In terms of "classic car" restoration shops, what are they charging per hour?

[sauterd]

hi all,

In terms of "classic car" restoration shops, what have you found are an average hourly labor charge? (I've been paying $60)

thanks

 

[commando1]

What do they do for $60.00/hr?
Will they fabricate accurately and install an unobtanium quarter panel?

 

[sauterd]

I'm talking just their flat labor cost per hour, includes diagnostic, etc.... "time spent"

 

[BigblueC]

A friend of mine runs a true restoration shop, and has been in business since the 80's, here in the piedmont area of NC and is charging $50-55/hr. He does quality work and stands by it. There are others in the area working around $35-45/hr claiming to do "restoration work", but you see a lot of lap welding and plastic filler work, bad gaps, etc. with their cars; and they won't stand by their work even if you paid them to.

 

[sauterd]

thanks.....what town are you in? I'm in Greenville.

 

[MrMoparCHP]

It will differ from region to region. Where I live there are only two shops and they are swamped, both are at $80.
They both can do everything from restorations to scratch built cars, same rate.

In a more populated area with more competition the rates may be lower.


Alan

 

[sauterd]

It will differ from region to region. Where I live there are only two shops and they are swamped, both are at $80.
They both can do everything from restorations to scratch built cars, same rate.

In a more populated area with more competition the rates may be lower.


Alan

interesting, thanks, Alan

 

[azblackhemi]

I'm at $50 an hour but I have very little overhead. If I had to rent a shop and everything that goes with it I'm not sure I could turn a profit at $100 an hour.

 

[BigblueC]

thanks.....what town are you in? I'm in Greenville.

I'm in Lexington.

 

[sauterd]

I'm in Lexington.

ok, good deal...

 

[cantflip]

I'm at $50 an hour but I have very little overhead. If I had to rent a shop and everything that goes with it I'm not sure I could turn a profit at $100 an hour.

I chased off most inquires, dealer rate was $125, my buddy's shop was $70. I was mechanical, paint and body would have been another stop. I also had to stand by my estimate and warrant my work... it really came down to emotional attachment to the car or enough disposable income that it just didn't matter.

 

[1970cat]

basic dealer and body shop rates around here are $75-$85

 

[sauterd]

thanks to all

 

[Wonderwagon]

I'm in the Chicago area, and it is in the $70-100 an hour. Sometimes the shops vary the depending on type of work. If you are going to outsource to a shop that is new to you, do a Google search, check the local Angie list and your state's attorney general/ consumer protection office for complaints, and the old standby references. Did them all before putting my money were my mouth is

 

['69FuryIIIConvertible]

Wow, even the 3 bay independent shop I work at we charge $96 an hour labor rate.....

 

[cantflip]

I'm at $50 an hour but I have very little overhead. If I had to rent a shop and everything that goes with it I'm not sure I could turn a profit at $100 an hour.

Wow, even the 3 bay independent shop I work at we charge $96 an hour labor rate.....

It would be hard for an automotive business to keep up with valuable commercial real estate, all the required environmental stuff, commercial utility bills, 33% federal income tax, insurance... everyone thinks its a gold mine. To be fair I have known some small businesses to do very well financially... but its a game of volume of work. Restorations don't fit that financial model very well... they are based on hundreds and more likely thousand of man hours. Math it out and you get what seems like a great deal of profit... compared to mechanical work where I would expect to average 16 hours flat rate pre day or body work where they look for about 24 hours flat rate... its not nearly as lucrative and requires more floor space.

Not a great reality... the chip foose formula... 20 guys x 16 hour days =320 hours per day x 7 days = 2240 man hours... x $100 per hour = $224,000 value at $50 per hour = $112,000 ... remember this is labor only...

I had a customer who was restoring a car as he could afford it. he was trying to do the stuff he could manage and bring it to the shop every couple months for us to do another piece of the mechanical work... it was smart because he kept the car drivable... but he didn't understand things very well. The owner of the business had done the initial inspection and helped him road map his repairs... I redrew that map after the second time he had it in for something I had to pull the engine to do... he had to save a couple more months, but with honest overlaps taken off his labor charges he got a lot more for his money.

I had another at my buddy's shop... he called me up to see if I wanted to quote/do some restoration work. He would rather do a sublet to me than tie up his crew on this stuff. The guy gave a $15k budget for mechanical and then wanted to go to the body shop. I stopped that one because on inspection he needed floor pans... if the car was sentimental, we could have saved it... but it was a much wiser move to get another to start with. I also explained that it would be in his best interest for me to strip out the shell and let the body guys have that while I rebuilt assembles and then let me do the mechanical reassembly so the interior and driveline etc. didn't have to come out twice. The only thing that even made all of that possible was there was a 2 working bay flat stall available for rent in the same building (a separate garage that could park 3-4 cars) so we could keep it all out of the way of his business and we were willing to work at a reduced rate if he pulled the trigger on a all on job. $15k wasn't going to cover our end with body and paint it would have been somewhere $60k or so. Old German car with parts availability so imagine your car that it can't simply be ordered from the dealer or a dozen other suppliers... not cheap but I could still get factory presewn seat covers and sunvisors.