Labor rate cards (standard, diagnostic, and more)

Not every billed hour is worth the same to your shop. A master tech chasing an intermittent electrical gremlin is not priced like a lube tech rotating tires, and a fleet account that brings you forty cars a month is not priced like a one-time walk-in. Labor rate cards let you define more than one rate, name each one, and apply the right rate to the right work, automatically.

What a rate card is

A rate card is a named labor rate with a dollar amount and a purpose. Instead of one flat shop rate for everything, you keep a small set of rates that match how you actually sell labor. Common cards include:

• Standard: your everyday retail door rate for general repair.
• Diagnostic: a dedicated rate for diagnosis and electrical work, where the value is your tech's expertise and time, not parts.
• Fleet: a negotiated rate for commercial accounts that earn a volume price.
• Maintenance / express: a lighter rate for quick, high-turn services if you price those differently.

You decide which cards your shop needs. Most shops do well with two or three.

Create a rate card

1. Go to Shop Settings, then Pricing (or Labor and rates).
2. Open Rate cards and click Add rate.
3. Give it a clear name (for example, Diagnostic).
4. Enter the hourly rate for that card.
5. Save. The card is now available on any labor line.

Set one card as your default so new labor uses it unless you choose otherwise.

Apply a rate card to a job

1. Add or open a labor line on the job.
2. Choose the rate card for that line, for example switch a diagnosis line to Diagnostic.
3. The line reprices instantly at that card's rate.

The MOTOR hours stay the same; only the dollars-per-hour changes based on the card.

A real-world setup

Say your standard rate is $165 and your diagnostic rate is $185. A brake job rides the Standard card at $165, while a diagnose no-start job rides the Diagnostic card at $185. Same ticket, two rates, both correct, and your reports show exactly how much revenue came from diagnosis versus repair.

Tip: A separate diagnostic rate is one of the easiest margin wins in the shop. Diagnosis is skilled labor that often carries no parts, so pricing it at your general rate leaves money behind. Give it its own card and bill it with confidence.

Good to know: Rate cards and the single-line rate override solve different problems. Use a card for rates you apply over and over, like diagnostic or fleet. Use a one-off override for a true exception. Cards keep your pricing consistent and your reporting clean.

Pair rate cards with accurate MOTOR labor times and your labor pricing runs itself.