Shop rate calculator
Discover Your True Costs & Charge Rate
Running a profitable workshop starts with knowing your numbers. Our Hourly Rate Calculator helps you quickly and accurately work out your true operating costs and the hourly rate you need to charge to make a sustainable profit.
This tool has been refined over more than three decades, built specifically for automotive repairers who want clarity and confidence in their pricing.
The Story Behind the Calculator
It all started back in November 1991, with a Plan for Profit course run by Dulux Australia, led by Andrew Geddes and industry consultant Jim Shephard.
In those days, we were handed course notes and worksheets, and every calculation was done manually with a pen, paper, and a basic calculator. Over the years, that original paper worksheet evolved:
- Mid-1990s: Converted the paper system into an Excel spreadsheet.
- 1998: Developed separate calculations for panel and paint rates.
- 2009: Added achieved rates to compare actual workshop performance with targets.
- 2014: Continued using the calculator extensively in consulting with other repairers after selling my own workshops.
- 2025: Launched the latest version, this responsive online calculator, keeping the original proven calculations while making it faster, more accessible, and easier to use anywhere.
Why Use This Calculator?
Most repairers set their charge-out rate based on what others are charging or what “feels right.” But without understanding your actual costs, you risk undercharging and slowly eroding your profits.
Our calculator ensures you:
- Know your true cost per productive hour for both panel and paint
- Set rates that cover overheads and wages
- Build in a healthy, sustainable profit margin
- Make informed business decisions with real data
- The BSR calculator sets 4 shop rates: Panel, Paint, Paint (With materials), and Archived.
Common Mistakes in Setting Workshop Rates
Many repairers fall into the same traps when setting their charge-out rates. Here are some of the biggest:
- Copying Competitors’ Rates – What works (or doesn’t work) for the shop down the road may not apply to you. Their costs, productivity, and overheads are different.
- Ignoring Productivity – If your techs are only productive for 70% of their paid time, your rate needs to reflect that.
- Underestimating Overheads – Rent, equipment, insurance, utilities, training… they all add up and must be factored in, even if you own your property.
- Not Building in Profit – Covering costs and taking a wage is not enough; you need to make a sustainable profit to reinvest and survive downturns.
- Failing to Review Regularly – Rates that worked a year ago may now be eroding your margins thanks to rising expenses, staff numbers, and many other factors. You should adjust the rate as part of a month-end procedure.
Avoid these mistakes and base your rates on your numbers, not guesses or industry hearsay. That’s where our calculator comes in.
How It Works
You simply enter key figures about your business, wages, overheads, productivity, and desired profit, and the calculator instantly shows you the hourly rate you need to charge for both panel and paint.
The results can be broken down into:
- Panel repairs
- Paint refinishing with materials
- Paint refinishing with or without materials
- Achieved rates based on actual workshop output
Additional consulting is also available.
Ready to Know Your Real Hourly Rate?
Stop guessing. Start charging what your business is truly worth.
Use the calculator below and take the first step toward better pricing, stronger profits, and a more sustainable workshop.
And remember, knowing your rate is only the first step. You must apply it, use it effectively, and understand the consequences of taking jobs below it. That’s how profitable workshops stay profitable. We can help you understand how to apply your rate and how to reverse engineer estimating.
Find Out What Your Real Shop Rate Should Be
Most bodyshops charge what they think is right without realizing that their true rate could be much higher. When that happens, they’re losing profit on every job.
This calculator helps you work out your actual shop rate by factoring in all the costs that go into running your business — from overhead and staff wages to materials and equipment.
Stop guessing. Know your numbers, charge correctly, and keep your business profitable.