Car Repair Estimate and Quote Check

How does the quote check work?

Enter the total from your written quote, and the checker places it against our range for the same job on your car, in your state. You get one of four results, each with its main reason and the questions to ask the shop:

• Within our range. Your quote minus fees is at or under the top of our range. A quote below the bottom shows here too, with a note to ask which brand of part it uses and what warranty comes with it.
• Somewhat above our range. Up to 25% or $200 over that top, whichever is more. That’s often explained by a longer labor guide, a big-city rate or the carmaker’s own part.
• Well above our range. The quote is past that line. Ask what the shop is replacing, which labor guide it used and whether diagnosis, supplies or tax are in the total.
• Somewhat above: labor-guide hours. The rate and the part are inside our range and only the hours are longer. Shops time a job from a labor guide, a book of standard hours that can list more time than the carmaker allows its dealers, so hours alone never make a quote “well above”.

Two answers mean the checker needs one more detail. A preliminary comparison means you entered only the total, which may include diagnosis, shop supplies or tax that our range leaves out.

Enter those fees, or tick that there are none, for a full answer. Not enough detail means we can’t tell which part is on the quote, such as a pump or the whole module, or whether it’s the carmaker’s own.

The Federal Trade Commission notes that some shops bill a flat rate “based on an independent or manufacturer’s estimate” of the time, so two honest shops can book different hours. The carmaker’s time can run shorter than a shop’s guide, which is why a fair quote can land above our range on hours alone.

How is the car repair estimate built?

Each estimate is the part plus the labor, and the labor is the carmaker’s own time for the job times your state’s shop rate. Each end of the range is a realistic lower-cost or higher-cost repair scenario, not the cheapest or the priciest bill anyone has paid.

• The part. At an independent shop it’s a known-brand part at a typical shop markup, never above the carmaker’s own list price. At a dealer it’s the carmaker’s part at list price.
• The hours. These are the carmaker’s own labor time for that job, named for each car in the result. The same job takes the same hours in Ohio and in Oregon, so ask the shop which labor guide gave its hours.
• The rate. It’s an independent shop’s hourly rate scaled to your state, or the national dealer rate.

These figures are calculated, not a survey of finished repair bills. They can’t see the rust on your car’s bolts or the shop’s own rate. Use the result to understand a quote, not to argue over a single dollar.

What is a mechanic’s labor rate in your state?

Nearly half of independent shops charge $100 to $139 an hour, from a 2025 survey of about 700 shops, and about 4 in 10 charge more. So a higher rate on its own isn’t a warning sign.

We use that band and move it up or down by how technicians’ pay in your state compares with the national average. It runs from $78 to $109 an hour in West Virginia to $120 to $167 in Washington, D.C., a guide to your area rather than any shop’s posted rate.

Dealers collect $128 to $173 per billed hour on average, from rural stores to big-city ones, and their posted rates can be higher. Dealer rates by state aren’t published, so the dealer figures stay national.

Every state’s independent rate 51

• Alabama $90–$126 an hour
• Alaska $116–$162 an hour
• Arizona $99–$137 an hour
• Arkansas $86–$119 an hour
• California $116–$161 an hour
• Colorado $113–$158 an hour
• Connecticut $107–$148 an hour
• Delaware $104–$144 an hour
• District of Columbia $120–$167 an hour
• Florida $95–$132 an hour
• Georgia $100–$139 an hour
• Hawaii $100–$138 an hour
• Idaho $96–$133 an hour
• Illinois $100–$140 an hour
• Indiana $95–$132 an hour
• Iowa $98–$136 an hour
• Kansas $94–$130 an hour
• Kentucky $85–$118 an hour
• Louisiana $90–$125 an hour
• Maine $98–$136 an hour
• Maryland $105–$146 an hour
• Massachusetts $112–$155 an hour
• Michigan $100–$139 an hour
• Minnesota $105–$146 an hour
• Mississippi $81–$112 an hour
• Missouri $96–$133 an hour
• Montana $105–$146 an hour
• Nebraska $98–$136 an hour
• Nevada $99–$138 an hour
• New Hampshire $108–$150 an hour
• New Jersey $104–$145 an hour
• New Mexico $92–$128 an hour
• New York $105–$146 an hour
• North Carolina $95–$132 an hour
• North Dakota $103–$143 an hour
• Ohio $97–$134 an hour
• Oklahoma $92–$128 an hour
• Oregon $112–$156 an hour
• Pennsylvania $96–$134 an hour
• Rhode Island $96–$134 an hour
• South Carolina $93–$129 an hour
• South Dakota $99–$137 an hour
• Tennessee $97–$135 an hour
• Texas $94–$131 an hour
• Utah $92–$127 an hour
• Vermont $103–$143 an hour
• Virginia $109–$152 an hour
• Washington $111–$154 an hour
• West Virginia $78–$109 an hour
• Wisconsin $101–$140 an hour
• Wyoming $98–$136 an hour

What to have ready before you check a quote

Start with the written estimate. The FTC says it “should identify the condition to be repaired, the parts needed, and the anticipated labor charge.” Find these on yours, or ask the shop for them:

• The total, the only line the checker needs.
• The part and its brand, and whether it’s the carmaker’s own or an aftermarket part.
• The labor hours and the hourly rate, as two numbers rather than one labor price.
• Every fee: diagnosis, shop supplies, disposal and tax. In California a shop can’t bill a generic “shop supplies” line.
• Your VIN, for the recall check. Our VIN decoder lists the recalls for your model year, and NHTSA’s lookup confirms them for your car. A recall repair is free at a dealer.

Our guide on how to read a repair estimate goes through each line and what to ask about it, from the labor hours to the old parts you can ask to keep.

What does your state’s law say about repair estimates?

We read the law itself in 12 states. Each one gives you the right to an estimate or an agreed price before the work, plus a limit on how far the bill can pass it without your OK.

In California and New York the shop can’t charge more than the estimate without your consent. Most of the others allow a small margin, around 10%, before the shop must ask.

A few states also cover the estimate itself: New York and Maryland let a shop charge a reasonable fee for it, and Illinois counts diagnosis among the charges it must include. The law doesn’t make a repair cheaper, but it does stop the bill from quietly growing while your car sits on the lift.

Everywhere else, including Texas, we found no written-estimate statute we could confirm. There the checker shows the FTC’s advice: ask for a written estimate and for your approval before any extra work, since your state’s law may require both.

The 11 state laws we read 11

• California. Shops must give you a written estimate for parts and labor before the work, can't start or charge without your authorization, and can't charge more than the estimate without your consent before the extra work. (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 9884.9(a))
• Florida. Over $150 you get a written estimate unless you waive it in writing; the bill can't exceed it by more than $10 or 10%, whichever is greater, up to $50, without your authorization, and you may inspect the replaced parts. (Fla. Stat. 559.905, 559.909(3))
• Hawaii. Before the job, a written estimate for labor and parts unless you waive it in writing; the bill can't exceed it by more than 15% (an estimate under $100) or 10% (over $100) without your consent first. (HRS 437B-15)
• Illinois. Work over $100 needs your authorization; the shop gives a written estimate or a written price limit and can't exceed it by more than 10% without your consent. The estimate includes every charge, diagnosis included. (815 ILCS 306/15)
• Maryland. Over $50, ask for a written statement of the estimated labor and parts and the shop must give one; it can't charge more than 10% over the written estimate without your consent. (Md. Code, Com. Law 14-1002)
• Massachusetts. Before any repair the shop needs your signed written authorization listing the specific repairs and the total price, parts and labor (or a posted price list, your approval of the price before the work, or a signed waiver up to a limit you set); it must also tell you about storage charges, your right to get the replaced parts back, and any charge for an estimate or diagnosis. (940 CMR 5.05(3) and (4))
• Michigan. Before the work, a written estimate that itemizes parts and labor. Without your consent the bill can pass it by no more than 10% or $50, whichever is less, and never pass a limit you set in writing. (Mich. Comp. Laws 257.1332 (as amended 2025))
• Nevada. Over $50, a signed written estimate of the total, unless you waive it in writing; the shop must tell you when extra charges would pass the estimate by 20% or $100, whichever is less. (NRS 487.6875, 487.6877, 487.6879)
• New York. Ask for a written estimate and the shop must give one (it may charge a reasonable fee for it); it can't charge more than the estimate without your consent. (N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law 398-d)
• Ohio. When the job is likely to cost more than $50 you can choose a written or an oral estimate; the bill can't exceed it by more than 10% unless you approve before the work is finished. (Ohio Admin. Code 109:4-3-13)
• Pennsylvania. The shop writes down the repairs you asked for before the work and can't charge for repairs or a price you didn't authorize in writing; if the cost isn't known yet, you choose: no work until a price is agreed, work up to a price limit, or no limit once you know the hourly rate. (37 Pa. Code 301.5(2)-(3))
• Washington. Before the work, a written estimate of the total; the shop can't charge more than 110% of it, sales tax aside, unless you approve the extra parts or labor first. (Rev. Code Wash. 46.71.025)
• All other states. FTC advice: ask for a written estimate and for your approval before any extra work. Your state's law may require both.

Which repairs can you check so far?

We price 15 repairs so far, and more are added each month. Each one links to its full cost guide, with every car’s figures and the carmaker document behind its hours.

If your car isn’t on the list, pick its make, model and year anyway. You get a partial check: the shop’s hourly rate against your state’s band, and whether the lines add up to the total. Each pick is counted anonymously, so we know which cars to price next.

Common questions

Asked most often

How do I get a car repair estimate?

Ask the shop for a written estimate before any work starts, naming the problem, the parts and the labor. Then enter its total here to see where it sits for your car in your state.

Do shops charge for an estimate?

Some do, and many charge for diagnostic time, so ask whether that fee is still due if you have the work done elsewhere. New York and Maryland allow a reasonable fee for a written estimate, and Florida’s estimate must state what the estimate itself costs.

How much should a mechanic charge for labor?

Nearly half of independent shops charge $100 to $139 an hour, and dealers collect $128 to $173, with your state moving the independent rate up or down. The hours matter as much as the rate, so ask which labor guide the shop used.

Can a shop charge more than the estimate?

In the 12 states whose law we read, not by more than a small margin without your consent, and in California and New York not at all. Your state’s rules are above.

What if my quote is above the range?

Ask what the shop is replacing, which brand of part it chose and which labor guide gave the hours. Each one can move a quote above ours for good reasons. For work that can wait, a second written quote is the simplest check of all.

Method and sources

Prices update when our part prices or a carmaker document change, and each result shows its date. We set the “somewhat above” line ourselves and will revisit it as real shop invoices come in, and no shop pays us to appear here or to change these numbers.

Not covered: sales tax, which varies by state and city; your car’s condition; repairs found once the car is apart; and collision or insurance estimates, which follow their own process.