6:35 am, April 15, 2023
New research has found garage labour rates vary enormously around the country, with the cheapest areas charging as little as £47 per hour and the priciest £141.
What Car? researched the labour rates of 279 independent garages across the UK, and found the average labour rate is £76 per hour.
However, the rates vary with the most affordable place to get a car serviced being Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with an average hourly labour rate of £47.
Huddersfield’s prices are £31 an hour lower than garages in Leeds and Oldham, both of which charge an average of £78, despite the areas only being around 20 miles apart.
South west London is the most expensive area overall, charging an average of £141 per hour.
Garages in north and north west London are not far behind, charging £112 an hour.
What Car? found the UK’s capital dominates the list of the most expensive areas to have your car serviced, with all but one of the top 10 most costly situated inside the M25.
Oxford is the only other area that makes it into the top 10, with a rate of £91 an hour.
The garages contacted by What Car? were all members of the Independent Garage Association and listed on Trust My Garage, with labour rates from three garages in each area collected where the data was available.
In some areas data was combined with a neighbouring location to provide a robust sample size, said What Car?.
What Car? consumer editor Claire Evans said: ‘As the rising cost of living continues to stretch budgets for people across the country, our research highlights the postcode lottery facing motorists when it comes to garage labour rates.
‘However, you can often avoid paying too much for servicing by shopping around and comparing prices up front.
‘Such is the size of the disparity, there are examples here where driving for up to an hour could save you enough to enjoy a night in a hotel and a good meal.’
Top 10 cheapest areas for garage labour
1. Huddersfield (HD)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) – £47
2. Chester (CH)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) – £56
3. Hull (HU)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) –£58
4. Llandudno, Shrewsbury and Swansea (LL, SY and SA)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) –£59
=5. Blackburn (BB)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) –£60
=5. Bradford (BD)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) –£60
=5. Belfast (BT)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) –£60
=5. Darlington (DL)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) –£60
=5. Hereford (HR)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) –£60
=5. Warrington and Wigan (WA and WN)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) –£60
Top 10 most expensive areas for garage labour
1. South West London (SW)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) – £141
2. North London and North West London (N and NW)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) -£112
=3. Watford (WD)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) -£104
=3. Southall and West London (UB and W)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) -£104
5. Harrow (HA)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) -£103
6. Twickenham (TW)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) –£101
7. Croydon (CR)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) -£94
8. Bromley and South East London (BR and SE)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) -£93
9. Oxford (OX)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) -£91
10. Sutton (SM)
Average hourly labour rate (inc. VAT) – £90
