was going to look for a new replacement online, but I thought to look in my rescued zipper box. I found one that was similar in colour (navy blue) and the correct size. So, I just replaced it. An easy fix, and I was happy that my client didn't mind the fact it was as lightly different colour and it was a rescued part. Now this jacket can be used again.
This one below was a complete failure of the zipper teeth. This means the entire zipper had to be replaced.
When a whole thing has to be replaced, that means that I have to unpick all the seams to take out the old zipper and install a new one, which took about an hour. I was frankly surprised that a brand like Columbia has a zipper that failed so spectacularly, but I guess things made of plastics tend to break more easily.
Please don't throw away your favorite garment just because a zipper broke. There are ways to fix that.
A zipper repair can be as easy as the one on the top or the entire replacement ike the one on the bottom. I charge by the hour ($30/hour), so the price will depend on how long it takes to finishe the job. If it takes a very short time to repair, I may not even charge you. The one on the top took me less than 10 minutes and I used a rescued material, so there was no charge.
Also, it's always a good idea to keep the notions (like zippers and buttons, etc.) just in case you can use them in future repairs. So, before throwing away your worn garment, take a few minutes to cut them out, or you can give it to me so that I can salvage as much as I can.