WTF Labor prices!

I've been mentally spending my tax return before I even have it and I'm thinking some of it's going into the car. I've had a set of SS lines sitting around for months and was mulling over getting them installed. I called what used to be a reputable dealer near me for a labor quote. For 6 lines to be installed was over $650.:eek:I can go to AZP or Precision and get the same thing done for about 1/3 of that. Now I can understand maybe $50-100 more for it being a dealer but jesus. I won't name names but they are well touted on here and used to be a quality establishment. I was mildly screwed by them in the past but this has done me in with these people. I'll gladly pay the shipping and buy my parts from Sprank and get service done at another dealer, AZP, or Precision. One of those 3 may be getting a call soon.

I agree.

 

The one thing to keep in mind regarding labor quotes is this. If the shop is busy and doesn't need/want the job that you are asking for they will jack up the price on purpose. They figure that way if they have to do the job they make it worth their time. In many cases they get what they want by scaring the customer away.

Bolksey,

 

I'm at the same point. I have a private mechanic actually who charges me $50/hour. He's an outstanding guy, works on everything under the sun (literally), etc.

 

He's not a Subaru specialist though - so I don't like to go to him for somewhat specialized work (even though he's never let me down). Also, he might charge $50/hour but need 2x as long to do, say, a set of koni inserts for the front. I don't know. So while I know he's fair, I can't always walk in knowing what I'm going to pay.

 

AZP is kind of a PITA drive for me - but if I take it there, I know I'm going to have the car taken care of and they've done everything before on these cars, so their quoted rates are going to be accurate short of something wrong being found. I've sent them an e-mail asking for a custom quote on the job, since I'm considering tying about 5-6 items in all at once to make the drive worth it. I have no idea what it'll look like (the quote) but if you are considering doing several items all at once of any signficiant size order, might be worthwhile to ask them for a bit of a custom quote.

 

Also, on AZP, I priced out their parts and services online and I found their stuff really very fair.I was actually kinda impressed - their website is really friendly for budget setting on alot of the common modifications.

 

Anyway, I've never given them a dime yet and I'd still need to figure out the logistics of dropping my car off there for extensive work, but I just wanted to share a couple of impressions.

Joe, I think I will do the same. I've been thinking Group N motor and trans mount lately, too, so maybe an all at once thing would be sweet. Later on today when life slows down I'll ping them and see what they say. Plus I'm a bit east of you so, IIRC, it's only an hour-90min drive for me vs 2+hrs for you.

Swapping brakelines is not a specialist job. What does the book say for hours? Book hours x hour rate = job cost?

I bought a set of brakeline wrenches and did SS lines on the Durango myself and now I have a set of wrenches for when I need to do more/help a friend. Have not done the OBXT yet but am planning to swap my upgraded LGT brakes/ss lines over myself.

Thanks for the kind words guys. On the parts end of things we will gladly match or come as close to the online prices you see for parts, especially if you are getting the work done with us. As joe said email us for a custom quote for multiple items, because our website is more of an ala carte setup, based on a single item install.

 

Dont hesitate to call or email us.

 

-mike

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpghttp://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/141039922.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://upload.pbase.com/image/137566671.jpg

11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.

Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.

AIM: AZP Installs | E-mail: paisan@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber

"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

Swapping brakelines is not a specialist job. What does the book say for hours? Book hours x hour rate = job cost?

I bought a set of brakeline wrenches and did SS lines on the Durango myself and now I have a set of wrenches for when I need to do more/help a friend. Have not done the OBXT yet but am planning to swap my upgraded LGT brakes/ss lines over myself.

 

Rear 05-09 lgt and obx can be a pita.

 

-mike

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpghttp://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/141039922.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://upload.pbase.com/image/137566671.jpg

11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.

Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.

AIM: AZP Installs | E-mail: paisan@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber

"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

I am hoping to get yours done in a single sitting.

 

Mike

 

Bolksey,

 

I'm at the same point. I have a private mechanic actually who charges me $50/hour. He's an outstanding guy, works on everything under the sun (literally), etc.

 

He's not a Subaru specialist though - so I don't like to go to him for somewhat specialized work (even though he's never let me down). Also, he might charge $50/hour but need 2x as long to do, say, a set of koni inserts for the front. I don't know. So while I know he's fair, I can't always walk in knowing what I'm going to pay.

 

AZP is kind of a PITA drive for me - but if I take it there, I know I'm going to have the car taken care of and they've done everything before on these cars, so their quoted rates are going to be accurate short of something wrong being found. I've sent them an e-mail asking for a custom quote on the job, since I'm considering tying about 5-6 items in all at once to make the drive worth it. I have no idea what it'll look like (the quote) but if you are considering doing several items all at once of any signficiant size order, might be worthwhile to ask them for a bit of a custom quote.

 

Also, on AZP, I priced out their parts and services online and I found their stuff really very fair.I was actually kinda impressed - their website is really friendly for budget setting on alot of the common modifications.

 

Anyway, I've never given them a dime yet and I'd still need to figure out the logistics of dropping my car off there for extensive work, but I just wanted to share a couple of impressions.

I am hoping to get yours done in a single sitting.

 

Mike

 

Wow, what's your labor rate for the 8-armed intelligent gorilla you obviously have working for you?

 

 

I literally tried to group together the things I knew were in the same systems at the same time in the hopes that someone like you could build a quote out that takes into account that certain things are being removed/accessed anyway while doing certain other things.

 

I've got business in East Hanover that I visit ~1x/month. I'm hoping when we work something out I can simply swing up in the morning, drop it off, admire your shop, find a rental/loaner car and hit my clients up, swing back in the afternoon.

 

Or maybe I want to stick around and learn oodles about doing a clutch and all the other stuff

 

Tough call...

 

P.s. I'm in no rush right now. I'm selling my 99 boxster tomorrow, haven't done my taxes yet, and am renovating 2 rooms this month. So no rush on the quote, though I look forward to receiving it.

Thanks for the kind words guys. On the parts end of things we will gladly match or come as close to the online prices you see for parts, especially if you are getting the work done with us. As joe said email us for a custom quote for multiple items, because our website is more of an ala carte setup, based on a single item install.

 

Dont hesitate to call or email us.

 

-mike

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpghttp://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/141039922.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://upload.pbase.com/image/137566671.jpg

11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.

Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.

AIM: AZP Installs | E-mail: paisan@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber

"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

Sent you an email earlier today. Same as Joe, no rush.

Rear lines are a pain. But, dealers rates are outrageous. Wish I could charge $110 an hour. Lol.

 

I think Mike at AZP and our rates are very similar. We dont go by the "book". Subarus are what we do all day long, so we go by experience.

Rear lines are a pain. But, dealers rates are outrageous. Wish I could charge $110 an hour. Lol.

 

I think Mike at AZP and our rates are very similar. We dont go by the "book". Subarus are what we do all day long, so we go by experience.

 

Yup, we (m sprank, ourselves and a few other shops) pretty much wrote the "book" on modern Subaru installs. We know the average time it takes to do the installs, sometimes it's shorter, sometimes longer but on average we charge our hourly rate for the average job hours and we have quite a bit of data to go by for our averages.

 

-mike

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpghttp://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/141039922.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://upload.pbase.com/image/137566671.jpg

11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.

Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.

AIM: AZP Installs | E-mail: paisan@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber

"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

I emailed you guys back. Thinking sometime mid next month for lines and mounts. Gotta see how everything falls over the next few weeks but that's what I'm thinking for nao.

I wouldnt of even said anything if they told me 650 for just brake lines and bleed/flush. My car is plastered in rust and it was still doable without getting too pissed off at replacing them. Brakes are still my favorite upgrade for my car.

Dealerships get away with murder around here for labor rates. $110 per hour. Oil changes with Subaru Synthetic are $99 w/ a coupon!!!

Same here. 110+ an hr.

 

-mike

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpghttp://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/141039922.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://upload.pbase.com/image/137566671.jpg

11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.

Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.

AIM: AZP Installs | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber

"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

If only. Man I could be eating steak instead of cold turkey out the can. Lol.

 

No wonder they can afford 30 lifts.

Mike,

 

There's nothing wrong with a premium shop charging a relatively premium shop rate (ahem: you). When you have the reputation built, use it to achieve a reasonable quality of life - for example, real rotisserie chicken from the store vs. canned turkey

 

The problem is that non-premium shops charge $100/hr, so people don't think of $100/hr of something achieved through reputation. But you've established yourself

Sorry, wish it worked that way. Just like I get asked to cut my profit and make "deals" on parts, I get asked for "deals" on labor all day long.

 

For instance:

 

Have had customers ask for a discount because I was done faster than estimated. "Done already? So do I get a discount?"

 

Get asked all the time about "package" discounts on labor even though the components have nothing to do with each other. Get asked to meet or beat prices from non-reputable shops. Actually have people try to haggle my labor rates up front. Even though we go as low as $50 an hour on project cars.

 

I had a potential customer request that we install springs, front and rear sways, endlinks and reinforcement brackets for $175, just last week.

My friend saw this, everyone should have one:lol:

http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt49/underground000/429318_10150583371535674_677110673_8825788_1900328575_n.jpg

There are a million versions of those signs out there. Rather than be a smart ass at my place of business I try to keep it "clean" and do not post such things. Does not mean I dont agree.

There are a million versions of those signs out there. Rather than be a smart ass at my place of business I try to keep it "clean" and do not post such things. Does not mean I dont agree.

 

Never saw it before, but again I dont go to shops. I agree it portrays an image on the place

Mike,

 

There's nothing wrong with a premium shop charging a relatively premium shop rate (ahem: you). When you have the reputation built, use it to achieve a reasonable quality of life - for example, real rotisserie chicken from the store vs. canned turkey

 

The problem is that non-premium shops charge $100/hr, so people don't think of $100/hr of something achieved through reputation. But you've established yourself

^^^

This 100%. The sad part being that this could be considered a premium shop. They are well known as both a good shop for service and mods but also because they are a known vendor on here. Again, I won't name names but if you google the area code in my avatar and do some quick Google searching, it becomes clear real easily who it is. Let's leave it at they won't be getting my business anymore and I won't blame anyone else for doing the same.

Sorry, wish it worked that way. Just like I get asked to cut my profit and make "deals" on parts, I get asked for "deals" on labor all day long.

 

For instance:

 

Have had customers ask for a discount because I was done faster than estimated. "Done already? So do I get a discount?"

 

Get asked all the time about "package" discounts on labor even though the components have nothing to do with each other. Get asked to meet or beat prices from non-reputable shops. Actually have people try to haggle my labor rates up front. Even though we go as low as $50 an hour on project cars.

 

I had a potential customer request that we install springs, front and rear sways, endlinks and reinforcement brackets for $175, just last week.

 

If i had a penny for everytime i heard that, i would be on the beach retired right now.

 

11+ years at this, ive heard it all.

 

-mike

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpghttp://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/141039922.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg http://upload.pbase.com/image/137566671.jpg

11+ Years Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Subaru Enthusiasts.

Call directly as We carry almost every manufacturer now, so before you buy parts call us.

AIM: AZP Installs | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Direct Jobber

"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

I had a potential customer request that we install springs, front and rear sways, endlinks and reinforcement brackets for $175, just last week.

 

LOLWUT?