What would be the right sort of labour costs for this small job at a garage ?

[The Joshua Tree]

I can do the basics with cars but i'm not confident enough to start tinkering with the brakes, i've just had a quote from an independent garage of £108 labour to change the rear brake shoes, the rear brake cylinders and to change the brake fluid and bleed them etc, i'll be supplying the parts and fluids etc. They said it's basically 2hrs labour at £54 per hour.

Is that a fair price and in the right sort of range of what it should be or a tad on the expensive side ?

 

[Joss max]

Hi Rob

I guess it all depends on where you live regionally. Up north, anything around 40-50 an hour labour for a good reputation garage. Down south probably a lot more.

So I would say your 54 quid would be a good average.

[TomsFocus]

Does that include VAT?  Sounds slightly under priced rather than over to me, but as Joss says, depends on your area.  

[trailertrash]

I think £108 sound fair especially if that includes VAT or they're not VAT registered.

I'd be happy to pay £54/hr for professional brake work.

Fords charge £89 for rear brakes inc pads and VAT (shoes not mentioned) and £39 inc for fluid change

[stef123]

Sounds over priced to me.. What's he doing with the second hour?  

[The Joshua Tree]

Thanks for that, i'm based in the North West.

Yeh it includes VAT, it's £108 inclusive to have the rear shoes and cylinders changed plus a break fluid change and bleed. I've booked it in with them, it's a garage i found via the Good Garage Scheme which i don't know too much about, they seem to get good feedback. Like with most garages it's a bit of a stab in the dark at times as you don't really know what your gonna get unless you know someone that you can trust.

[ippy]

what year is your car? 

[isetta]

doesn't sound too bad to me.

but there is a potential problem. If you get someone to supply the labour and you supply the parts, this gives them a bit of a get out if there is a subsequent problem as they blame it on the parts that you supplied and saying it's not their fault.  If you get a garage to do some work including them supplying the parts they can not wriggle out of responsibility quite so easily.

I am not saying don't do it this way, but it is worth bearing in mind.

[The Joshua Tree]

Ippy, it's a 2008 Titanium.

Isetta, I totally appreciate what your saying and it's a fair point. I just didn't want cheap generic parts which is what a lot of independent garages will supply.