john981

I just had my car service at my trusted indy shop. The guy is one of the best and I will continue going there but I noticed he had significantly increased his prices. It is mainly his labor rate which went up. Last time I was there was in 2019 and his hourly rate was 120. This time he charged me 175 per hour. He charged for Oil and Brake flush around 500 bucks but he really spent 2 hours on the car. He also did a full inspection and told me everything I wanted to know. I think it is still a fair price compared to the dealership but I am thinking down the road when I need other stuff, it might get significantly more expensive than it used to be. He quoted e.g. PDK full service with Pan and filter 1400 and spark plugs 550 (thoughts). I mean I have done the spark plugs on my last 981 myself and know exactly what it takes to do this job. The way this guy work, I don't think he will need more than 1 hour, max 1.5 hours for the job and the material cost for the plugs is really nothing crazy.
I still think I will continue using him because he is a great guy and outstanding mechanic but wanted to see what you guys pay these days for your services at the Indy shop. What is the hourly rate and how much do you pay for the above services. Thank you!!

Docbentley

Everything is more expensive than it used to be 30-40% or more just since 2020.

DriverDaily

I got these quotes last week.

Dealer
Won't touch aftermarket parts
$225/hr

Indie A
German specialist
$1200 (7.5hr @ $160/hr)

• oil: 0.75 hr
• headers: 4.25 hr
• plugs: 2.5 hr
• wheel spacers: 0 hr

Indie B
BMW specialist
$2500 (13.5hr @ $189/hr)

• oil:1.2 hr
• headers: 6.9 hr
• plugs: 3.4 hr
• wheel spacers: 2 hr

Indie C
Only Porsche specialist in town
$175/hr, booked for months


I was expecting it to come in between $800 and $1000. Removing the headers on this car is easy. Then, without headers the plugs are easy. This is in central Texas, not exactly an expensive area.

It isn't just the hourly rate inflation, neither shop is discounting for overlap, and Indie B is adding 50% to the book-time. That's the shrinkflation.

That's normal. Nearly every shop bills for the number of hours in the service book, not the number of hours it actually takes. They will usually discount overlapping procedures though so you won't pay for the same procedure twice.

saabin

Part of this is the “Porsche Tax”.. but yes everything is more since about 2020. Compared your restaurant bill now vs 2020?

one way I can afford 2 Porsches is that I DIY almost everything…and I enjoy doing it and I know it’s done correctly.

RennPart

I think it is important to note if the indy charges book rate or actual time.

For example, book rate to change pads and rotors is around 3 hours per axle.

Actual time is more like 2 maybe 3 hours if you flush the brake.s

--Aaron

Sajan

ya I had to stop going to one of my indys because it was a bit too by the book.

Denny Swift

Those rates sound low to me. What's a reasonable multiplier for a shop? The cost of the building, the taxes, the insurance. All the equipment and tools. Benefits ( even a one-man shop owner would have to buy his own health insurance). I can't imagine a multiplier of less than 3. So at $150/ hour, he's paying himself $50/hour or about $100k/year. Perhaps that would be decent for someone in the middle of nowhere, but I doubt there is much need for a Porsche specialist in the boonies. In any medium metropolitan area, $100k wouldn't get you very far.

I honestly don't know how any reputable service center can make any money. I'd never want to own a service center. Would you? Do you think you could afford a Porsche if your business was repairing cars?

If I owned a repair center, I'd have to charge way more than the dealership charges. I do my own work so I don't pay for service, but I think the hourly rates for car service that nearly everyone complaines about, is the best bargain there is.

GoTime

Boston market. $125.

I think market matters, my guy only does Porsches.

john981

As much as I think 500 bucks is little too much for a oil change and brake flush, I must admit I thought the exact same thing. My guy has a pretty big shop with 3 working spots Just the rent and keeping the lights on must cost him in my area a small fortune. He also has now 2 helpers he has to pay. He still does the main job but the 2 other guys help him with cleaning and all the other leg work. I think he is always booked and quite busy. He works on one car at the time and if he is not working on a car, he rebuilds engines and transmissions. He is now charging 175 per hour and I don't think he is doing terrible but I almost think he would make the same money when he would work for a dealership (what he did before that) without all the headache of his own business.

jago

keeping up with
groceries
gas
airfare
insurance
restaurants
electricity
plumbers and other tradesmen
federal debt
thank the politician of your choice,
theyre all responsible.
(at least most real estate and sp500 help)

Ernest72

I have seen $195/hr in NY. But I know they don’t charge book values, real values. But I do all my own work right now. I can’t pay these prices for things I can do on a car I don’t have to have running everyday. I can pick off a big job over days. Installed my X73 over a few days, much better than thousands of dollars. Not saying it was not involved, but it was worth it. P-tax is real compared to my subies. For example I have a front splitter in carbon on my 16 BRZ. It was $600. Why is a front splitter for my cayman twice the price and smaller in actual amount of carbon used. That’s the P-tax I hate. Literally charging more because Porsche.

saabin

Not to take this thread OT, but how do you like the BRZ? Have you tracked it? Prob not that fast but it looks like it could be a fun/cheaper track toy.

Ernest72

No tracking. It’s my daily. But it’s a blast. Go-kart for the road. Mine is a 2016, so Gen1. Low torque, but tune and headers help. So much fun to drive, in some ways more fun than my 981. In the twisties it can be more fun than the 981 because it’s livelier at slower speeds. The 981 rotation is so good you have to really push it to get that rear end to move. The BRZ is much easier. But the flat4 FA motor is nothing to the flat 6 sound. I have 107k and she’s running like new.

IndigoInkTaco

Seeing those numbers, I think I'm going to start offering members plug changes for a $300 flat rate.

RennPart

Again I think rates will depend on you location and possibly overhead. I find its best to form a relationship with a shop. The last thing you want is someone who doesn't know what they're doing working on your car- and charging you a premium for it.

All I have to say is anyone in the Winston Salem, NC area come on by. You deal directly with me. I don't have a fancy waiting room or a cute receptionist so my rates are reasonable

--Aaron