Auto repair & detailing
Headlight Restoration Cost Calculator
Price headlight restoration including whether the result needs protecting to last.
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
- Oxidation depth, which decides how many sanding stages are needed.
- Whether a UV protective coating is applied afterwards, which decides how long the result lasts.
- Whether the lens is polycarbonate with a failed factory coating or simply dirty.
Where this one goes wrong
Polishing without applying UV protection. The factory coating is what failed in the first place, so a polished lens with nothing over it will yellow again within months and the customer will treat that as your failure.
Questions
About this calculator
How long does a restoration last?
It depends almost entirely on whether a UV protective coating was applied afterwards. Polishing alone removes the oxidised layer and leaves bare polycarbonate exposed, which degrades again quickly.
Is restoration always better than replacement?
Not always. A lens that is cracked, internally hazed or has moisture ingress cannot be restored from the outside, and attempting it wastes time and disappoints the customer.
Should both headlights always be done?
Yes. A restored lens next to an oxidised one is more noticeable than two matching oxidised ones, and doing one is rarely a saving worth making.
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.