Auto repair & detailing
Auto Repair Cost Calculator
Build a repair price from diagnostic time, labour hours, parts and the shop supplies that usually go unbilled.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditWhat moves the number
- Diagnostic time, which is work whether or not the customer approves the repair.
- Book time against actual time. A flat rate guide assumes a clean vehicle and undamaged fasteners.
- Parts tier. An OE part, a quality aftermarket part and a budget part carry different warranty exposure.
- Access. The same component can be an hour on one platform and most of a day on another.
Where this one goes wrong
Seized and snapped fasteners are the single most common reason a job runs past book time, and rust belt vehicles break them routinely. Decide in advance whether that is absorbed or raised as an approved variation, and tell the customer before the extra work happens rather than on the invoice.
Before you quote
- Whether the fault has been confirmed or only reported.
- Whether the part is available today or the vehicle occupies a lift waiting for it.
- Whether related components should be done while the area is open.
Questions
About this calculator
Should diagnostic time be charged separately?
Yes, and it should be charged whether the customer proceeds or not. Diagnosis is skilled work that consumes a bay and a technician. Many shops credit it against the repair if the customer approves, which keeps the goodwill without giving the work away.
Should I quote book time or actual time?
Quote book time so the customer gets a number you can hold to, but track actual time against it. The gap between the two, measured across a few months, tells you whether your effective labour rate is what you think it is.
What should shop supplies cover?
Consumables that are real but not worth itemising: cleaners, rags, fasteners, lubricants, disposal of fluids. Charging a visible supplies line is more defensible than quietly inflating the labour rate.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 2.2 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $135.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $180.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 2.2 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $135 |
| Parts and materials | $180 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $572 |
| Labour | $297 |
| Before tax | $572 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $572: $297 of labour, $180 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $68 | $424.60 |
| $101 | $497.20 |
| $135 example above | $572 |
| $203 | $721.60 |
| $270 | $869 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 2.2 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $135.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $180.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.