Labour charges

Dwarfland

Dwarfland

Joined
Mar 24, 2019
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How much do you pay per hour for Labour at a specialist motorhome garage? The reason I ask is that my regular garage (for habitation jobs) recently closed and I was forced to go elsewhere. I had a couple of small jobs done and was shocked at the size of the bill. I asked how much they charge for Labour and was told £85 an hour. At the time, that felt excessive but I wasn’t sure if that was the going rate. My mate who does my mechanics charges £40 so that set alarm bells ringing. They’ve now given me some info that potentially doesn’t seem right and I’m wondering how reliable they actually are.
 
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Sorry for the joke reply but I have no idea what the garage I use charge,

One of three things usually happen;

1. He gives me a price for the job before he starts, it only changes if extra parts are required. Having used him for years there is trust in the deal.

2. Service and Repairs to Motorhome, £115. It always seems fair, so I ay.

3. He doesn't charge and says he'll add it to the next bill.
 
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The Old Man said:
Sorry for the joke reply but I have no idea what the garage I use charge,

One of three things usually happen;

1. He gives me a price for the job before he starts, it only changes if extra parts are required. Having used him for years there is trust in the deal.

2. Service and Repairs to Motorhome, £115. It always seems fair, so I ay.

3. He doesn't charge and says he'll add it to the next bill.
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I’d never questioned Labour charge at the last place but this time it was well above what I expected. When I told my mechanic mate the per hour charge his comment was are they using F1 mechanics…

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To the OP Dwarfland.
I see you're in God's County and the land of the 'Loiner'

I doubt you'll get better value than 'your' mechanic. (please note, I did not say cheaper)
 
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Anything less than £60 an hour these days and I would be concerned they are too cheap and taking shortcuts.
If you add labour, premises, software and diagnostic gear licenses, tools, accountants etc etc. There won't be much profit out of £60 an hour.
Bearing in mind of that £60 a chunk goes to the government in employer NIC and PAYE contributions. corp tax on profits at 19%.
Then add in holiday pay. And of the 40 hours working week there will be gaps in that so 35/37 hours per week billable is possible.
That £60 doesn't go as far as you would think these days.
 
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Dwarfland said:
How much do you pay per hour for Labour at a specialist motorhome garage? The reason I ask is that my regular garage (for habitation jobs) recently closed and I was forced to go elsewhere. I had a couple of small jobs done and was shocked at the size of the bill. I asked how much they charge for Labour and was told £85 an hour. At the time, that felt excessive but I wasn’t sure if that was the going rate. My mate who does my mechanics charges £40 so that set alarm bells ringing. They’ve now given me some info that potentially doesn’t seem right and I’m wondering how reliable they actually are.
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Turn the question on its head and ask yourself how much would you expect to be paid as an experienced Motorhome mechanic? Your average Motorhome garage is huge compared to normal with pits or ramps to suit the extra weights and sizes with the business rates and expenses to go with it. Lots of special tools & expensive equipment and years of experience and knowledge.

Pay peanuts and you usually get monkeys!

A very crude starting point to work out hourly rates is a multiple of 3 times the labour cost rate per hour so labour costs one third, overheads cost one third leaving one third to cover finance, interest charges and profit for the owner.
 
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Four times the price the guy doing the work is about right to cover 25% wages, same for premises and equipment, again for non productive staff and employer NI contribution and lastly non chargeable time like training and some profit.
With the recent increases in energy and fuel bills this would possibly be needed to be five times.
Average mechanical engineering wages are anywhere between £13 and £20 an hour depending on skills etc so anything around £60 to £80 an hour is unlikely to keep the owner in Morelo ownership.
Car garages with more bays and a quicker throughput of basic services and brake repairs etc can be cheaper as the proportion of productive employees to non productive is higher.
 
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My local Fiat Professional dealer had a notice that Labour £130 per hour since January don’t know if that includes vat. Doubt it does.
 
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Dwarfland said:
I’d never questioned Labour charge at the last place but this time it was well above what I expected. When I told my mechanic mate the per hour charge his comment was are they using F1 mechanics…
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Maybe you’re mechanic mate isn’t charging enough 🤷‍♂️

Always ask the labour rate before ant work is done or ask for a fixed price.

I’m in the building trade and it always amuses me when the client tells you how long it will take to do something.

Or how much they think it should cost 😊

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I don’t mind paying a higher labour rate, but if it’s done by somebody who knows what they’re doing.
The last couple of jobs I’ve had done on the motorhome have not been done by anyone with a clue, except one who gets good reviews on here
 
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Just had a quote for a respray at our local independent, £50 an hour inc VAT. I find £50-£60 hr is usual up here in the north west, most I've had quoted for a repair is £75 but that was a one off.
 
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The guy who does mine says labour is 65 plus vat, always give a price and likely timescale for a job, if he discovers anything unexpected that will cost more he will ring me and let me know

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In 2005 Main Mercedes Dealer was charging £117per hour Plus Vat, we were charging £28.50 plus vat , £ £85 seems reasonable to me 18 years later, our Solicitor charged £325 per hour last week ( final Bill looked horrendous 😡) after making a series of mistakes with our Wills, if that was a garage done that all the wheels would have probably fell off.
 
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Camper UK is ,£120 per hour as is Heart of England motorhomes. Seems to be the going rate for a dealer. Plus VAT of course. Never understand why shops include vat in their prices but garages don't.
 
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I was told by a local mechanic the bigger/flashier the premises/number of staff the more it is. Which seems to make sense.
 
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Soycd said:
I was told by a local mechanic the bigger/flashier the premises/number of staff the more it is. Which seems to make sense.
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I looked at the rate per hour, if you look at cost per square foot it all depends how many people are actually earning money , the more Earners the less cost per square foot, but, into that equation comes if you are a franchise they can demand that you do this and that , take an example I was told the Lexis dealer in Ipswich had to have special showroom/ Reception doors at a CT cost of £30000 . We were Renault Truck service agent's not sales , and what they wanted was daft as they were desperate to keep a garage in the area I only agreed to change the blinds in Renault colours 🤗 mo
 
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