Garage labour rates

[calibrax]

I'm trying to gauge what's a good average hourly labour rate for a garage working on a car.

So, what's the average labour rate you get charged by your garage? Would be helpful if you could also say if they are a main dealer, an independent specialist, or a standard garage. Also whether the price is including or excluding VAT would be useful!

Thanks!

[fatboy b]

My last car - Audi A5 - was about £120 at a main dealer. £65 at a good indy.

The new Jag has 3 years free servicing, so will have a wait before I need to bend over!

[williredale]

I use a Ford indy (despite not owning a Ford for years) and they're £75 per hour

[greggy50]

I pay £25 an hour but that is very cheap mates rates...

[Pique]

Jap specialist at the end of my road is £25 p/h. Needless to say almost everything goes to him!

[peter8171]

I use a local Subaru specialist and they charge £60 per hour. Main dealer was about £100 if I remember right. Trust the specialist a lot more too

[CubanPete]

Decent BMW indy charges £50 ph, having built a good relationship with him he often doesn't charge for jobs, but the lads do get some beer money every now again.

When I had my VW, not very local indy (I moved, then he moved) charged £25 ph. Bargain, even a few years ago, though in reversal of dodgy dealers often if you asked him to do things he would often say 'I've had a look and it doesn't need doing...'.

[JonnyFive]

We're a main dealer in Surrey..

1-3 years old - £90/hour
3-5 years old - £81/hour
5+ years old - £76.50/hour

Also depends on the job, and hours spent on the job.

[P Nuts]

local independent bmw specialist i use charge roughly £60 an hour, cant fault them always do a decent job, and wouldnt really want to take it somewhere else when they might not have the know how etc.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Yes, £120 hr main dealer rates are big money although you do get a nice "chome 'n' glass" environment, a courtesy car and a cup of coffee.

Specialist rates of £60 to £80 hr seem reasonable to me.

I can't help doubting that any competent mechanic/technician/specialist can sensibly work for £25 hr. Rent, rates, utilities, taxes, tools, receptionist, holidays, etc,etc....

[jamiebae]

It depends where you live national average is about £45 for indie and £80 for dealer but in parts of the North East you can find Indies charging £25 and a London prestige place will be nearly £200 an hour.

My local garage is £50 per hour in rural Oxon but my company BMW goes to a dealer who charges £120 ph retail rate.

[P Nuts]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Yes, £120 hr main dealer rates are big money although you do get a nice "chome 'n' glass" environment, a courtesy car and a cup of coffee.

although i do get all that for my local indy.. guess im lucky

[McSam]

greggy50 said:

I pay £25 an hour but that is very cheap mates rates...

Really? I have a pretty minor family-friend link to a forecourt owner, and he gets his mechanic to work on my cars for £20

I wouldn't expect any independent to dream of charging more than £50ph unless they are a seriously renowned specialist, though.

Naturally all "including VAT", especially the ones paid in cash..

[littleredrooster]

JonnyFive said:

We're a main dealer in Surrey..

1-3 years old - £90/hour
3-5 years old - £81/hour
5+ years old - £76.50/hour

Also depends on the job, and hours spent on the job.

[cynic mode]new cars, easy to work on, milk the profit potential. Older cars, give some discount, keep 'em coming back even if they are harder to fix. [/cynic mode]

[POORCARDEALER]

Our small worksop cost £22 per hour to run (charging 8 hours a day), so charging £25 an hour was not possible.

[JonnyFive]

littleredrooster said:

JonnyFive said:

We're a main dealer in Surrey..

1-3 years old - £90/hour
3-5 years old - £81/hour
5+ years old - £76.50/hour

Also depends on the job, and hours spent on the job.

[cynic mode]new cars, easy to work on, milk the profit potential. Older cars, give some discount, keep 'em coming back even if they are harder to fix. [/cynic mode]

Pretty much, exactly that. Every dealer does it.

[anonymous-user]

littleredrooster said:

[cynic mode]new cars, easy to work on, milk the profit potential. Older cars, give some discount, keep 'em coming back even if they are harder to fix. [/cynic mode]

Clearly 'Cynic mode' hasn't turned a spanner on a newer car before. They're getting more complicated, not easier.

[Riley Blue]

£35 at a car restorer near me but it's irrelevant when your car's in there for 18 months.

[miniman]

£45 at the garage in the village, £0 at my mates place

[JonnyFive]

279 said:

Clearly 'Cynic mode' hasn't turned a spanner on a newer car before. They're getting more complicated, not easier.

This is true. Mostly replace stuff these days too, rather than repair them.

Manufacturers just give you a flow chart of things to replace to fix the fault.