Mechanic Labour Charges, also posted on other forums

[RAW]

So the Water Pump on old Sylvia (Talbot Express) was failing, the one for the engine that is.
I do not have the space sadly to do mechanical engine work like this myself. The mechanic who did it charged me £42.50 + VAT as an hourly labour rate. What are other people's experiences of hourly mechanic's labour rates please ?
Thanks
Robert

 

[Squiffy]

To be fair Robert that sounds like a good price to me. When I sold my Garage/ MoT station I was charging 20 + vat per hour that was 17 years ago, the chap that bought it is now charging 40 + vat, when you consider that main agents are in the 65-75 + vat rate it makes independent garage rates cheap. I'm just glad that I have all the skills and tools to do any mechanical or bodywork job available should I have to. Phil

 

[RAW]

Thanks Phil

 

[wildebus]

I would agree. £42.50 + VAT is very reasonable indeed (remarkably so)

 

[voyager]

I knew someone with a landrover and took it to the main dealer for a repair and the labour rate was £120 per hour.

 

[wildebus]

I knew someone with a landrover and took it to the main dealer for a repair and the labour rate was £120 per hour.

Most main dealers are +£100 plus VAT.

 

[RAW]

Most main dealers are +£100 plus VAT.

Think I should have a change of career..............

 

[SquirrellCook]

Most main dealers are +£100 plus VAT.

This has always annoyed me, the capital expenditure of a garage is minimal compared to an engine remanufacturer. The skill level is also much lower. If you tried to charge those rates for engine remanufacture you'd soon be out of business.
We operate a precision engineering facility with very expensive and fragile machinery, our top rate is only £60 per hr.
I guess the biggest expense to a garage or dealer would be office staff. (the ones with clean hands!)

 

[wildebus]

I just saw a post on the VW forum that was posted 30 minutes ago and it actually mentions the actual nearest Main dealer for my vehicle....

PS. Sit before reading .....

"...I phoned the VW Van Centre in Edinburgh and they quoted me £132 an hour ...."

 

[RAW]

I just saw a post on the VW forum that was posted 30 minutes ago and it actually mentions the actual nearest Main dealer for my vehicle....

PS. Sit before reading .....

"...I phoned the VW Van Centre in Edinburgh and they quoted me £132 an hour ...."

So the chap that sorted out Sylvia is a bit of a VW Specialist, in fact when I went in to pay the Bill there was one of the older VW Campers, the one's after the split screen VW but a similar shape up on the ramp, which Shaun was working on. Shaun is a great mechanic by the looks of some of the vehicles he gets, as he has a super expensive older Porsche someone has left him to re-vamp as well

 

[wildebus]

My local garages charge around £60+VAT and do good work.
I had a local engine rebuilders replace my Camshaft in my VW T5 (that needs specialists tools and most garages don't have) - they charged more than the VW dealers would have (I assumed that would/could not be the case and didn't actually bother get a quote )

 

[trevskoda]

Think I should have a change of career..............

My solicitor is £150 an hr just to talk,maybe i should have changed jobs,i charger £35 an hr for marine outboard work,prob why i cannot afford a new A class.

 

[trevskoda]

I just saw a post on the VW forum that was posted 30 minutes ago and it actually mentions the actual nearest Main dealer for my vehicle....

PS. Sit before reading .....

"...I phoned the VW Van Centre in Edinburgh and they quoted me £132 an hour ...."

Thats for the wasted electric running the coffee vending unit in the waiting room along with the recepsionists weekly hair do

 

[Pugwash69]

My son works for a main dealership and told me they charge at least £120 + vat per hour for mechanical labour.

 

[trevskoda]

This has always annoyed me, the capital expenditure of a garage is minimal compared to an engine remanufacturer. The skill level is also much lower. If you tried to charge those rates for engine remanufacture you'd soon be out of business.
We operate a precision engineering facility with very expensive and fragile machinery, our top rate is only £60 per hr.
I guess the biggest expense to a garage or dealer would be office staff. (the ones with clean hands!)

£5000 here for crank regrind and rebore,most cars are sent to s/yard after warrenty runs out or over 7 years old,as not worth fixing.