Not checking the hourly rate can multiply your repair bill by 2.8x. See typical rates first.
Search our free index of verified hourly rates. Compare local postcodes and find highly-rated garages with fair prices — no account needed.
Nearby garages
Green Tyres Service
SW1A
Capital Motors
SW1V
Pimlico Auto Centre
SW1P
Data sources
3 independent · updated weekly
Nearby garages
Green Tyres Service
SW1A
Capital Motors
SW1V
Pimlico Auto Centre
SW1P
Data sources
3 independent · updated weekly
Labour rates are the hardest price to compare.
What garages list upfront
The hourly rate is rarely listed upfront or actively compared.
What our index shows
The hourly rate that decides your bill.
Labour rates are set independently by each garage. Because they aren't standard, they are rarely compared or discussed upfront. On a 5-hour job, a £50/hr difference between two garages in the same area is £250 — before a single part is counted.
The GarageRates Labour Rate Index is a free, community-maintained dataset of verified hourly rates from garages across the UK. Every rate is sourced from a real invoice or direct submission. Every entry is compared to the regional average so you can see at a glance where your garage sits.
Current coverage — updated as submissions arrive
London
£85–£141
South East
£70–£110
North West
£65–£90
Yorkshire & The Humber
£55–£85
North East
£45–£70
Benchmark averages. Actual rates vary by garage — search your postcode for verified local data.
How the index grows
Search your postcode
Find what garages near you charge per hour, colour-coded against the regional average.
Submit your last invoice
Got a repair bill? Upload it. We extract the labour rate and add it to the index — anonymised, with your garage's location.
Everyone benefits
Your submission makes the index more accurate for every driver in your area. The more data, the more reliable the benchmark.
A higher rate doesn't mean a garage is overcharging. Rates vary for legitimate reasons — specialist expertise, location, equipment. The index shows you what's typical. You decide what it means.
Add your garage
to the index.
If your last repair invoice shows a labour rate — or if you know what your regular garage charges — you can add it to the index. It takes two minutes. Your submission is anonymised before it's published, and it helps every driver in your area who searches after you.
The index only works because drivers contribute to it. The more data, the more accurate the benchmark.
Index status
Garages indexed
Add yours today
Regions covered
All UK regions
Community sourced
No commercial data deals
Publicly searchable
No login, no paywall
What repairs typically cost
More tools — coming into focus
The Labour Rate Index is the foundation. Built on top of it: a full repair estimate generator and a quote comparison tool that breaks down every line of your invoice against UK benchmarks. Both require data partnerships we're finalising. Both are partially live — and fully free when they are.
Repair Estimate
Get a full itemised breakdown before you visit a garage — hours, rate, parts.
Try the estimateCompare a Quote
Already have a quote? Upload it and see how every line compares against UK regional benchmarks.
Compare a quoteNot sure what
the repair is?
Describe what your car is doing. We'll identify the likely cause, the repair it typically points to, and — once you know what to ask for — you can search the Labour Rate Index to see what local garages charge for it.
$ describe symptom
Analysis output
Based on 847 similar cases in UK garages
Questions about the index
01 / 07
How accurate is the rate data?
Start with the rate.
Everything else follows.
Search the Labour Rate Index for free. No account. No cost. Just the data.