Estimating
Auto Repair Estimate Calculator
Build a parts-and-labor estimate line by line and print it as a customer copy.
OpenREPAIR ORDER
RO #26308
Write the estimate before you write the excuse
Customer
Independent shop owners and service writers
Vehicle
Every make, light truck and passenger car
Complaint
17 estimators and printable shop forms, 27 sourced guides and 11 comparisons — every figure carries the URL it came from and the date it was read.
Open the free tools
Signature ______
PARTS & LABOR
17 tools
Billing
Auto Repair Invoice Template
A fillable invoice sheet with vehicle block, line items, totals and warranty terms.
OpenIntake
Repair Order Template
Complaint, cause and correction on one authorised sheet with a signature line.
OpenPricing
Labor Rate Calculator
Turn overhead, tech wages and a target margin into the door rate you must post.
OpenParts
Parts Matrix Calculator
Build a sliding markup matrix and see the gross profit each tier actually returns.
OpenFees
Shop Supplies Fee Calculator
Set a percentage and a cap, then check the fee against what states allow.
OpenBilling
Auto Repair Warranty Template
A written parts-and-labor warranty with term, exclusions, claim steps and the FTC's required wording.
OpenBrakes
Brake Job Cost Calculator
Price pads, rotors and calipers per axle at your own labor rate.
OpenDrivetrain
Transmission Repair Cost Calculator
Compare repair, rebuild and replacement against the half-the-cost decision rule.
OpenDiagnostics
Diagnostic Fee Calculator
Diagnostic hours times your rate, with the credit-to-repair policy spelled out.
OpenWhole vehicle
Repair or Replace Calculator
Weigh any repair against the car's value and a replacement payment, with the 50% line shown.
OpenStartup
Shop Startup Cost Calculator
Bays, equipment tier and rent into a startup budget and a month-one burn.
OpenStaffing
Technician Efficiency Calculator
Billed, worked and available hours into efficiency, productivity and proficiency.
OpenOverhead
Shop Break-Even Calculator
Overhead, ARO and parts and labor margins into the cars a day the shop needs to cover its bills.
OpenService
Maintenance Schedule Builder
Mileage, drivetrain and duty cycle into a printable 30/60/90 service card.
OpenInspection
Vehicle Inspection Checklist
An editable multi-point sheet with pass, attention and fail columns.
OpenInspection
Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
The buyer-side sheet, with a walk-away column that names the deal-breakers.
OpenINTAKE SEQUENCE
01
Write the complaint
Start from the repair-order sheet. Customer, vehicle, complaint, and the authorisation line that has to be signed before a wrench moves.
02
Price the job
Book time from a labor guide, your own door rate, parts at your matrix. The estimator adds the lines and prints the customer copy.
03
Defend the number
Every cost band on this site names its source and the date it was read, so when a customer asks where the figure came from, you can show them.
SECTIONS
ESTIMATES
Estimates & Invoicing
7 tools, 4 guides, 1 comparison
COSTS
Repair Costs
4 tools, 12 guides, 1 comparison
OPERATIONS
Shop Operations
3 tools, 6 guides, 6 comparisons
MAINTENANCE
Maintenance & Diagnostics
3 tools, 5 guides, 3 comparisons
SHOP NOTES
All 27 guidesPricing
9 min
Auto Repair Labor Rates by State
What independent shops and dealers charge per hour, sourced and dated.
Pricing
7 min
Effective Labor Rate
The number that matters: labor sales divided by hours actually billed.
Estimating
8 min
How a Labor Time Guide Works
Where book times come from, what they assume, and when to deviate.
Compliance
9 min
Auto Repair Written Estimate Laws by State
What six state repair laws require on the estimate, for going over it, for old parts and on the invoice.
Brakes
8 min
Brake Pad Replacement Cost
Pad material bands, per-axle pricing, and when the rotors join the job.
Engine
8 min
Timing Belt Replacement Cost
Belt, kit and water-pump-together pricing, and the interference-engine stakes.
KEEP THE ESTIMATES HONEST.
A labor rate or job cost here that does not match what your counter charges? Tell the editor which page and which job, and the figure gets checked against its source.
Or start with the estimate calculator.