Mechanic's hourly rate
Discussion
What do you pay?
I am having tyres fitted to my new to me car at a garage in London, and asked the guy if they would mind sticking it on the ramps for 30 minutes to poke about and give me a condition report on the condition of the underbody and the suspension. They told me that half an hour would be £45 + VAT. That makes for an hourly rate of £108! At a normal non specialist independent garage. Is that par for the course in London? I know London is expensive but that seems very expensive ...
I do wonder whether I misinterpreted and he meant the hourly rate was £45 + VAT ... will confirm on Saturday ...
I am having tyres fitted to my new to me car at a garage in London, and asked the guy if they would mind sticking it on the ramps for 30 minutes to poke about and give me a condition report on the condition of the underbody and the suspension. They told me that half an hour would be £45 + VAT. That makes for an hourly rate of £108! At a normal non specialist independent garage. Is that par for the course in London? I know London is expensive but that seems very expensive ...
I do wonder whether I misinterpreted and he meant the hourly rate was £45 + VAT ... will confirm on Saturday ...
Edited by Integroo on Tuesday 27th August 15:27
Unless you're looking at zone 6+, I would say that the average for a non-franchise/authorised seems to be around £60 per hour +VAT.
I remember when I went to a zone 2 BMW authorised dealer to ask about labour rates and was told £192+VAT. I didn't visit again...
In response to your question, I've also been told that specific jobs are charged at specific rates. For example I once had a coil spring changed in about 3 minutes flat and was then hit with 0.5 hours labour for it as that it what it would normally take to do.
I remember when I went to a zone 2 BMW authorised dealer to ask about labour rates and was told £192+VAT. I didn't visit again...
In response to your question, I've also been told that specific jobs are charged at specific rates. For example I once had a coil spring changed in about 3 minutes flat and was then hit with 0.5 hours labour for it as that it what it would normally take to do.
Artsy said:
Unless you're looking at zone 6+, I would say that the average for a non-franchise/authorised seems to be around £60 per hour +VAT.
I remember when I went to a zone 2 BMW authorised dealer to ask about labour rates and was told £192+VAT. I didn't visit again...
In response to your question, I've also been told that specific jobs are charged at specific rates. For example I once had a coil spring changed in about 3 minutes flat and was then hit with 0.5 hours labour for it as that it what it would normally take to do.
Every manufacturer issues a list of factory times for each job on a car. Two examples I still remember from back in the day when I was on the spanners, changing a clutch in a Mk I Renault 5 was 6.6 hours and doing a 10000 mile service on the same car was 1.3 hours.I remember when I went to a zone 2 BMW authorised dealer to ask about labour rates and was told £192+VAT. I didn't visit again...
In response to your question, I've also been told that specific jobs are charged at specific rates. For example I once had a coil spring changed in about 3 minutes flat and was then hit with 0.5 hours labour for it as that it what it would normally take to do.
Those times multiplied by whatever the hourly rate was what the customer would be charged regardless of how long the job had actually taken me. Once you'd done a few it'd be possible to finish the work in perhaps half the time the factory claimed and often you'd be able to combine two jobs like replacing brake pads and a caliper and the customer would be billed for both as separate operations even though most of the work on one is done when you do the other.
So you could easily earn the garage far more labour hours everyday than you'd actually worked and you'd get paid a proportion of the additional hours earned that on a good week could double your wages.
Which was nice
Artsy said:
In response to your question, I've also been told that specific jobs are charged at specific rates. For example I once had a coil spring changed in about 3 minutes flat and was then hit with 0.5 hours labour for it as that it what it would normally take to do.
I am sure this is true, but I am not asking him to do anything other than look at the underside for thirty minutes and give me his professional opinion on general condition. So I expect to pay half his hourly rate. £118 hourly rate at a standard non specialist non dealer side street mechanic seems very expensive! My South East based indy garage charges circa £60+VAT per hour.
They're quoting you a figure - it might not be based on their usual hourly rate for various reasons that might include:
1. they don't want to do it, so they're quoting a high figure
2. they think it'll take more than the half hour you're suggesting they spend poking the oily bits to look properly
3. they think you'll ask a lot of questions based on what they write down, which they can't bill you for the explanation to accompany when you go back to collect it.
4. they may have a standard fee for a 'pre-MOT' or similar
They're quoting you a figure - it might not be based on their usual hourly rate for various reasons that might include:
1. they don't want to do it, so they're quoting a high figure
2. they think it'll take more than the half hour you're suggesting they spend poking the oily bits to look properly
3. they think you'll ask a lot of questions based on what they write down, which they can't bill you for the explanation to accompany when you go back to collect it.
4. they may have a standard fee for a 'pre-MOT' or similar
Integroo said:
Artsy said:
In response to your question, I've also been told that specific jobs are charged at specific rates. For example I once had a coil spring changed in about 3 minutes flat and was then hit with 0.5 hours labour for it as that it what it would normally take to do.
I am sure this is true, but I am not asking him to do anything other than look at the underside for thirty minutes and give me his professional opinion on general condition. So I expect to pay half his hourly rate. £118 hourly rate at a standard non specialist non dealer side street mechanic seems very expensive! WinstonWolf said:
So pop it on your own ramps and have a poke about underneath.
Yes obviously I don't have my own ramps nor am I a mechanic and hence why I want to pay a mechanic to do it. I am not complaining about having to pay I am just wondering whether a £118 an hour hourly rate is normal.
If they are busy and trying to keep on top of things then they can charge what will make it worth it for them. I know for the garages around me, if I popped in and asked for this they would need to get the current car off (usually one that is waiting for parts to arrive), drive it to where there is space, get your car loaded on the lift, do the report which will likely be wheels off to check brakes, corrosion, bushings, lines etc. Then the car needs to come down, off , the other car back up and on, and then the office time to charge you. So yeah, £45 is probably about right.
If you're not okay with that, you can either become friends with them and they might do it for you after hours for a favour (I became friendly with the local garage and they did an alignment for me for free, but I gave them some cash I had one me).
Or for a simple check-up you can just jack it up and check yourself. There's loads of info online about what to check for.
If you're not okay with that, you can either become friends with them and they might do it for you after hours for a favour (I became friendly with the local garage and they did an alignment for me for free, but I gave them some cash I had one me).
Or for a simple check-up you can just jack it up and check yourself. There's loads of info online about what to check for.
Integroo said:
Fair enough, though I would think sticking a car on a ramp and poking a screwdriver at it for twenty minutes would be the easiest money they would make!
Not as much as doing a proper job - brakes, suspension, MOT, service etc....I know why you are asking for it doing, but it's a proper PITA for a busy garage.
The time to ask is when it's up on the ramps already.
£54 for an inspection sounds fine to me, don't forget the 5-10 minutes either side to drive it on and off the ramp; the ramp that would have been very expensive to buy and have a maintenance amount assigned to it, it will of course have regular safety checks too, the very ramp that is situated in a building which will either be owned or most likely leased and of course there are business rates, electricity costs, ongoing mechanic training; plus his salary, oh yes insurance too......
54 quid for a quick poke about!!
54 quid for a quick poke about!!
Integroo said:
Fair enough, though I would think sticking a car on a ramp and poking a screwdriver at it for twenty minutes would be the easiest money they would make!
Just typical of someone who hasn't a clue! HTP99 said:
£54 for an inspection sounds fine to me, don't forget the 5-10 minutes either side to drive it on and off the ramp; the ramp that would have been very expensive to buy and have a maintenance amount assigned to it, it will of course have regular safety checks too, the very ramp that is situated in a building which will either be owned or most likely leased and of course there are business rates, electricity costs, ongoing mechanic training; plus his salary, oh yes insurance too......
54 quid for a quick poke about!!
Not really necessary, I am perfectly aware of the overheads of running a business, I wasn't expecting him to do it for a tenner, oh and driving on and off would be in that half an hour, I literally just want to stand beside him and look at the underbody and make sure there is no hidden rusty bits and or broken suspension or anything, nothing more than that. I would be there having tyres fitted by him anyway. I didn't complain that it was too expensive to him either, I said that's fine and he is doing it, I just wondered whether he charges £118 p/h normally as that could quickly add up. 54 quid for a quick poke about!!
Integroo said:
Fair enough, though I would think sticking a car on a ramp and poking a screwdriver at it for twenty minutes would be the easiest money they would make!
Just typical of someone who hasn't a clue! Integroo said:
HTP99 said:
£54 for an inspection sounds fine to me, don't forget the 5-10 minutes either side to drive it on and off the ramp; the ramp that would have been very expensive to buy and have a maintenance amount assigned to it, it will of course have regular safety checks too, the very ramp that is situated in a building which will either be owned or most likely leased and of course there are business rates, electricity costs, ongoing mechanic training; plus his salary, oh yes insurance too......
54 quid for a quick poke about!!
Not really necessary, I am perfectly aware of the overheads of running a business, I wasn't expecting him to do it for a tenner, oh and driving on and off would be in that half an hour, I literally just want to stand beside him and look at the underbody and make sure there is no hidden rusty bits and or broken suspension or anything, nothing more than that. I would be there having tyres fitted by him anyway. I didn't complain that it was too expensive to him either, I said that's fine and he is doing it, I just wondered whether he charges £118 p/h normally as that could quickly add up. 54 quid for a quick poke about!!
Integroo said:
Fair enough, though I would think sticking a car on a ramp and poking a screwdriver at it for twenty minutes would be the easiest money they would make!
Just typical of someone who hasn't a clue! WinstonWolf said:
He only charges £90 per hour, the rest is tax.
Do you go into a television shop and say "that tv is not £1000 it's £800, the rest is tax"? Or into a bar and say "this pint is not £5 it is £4, plus tax"? No. Prices are quoted inclusive of tax, he is charging £118 an hour. Integroo said:
WinstonWolf said:
He only charges £90 per hour, the rest is tax.
Do you go into a television shop and say "that tv is not £1000 it's £800, the rest is tax"? Or into a bar and say "this pint is not £5 it is £4, plus tax"? No. Prices are quoted inclusive of tax, he is charging £118 an hour. HTP99 said:
£54 for an inspection sounds fine to me, don't forget the 5-10 minutes either side to drive it on and off the ramp; the ramp that would have been very expensive to buy and have a maintenance amount assigned to it, it will of course have regular safety checks too, the very ramp that is situated in a building which will either be owned or most likely leased and of course there are business rates, electricity costs, ongoing mechanic training; plus his salary, oh yes insurance too......
OkSo how much is the ramp? How long it's useful life.
How much is the safety check? How often.
Assuming the cost of a garage location is cheaper than say a high street retail too?
Give me specifics man.
Most garages have teens-twenties/eastern Europeans doing vast bulk of the work!
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