Car questions · What it costs, and why
What is a shop rate, and why do shops charge book time?
2 minute read · Checked October 2026 · Written at the Harkness counter, Coppervale, BC
The short answer
A shop rate is the hourly price for a technician's time. Ours is $118 an hour. Book time is the standard number of hours a published labour guide lists for each job on each vehicle. Shops use it so the labour price is set before work starts, and the same job costs the same no matter who does it.
What does the shop rate pay for?
The $118 covers more than a wage. It pays for the hoists, the scan tools, and the yearly software those tools need. It pays for training on new systems, for insurance, and for heating open bays through a Kootenay winter. It also covers time nobody can bill, like a road test that finds nothing or a wait on a part.
Most car owners only see the hourly number. The useful number is the total for the job. Our service list shows each job with its usual time range and its from-price, so you can see both.
What is book time and how does a mechanic use it?
Book time comes from published labour guides. They list a standard time for each job on each year, make and model. If front brakes on your car book at 1.6 hours, you pay for 1.6 hours. That holds whether our tech finishes early or the job runs long.
Book time assumes a car in normal shape. Years of winter brine can rust a bolt solid, which adds time. When it happens, we stop and call before the bill passes your approved number. Our guide on whether a shop can charge more than the estimate explains what BC law says about that.
Why is the diagnostic priced on its own?
Some work has no book time. Tracking down an electrical fault or a vague noise takes as long as it takes. So we charge a flat $89 for the first hour of testing. If you go ahead with the repair, the $89 comes off your bill. We explain that hour in why a diagnostic costs money.
Some common jobs have set prices too. An oil service starts from $89. A tire changeover is $60 on rims or $95 for a full swap, with balancing included.
How do I compare quotes between shops?
Compare the total for the same job, with the same grade of parts. A quote is easier to compare when it shows how it was built. These questions get you there.
- How many hours does this job book at?
- How are parts priced, and can I see the supplier invoice?
- What warranty covers the parts and the work?
- Will you call me before the price goes past the quote?
Our answers are on every quote. Parts are at cost plus 20 percent. The warranty is 12 months or 20,000 km. Nothing goes over your approved number without a call.
Asked at the counter
Is repair labour taxed in BC?
Yes. BC charges 7 percent PST on vehicle repair labour and on the parts. The 5 percent GST also applies. Your invoice shows both taxes on their own lines, so you can see what is labour, what is parts, and what is tax.
Why does my invoice show more hours than the car spent in the bay?
Each job on the invoice carries its own book time. When two jobs share the same labour, like wheels that are already off, we take the overlap off. If a total still looks high, ask us to walk through it line by line. Rae is happy to do that.
Do older cars cost more in labour?
Sometimes. Book time is the same for the job, but a rusty older car can need extra time to free seized bolts. When that happens, we call first with the reason and the new number. You decide before the extra time goes on the bill.