Short answer: in the Tooele area, yes, $100 an hour is a normal rate. Shop rates around here commonly run about $100 to $150 an hour, and dealers are often higher.
But the hourly rate is only half of what you pay. The other half is how many hours you get billed.
How mechanics bill time
Most shops bill from labor guides, often called book time. The guide says a certain job on your exact vehicle takes, say, 1.5 hours. You pay for 1.5 hours whether the mechanic finishes in 45 minutes or two hours.
It also shapes how many mechanics get paid. A lot of the industry pays technicians flat rate, meaning per job instead of per hour. A tech gets paid the booked time for each job, no matter how long it actually takes. A quick, experienced tech can do well. A tech waiting around for work gets paid for nothing. That system has a lot to do with why some shops push extra work.
Why the rate alone can mislead you
Picture two shops. One charges $110 an hour and quotes 1.5 hours. The other charges $95 an hour and quotes 2.5 hours for the same job. The “cheaper” rate is the bigger bill.
Diagnosis works the same way. A shop that spends real time testing and finds the actual problem can cost less in the end than one that guesses fast and replaces three parts.
Questions worth asking
- What’s the total, in writing? Labor, parts and any fees.
- How many hours are you billing, and is that book time?
- How did you find the problem? Testing, or just a code?
- Is there a diagnostic fee, and does it count toward the repair?
How Utah Roadrunner prices work
We give you an upfront quote before any work starts, so you see the total, not just a rate. If a job needs a shop instead, we’ll tell you that too. For more on what goes into a quote, see how much a mobile mechanic costs, or read about our diagnostic process.