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+--- Thread: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) (/showthread.php?tid=155144)
Re: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) - Dennis S - 07-15-2013
"They may be adding more cost because you are bringing in your own parts."
I think they hate that.
Re: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) - Racer X - 07-15-2013
many won't allow that. They have no control over the quality of the parts.
Re: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) - Catzilla - 07-15-2013
Dennis S wrote:
"They may be adding more cost because you are bringing in your own parts."
I think they hate that.
True, and they get the pats for wholesale and bill retail.
Re: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) - Harbourmaster - 07-15-2013
Hi is this La Grenouille?
Yes, I'd like to make a dinner reservation for 2 and was wondering what the cost will be if I bring in my own meat and potatoes for the CHÂTEAUBRIAND AUX POMMES DE TERRE ET POIREAUX??
Seriously MOST mechanics won't do this for 2 reasons:
1) They have no control over the quality of Parts that you provide (and what if what you provide is incorrect) so it's virtually impossible to guarantee the work.
2) A portion of the profit for the job is tied to the markup on the parts. Even if you can buy the exact same components as the shop they can often get them for substantially less than you would pay.
Re: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) - john dough - 07-15-2013
A woman walks up to Picasso, later in life, as he sits at a cafe table. "Could you draw me a sketch?" she asks, thinking she'll make a quick buck. "I can pay you for it."
Picasso shrugs, says "sure", and quickly scratches out a little something on a napkin. "That'll be $10,000," he says.
"$10,000! But it only took you a few seconds!"
"Just the drawing of it took a few seconds," Picasso replies. "Learning how took my entire life."
Re: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) - Buzz - 07-15-2013
$180 labor if they use your parts... $160 including parts AND labor, if they use their parts... :-)
$88-$100 is standard-ish labor for creaky old rear drums w/o add'l issues.
Add parts to that, plus any exceptional labor for dealing w/ cranky parts that often go w/ creaky old drums.
Frankly, if the $180 is a catch-all price, and your drums really are old and creaky; that's not too bad... AFTER the job is completed, MAYBE he's coming out $15-20 to the good... OTOH, he could just as easily be taking it in the shorts by a comparable amount, or more.
IOW, if he's not a relative (that likes you), it sounds more than fair.
Worry about that sparking, liquid filled MBP-in-a-bag instead.
///
Re: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) - Dennis S - 07-15-2013
josntme wrote:
Wonder how much the local diner would charge me to cook my eggs if I brought my own?miley-excited001:
I remember seeing a sign that said something like that at a mechanic's place when I was a kid and always remembered it. That's why I said, "I think they hate that."
Re: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) - space-time - 07-15-2013
laugh all you want, but this place does that for a few of my co-workers. usually we buy parts online based on VIN so the parts are 100% compatible, and AFAIK no one had issues with their labor. I guess if there is an issue later there is no warranty on parts, but they stand behind their labor. It is just that they charge 2 ours of labor for this job which should take under 1 hour.
Re: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) - Harbourmaster - 07-15-2013
space-time wrote:
so the parts are 100% compatible
Parts is parts -- oldest joke in the mechanics lexicon....
Re: labor charge to replace rear brakes (drums and shoes) - RAMd®d - 07-16-2013
There's not nearly enough information to make an intelligent response to your question.
There are many variables which *might* make that price reasonable, to the shop at least, if not to you.
30 minutes if you are familiar with what to do and have all the tools at hand ready to go, and nothing goes wrong.
That's kind of a big if. Not to mention, many shops use flat rates for just about any job. So if your car's year, make, and model call for 1.5hrs, and the job gets done in half that time, you'll likely still be charged at the shop rate for the flat rate.
And hourly shop rates can vary significantly for different reasons. If a shop is proud of their work (and may certainly have every right to be) they may charge a premium. Around here, $100/hr for an indie shop rate is not uncommon. After seeing a few $40/hr shops, I stay away. Far away.
As mentioned, drum brakes are more time consuming, generally, than disc brakes. So it may not be a 30min job, especially discussing this over the phone., sight unseen.
There is substantial profit in parts, whether generic or OEM, and nobody likes to lose profit. Ask any tire shop the cost of mounting and balancing tires, and then ask them "How much if I bring my own tires?"
There may also be a question of the liability of the shop when installing user supplied parts. While it's common to bring your own tires, your own brake parts, also safety items, would give many shops pause. IF they consented you use your parts, they would certainly charge you more. A buddy doing the work for you would be a different story.
It is just that they charge 2 [h]ours of labor for this job which should take under 1 hour.
As I said, there is a loss of profit when you bring your own parts. If somebody else came along with the same car and same situation, but didn't bring their own parts, the cost might be pretty close. Who knows. But they can charge what they want and take as long as they want., whether or not there are unforeseen complications.
You're free to accept their price and conditions, or not.