How much does an MOT cost the station?

[m4tt]

Just wondering what kind of margins these places actually make? As some places charge ~£30 then there is ones that go by the book and charge £54.

If its properly classified info, feel free to PM me.

[Disco_Biscuit]

The actual test slot ( or pass) costs about £2, but don't forget all the equipment, wages and overheads also have to be covered.

[EDLT]

Snap-On had a whole kit for an MOT bay on offer a while ago, it wasn't much more than £100 a month over three years iirc.

[LeeThePeople]

EDLT said:

Snap-On had a whole kit for an MOT bay on offer a while ago, it wasn't much more than £100 a month over three years iirc.

That wouldnt of been an MOT bay, you can only buy them from VOSA and cost over £60k IIRC

VOSA wont let anyone reinstate an old MOT bay, you can use one of any age till its shut down, you cant open it up again. So some places have had the same MOT bay for 20 years so it doesnt cost them that mutch to do an MOT, where as a newly opened or refurbed garage will have had to have a new £60k bay fitted and will have to recoup that cost through the MOT price.

[Jonny671]

At our place, its average £83 pounds an hour roughly..

The MOT can take 45 minutes up to an hour.

Then you have the MOT Slots etc, the ramp time as you have to use a different ramp to the normal ones.. Tools, training etc.

[m4tt]

So in summary, buying an existing MOT station, aslong as you can continue the licence (or whatever it maybe called) offers a pretty damn good profit margin?

[Silver940]

More than it used to. Used the same place for 20 years now and recent computerisation means he has to take 50mins to do the MOT, it's timed - daft on a newer car that takes 20 mins.

[Disco_Biscuit]

m4tt said:

So in summary, buying an existing MOT station, aslong as you can continue the licence (or whatever it maybe called) offers a pretty damn good profit margin?

Only if you buy it as a business, if you just rent or buy a property that has a test bay it will need upgrading to new ATL lanes and might not even qualify to the new standards.

Its not as easy as it seems becoming a test station, it takes alot of time and palnning permsisson etc.

Also you have to take an exam if your not already a qualified mechanic with a min of 5 years on hand experience now, to become a tester.

[jjones]

Disco_Biscuit said:

m4tt said:

Also you have to take an exam if your not already a qualified mechanic with a min of 5 years on hand experience now, to become a tester.

friend is a tester, he said the exam is a pretty easy.

he also said that the ministry can use a laptop and see what car your computer says you are working on and they will sit at a distance and make sure that you are doing what you say you are doing on the computer!

[oktapod]

My old man owns and runs an MOT garage and the bulk of his work these days comes via MOT - particularly from other garages who do not offer the MOT service. The investment in kit, and the continuous commitment to replacing things as the tests tighten up (e.g. emissions) makes it a pricy game, which is why the MOT costs have shot up over recent years.

[removalizer]

I set up an mot station from scratch 3 years ago, I am a qualified so that bit was easy however setting the station up is not, took about a year. I bought the equipment from snap on which cost about £25k on finance at £800 per month I charge £40 to private and £30 to trade best thing I ever did. 2 apprentices ( 1 girl 1 Boy) do all the repairs.

[oktapod]

Interesting. My old man wants to retire soon, but he's run off his feet with work. I have no mechanical training or (to be honest) ability, but there are times when I wonder whether I should take it over.... tempting, though I'm not sure how such a business can realistically grow and how viable it is... just thinking aloud, really. Maybe I'm in a lucky position (business, premises and land all owned outright, MOT track record going back at least 30 years, all kit in and the only garage for miles doing MOTs) but I really wouldn't have the first clue........

[fred bloggs]

oktapod said:

Interesting. My old man wants to retire soon, but he's run off his feet with work. I have no mechanical training or (to be honest) ability, but there are times when I wonder whether I should take it over.... tempting, though I'm not sure how such a business can realistically grow and how viable it is... just thinking aloud, really. Maybe I'm in a lucky position (business, premises and land all owned outright, MOT track record going back at least 30 years, all kit in and the only garage for miles doing MOTs) but I really wouldn't have the first clue........

If he owns the lot go for it. Hire someone experienced to run it, itll make money.