Time & Labor Guide for Garages

by David Harris
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Close up detail of a classic car at a car show image by Rob Hill from Fotolia.com

Auto repair guides dictate a common price for mechanics to protect customers from paying too much. However, each shop varies in how much they charge for labor, especially as technology improves and repairs become more complex.

Guides

Most auto repair shops use one of three guides for charges: Chilton's, AllData and Mitchell. However, these guides need to be constantly updated as new cars come out featuring different technology.

Significance

When customers pay for labor in an auto shop, they pay for the parts needed plus the hourly rate charged by the mechanic. This hourly rate helps pay the mechanic's wage, any tools the shop needs and the overhead to keep the shop running.

Regional

Labor guides vary depending on where you live. If you are in a part of the country that gets a lot of snow, the sand and salt on the roads corrode your car. Working with rust is difficult for mechanics and costs more money than cars in drier, warmer climates.

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