How do repair shops price the parts they put in your car

you have 3 grades of parts. ok, china cheap ****, autozone sells
good such as parts master
and better such as moog and factory
then there is the question of control arm relacement i would have pushed
you towards that because the bushings in the control arms crack and wear
out changing alignment and ride really suffers new arms sets things back
to new! really
in car parts you get what pay for if you feel you were took! call around
then go bac and ask for a adjustment all they can say is no

wrote:

> I'm used to using the dodge dealer where i bought my truck so this
> question never came up. Now that I'm starting to use other shops, i'm
> wondering how much they typically mark up the parts they order. I
> just went to an NTB/Merchants place for new front upper ball joints on
> my dodge truck. Total cost was about $625. Each ball joint costs
> about $140 on my estimate (and receipt). But i know now that if i
> had gone to an autoparts store, they'd cost about half that. So is
> it typical for a 100% markup at these shops?
> The rest of the $625 was for labor (and shop fees and taxes)....and
> there was considerable labor
> because the old ball joints had to (sort of) cut out of the upper
> control arm. (side note: The ball joints normally come as part of
> the upper control arm, and they could have just replaced the whole
> upper control arm (they told me that was an option), but they said it
> would cost more and not even be necessary or better, though i'm
> realizing now that it probably would've been better to replace the
> whole UCA since i'd get a new one at slightly higher cost)....ANYWAY,
> my main question has to do with these markups of parts. Could i have
> just bought the parts myself and have them install? (i'm
> unmechanical) thanks.

How would you know this?

RK
"Ashton Crusher" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:55:48 -0800, wrote:
>
>>I'm used to using the dodge dealer where i bought my truck so this
>>question never came up. Now that I'm starting to use other shops, i'm
>>wondering how much they typically mark up the parts they order. I
>>just went to an NTB/Merchants place for new front upper ball joints on
>>my dodge truck. Total cost was about $625. Each ball joint costs
>>about $140 on my estimate (and receipt). But i know now that if i
>>had gone to an autoparts store, they'd cost about half that. So is
>>it typical for a 100% markup at these shops?
>>The rest of the $625 was for labor (and shop fees and taxes)....and
>>there was considerable labor
>>because the old ball joints had to (sort of) cut out of the upper
>>control arm. (side note: The ball joints normally come as part of
>>the upper control arm, and they could have just replaced the whole
>>upper control arm (they told me that was an option), but they said it
>>would cost more and not even be necessary or better, though i'm
>>realizing now that it probably would've been better to replace the
>>whole UCA since i'd get a new one at slightly higher cost)....ANYWAY,
>>my main question has to do with these markups of parts. Could i have
>>just bought the parts myself and have them install? (i'm
>>unmechanical) thanks.
>
>
> Most charge double what it cost them. Overall, the typical
> expectation at a shop is that every job will consist of somewhere
> between 50% labor and 50% parts to 33% labor and 66% parts. They
> really don't like doing labor only jobs because they make a lot more
> off the parts then they do off the labor. They also charge flat rate
> labor at most shops and a good experienced mechanic will be able to do
> most repairs in less time then the flat rate so they come out ahead
> there too. Last time I had front end work done they estimated the job
> like yours, using the old control arm and putting new ball joints in
> so it had a little extra labor, then when they were done they had used
> a new control arm, which cost more for the parts, and still charged
> the same total labor even though the arm saved them RR time for the
> ball joint. So they screwed me there for an extra hour or so.

In article >,
Ashton Crusher > wrote:

> On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:23:05 GMT, "Refinish King"
> > wrote:
>
> >How would you know this?
> >
>
> How do I know how the shops do business??? I've read the training
> material they use to increase profits.

There are a lot of different shop management training vendors out
there, are you saying that you've read the materials from all of
them?

Sorry to reply so late:

no computer for a few days.

A rule of thumb is about the 25 to 30 % range.


But, there isn't that much profit in parts anymore, when the customer can go
buy for about the same price we do.

RK
"Ashton Crusher" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:23:05 GMT, "Refinish King"
> > wrote:
>
>>How would you know this?
>>
>
> How do I know how the shops do business??? I've read the training
> material they use to increase profits.
>
>
>>RK
>>"Ashton Crusher" > wrote in message
. ..
>>> On Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:55:48 -0800, wrote:
>>>
>>>>I'm used to using the dodge dealer where i bought my truck so this
>>>>question never came up. Now that I'm starting to use other shops, i'm
>>>>wondering how much they typically mark up the parts they order. I
>>>>just went to an NTB/Merchants place for new front upper ball joints on
>>>>my dodge truck. Total cost was about $625. Each ball joint costs
>>>>about $140 on my estimate (and receipt). But i know now that if i
>>>>had gone to an autoparts store, they'd cost about half that. So is
>>>>it typical for a 100% markup at these shops?
>>>>The rest of the $625 was for labor (and shop fees and taxes)....and
>>>>there was considerable labor
>>>>because the old ball joints had to (sort of) cut out of the upper
>>>>control arm. (side note: The ball joints normally come as part of
>>>>the upper control arm, and they could have just replaced the whole
>>>>upper control arm (they told me that was an option), but they said it
>>>>would cost more and not even be necessary or better, though i'm
>>>>realizing now that it probably would've been better to replace the
>>>>whole UCA since i'd get a new one at slightly higher cost)....ANYWAY,
>>>>my main question has to do with these markups of parts. Could i have
>>>>just bought the parts myself and have them install? (i'm
>>>>unmechanical) thanks.
>>>
>>>
>>> Most charge double what it cost them. Overall, the typical
>>> expectation at a shop is that every job will consist of somewhere
>>> between 50% labor and 50% parts to 33% labor and 66% parts. They
>>> really don't like doing labor only jobs because they make a lot more
>>> off the parts then they do off the labor. They also charge flat rate
>>> labor at most shops and a good experienced mechanic will be able to do
>>> most repairs in less time then the flat rate so they come out ahead
>>> there too. Last time I had front end work done they estimated the job
>>> like yours, using the old control arm and putting new ball joints in
>>> so it had a little extra labor, then when they were done they had used
>>> a new control arm, which cost more for the parts, and still charged
>>> the same total labor even though the arm saved them RR time for the
>>> ball joint. So they screwed me there for an extra hour or so.
>>

I've never replaced a seal in 15 seconds:

You have to remove parts to access the seal.

I run my business honestly, if my customers want to bring their own parts, I
just don't give them a 30 day labor included warranty.

RK
"Ashton Crusher" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:54:15 GMT, "Refinish King"
> > wrote:
>
>>Sorry to reply so late:
>>
>>no computer for a few days.
>>
>>A rule of thumb is about the 25 to 30 % range.
>>
>>
>>But, there isn't that much profit in parts anymore, when the customer can
>>go
>>buy for about the same price we do.
>>
>
> Apples and oranges. If you are having the shop do the repairs you pay
> the shops price for the parts. I've seen them charge $15 for a $3 seal
> PLUS half an hour labor for the 10 seconds it takes to tap it into
> place. If you don't want to pay their price they usually won't
> accept you bringing in your own parts and I don't blame them. they
> are in business to make money and I have no quibble with it when they
> are an honest shop but a lot of them are crooks.
>
>
>>RK
>>"Ashton Crusher" > wrote in message
. ..
>>> On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:23:05 GMT, "Refinish King"
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>>How would you know this?
>>>>
>>>
>>> How do I know how the shops do business??? I've read the training
>>> material they use to increase profits.
>>>
>>>
>>>>RK
>>>>"Ashton Crusher" > wrote in message
m...
>>>>> On Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:55:48 -0800, wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>I'm used to using the dodge dealer where i bought my truck so this
>>>>>>question never came up. Now that I'm starting to use other shops, i'm
>>>>>>wondering how much they typically mark up the parts they order. I
>>>>>>just went to an NTB/Merchants place for new front upper ball joints on
>>>>>>my dodge truck. Total cost was about $625. Each ball joint costs
>>>>>>about $140 on my estimate (and receipt). But i know now that if i
>>>>>>had gone to an autoparts store, they'd cost about half that. So is
>>>>>>it typical for a 100% markup at these shops?
>>>>>>The rest of the $625 was for labor (and shop fees and taxes)....and
>>>>>>there was considerable labor
>>>>>>because the old ball joints had to (sort of) cut out of the upper
>>>>>>control arm. (side note: The ball joints normally come as part of
>>>>>>the upper control arm, and they could have just replaced the whole
>>>>>>upper control arm (they told me that was an option), but they said it
>>>>>>would cost more and not even be necessary or better, though i'm
>>>>>>realizing now that it probably would've been better to replace the
>>>>>>whole UCA since i'd get a new one at slightly higher cost)....ANYWAY,
>>>>>>my main question has to do with these markups of parts. Could i have
>>>>>>just bought the parts myself and have them install? (i'm
>>>>>>unmechanical) thanks.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Most charge double what it cost them. Overall, the typical
>>>>> expectation at a shop is that every job will consist of somewhere
>>>>> between 50% labor and 50% parts to 33% labor and 66% parts. They
>>>>> really don't like doing labor only jobs because they make a lot more
>>>>> off the parts then they do off the labor. They also charge flat rate
>>>>> labor at most shops and a good experienced mechanic will be able to do
>>>>> most repairs in less time then the flat rate so they come out ahead
>>>>> there too. Last time I had front end work done they estimated the job
>>>>> like yours, using the old control arm and putting new ball joints in
>>>>> so it had a little extra labor, then when they were done they had used
>>>>> a new control arm, which cost more for the parts, and still charged
>>>>> the same total labor even though the arm saved them RR time for the
>>>>> ball joint. So they screwed me there for an extra hour or so.
>>>>