Garage hourly rate
Discussion
As said already it all depends where you live. I`m in Reading,and the Thames Valley is getting near London rates because rent,rates and property prices are so high. Most established independents are charging around £60 + VAT per hour. A friend of mine took her Polo to the local VW main dealer and was charged £120 + VAT per hour !!!
grumpy52 said:
South east kent and my mate charges £55 ph on normal day rate and £ 40 ph on long term restoration work .
Local independents charge £60-70 ph , main dealers are £100-140ph .
Can you email me the details of this garage?Local independents charge £60-70 ph , main dealers are £100-140ph .
Used to use Mr Clutch at £39/hour. New management have upped it to £78/hour!
£52 per hour at my usual independent VAG specialist at the last service (also in North Yorkshire). Last time I used a main dealer in the same area back in 2013 it was about £80 per hour - I suspect they would be over £100 per hour now.
A lot of the difference in cost will be down to the cost of renting the workshop and other overheads/extras. The indy operates out of fairly ropey industrial unit with a bunch of mechanics and admin/receptionist in a small office. The car is properly serviced with genuine parts, correct oil etc, but there are no extras. The main dealer has a huge glass palace, "free" coffee, "free" pickup/drop-off, "free" wash and hoover, a reception desk and a service manager in a jacket and tie who I presume doesn't normally work on the cars himself.
As I'm perfectly capable of cleaning my own car, getting it to the garage myself and buying a coffee from Costa for £2.50 if I want one, I'd rather pay the lower hourly rate, particularly for any labour intensive job beyond a basic service. Maintaining a warranty isn't a concern for me as the car is 8 years old.
A lot of the difference in cost will be down to the cost of renting the workshop and other overheads/extras. The indy operates out of fairly ropey industrial unit with a bunch of mechanics and admin/receptionist in a small office. The car is properly serviced with genuine parts, correct oil etc, but there are no extras. The main dealer has a huge glass palace, "free" coffee, "free" pickup/drop-off, "free" wash and hoover, a reception desk and a service manager in a jacket and tie who I presume doesn't normally work on the cars himself.
As I'm perfectly capable of cleaning my own car, getting it to the garage myself and buying a coffee from Costa for £2.50 if I want one, I'd rather pay the lower hourly rate, particularly for any labour intensive job beyond a basic service. Maintaining a warranty isn't a concern for me as the car is 8 years old.
CinnamonFan said:
grumpy52 said:
South east kent and my mate charges £55 ph on normal day rate and £ 40 ph on long term restoration work .
Local independents charge £60-70 ph , main dealers are £100-140ph .
Can you email me the details of this garage?Local independents charge £60-70 ph , main dealers are £100-140ph .
Used to use Mr Clutch at £39/hour. New management have upped it to £78/hour!
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/accountant-w...
Cheap as chips.
Not a direct comparison but indicative of the cost of living in the rich smug south I was expected to pay £168 +VAT per hr by my nearest main Mercedes dealer in order to re-furbish the a/c of a 2012 car & thus only too delighted when just down the road an independent Mercedes specialist of international renown would only charge me £90 per hr + VAT for the same work using genuine Mercedes parts ordered direct from the factory.
At the latter I still can lounge in luxurious leather chairs sipping good coffee & nibbling on biscuits while I wait.
Not a direct comparison but indicative of the cost of living in the rich smug south I was expected to pay £168 +VAT per hr by my nearest main Mercedes dealer in order to re-furbish the a/c of a 2012 car & thus only too delighted when just down the road an independent Mercedes specialist of international renown would only charge me £90 per hr + VAT for the same work using genuine Mercedes parts ordered direct from the factory.
At the latter I still can lounge in luxurious leather chairs sipping good coffee & nibbling on biscuits while I wait.
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