Prices

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We try to make our prices fair and competitive, but price isn't everything. In fact it's only half of what makes for true value.

Everyone has to make a living, and for the most part, we charge about the same as other shops. Whether it's a small independent or a large chain or dealership, we all juggle parts mark up, labor rates, hours billed, specials and package pricing in some way in order to stay in business.

Parts Prices. Repair shops have to make a profit on the parts to stay in business. In fact we mark up our parts according to what auto shop management consultant companies recommend in order to be profitable. The mark up is quite a bit over what you'd pay at a parts store but that is normal. Some shops may mark up the parts less, but if they do, if they are going to stay in business, they make up for it somewhere else.

It's not a "rip off", it's a part of making a living. This is why most shops do not allow customers to bring their own parts. (Plus it's a hassle if it's the wrong part or defective)

Labor Rates. Some people ask about the labor rate. But ours, or anybody else's labor rate, should not be a major consideration when choosing a shop; because you can't really tell by looking at the labor rate who is going to be the least expensive overall or who will take the best care of you. Even if a labor rate is lower, the shop might charge more hours than the one with the higher rate or might charge more for the parts or they might do some work that isn't needed at all, etc., etc..

Price Comparisons. Price shopping works for groceries, and it might work for buying a TV set; when comparing the same brand set at different stores you know which is the better buy initially, but even their warranty services may vary wildly. But when it comes to service work, whether on a car or your home, what may appear to be a simple comparison is more complicated than it looks. We wrote a brochure about it years ago, we called it "Lowballs" . It gives the details, but the main points are below:

Price Shopping

We try to make our prices fair and competitive, but price isn't everything. In fact it's only half of what makes for true value.

Your real savings come from knowing that we only do what you need and we do it right.

We will cut corners and save you money ONLY where it is safe and wise to do so.

We take the time to explain all your options so you can make the best repair and maintenance decisions for your vehicles.

For more info see these other pages: