Short answer: your hourly rate has to cover the hours you can't bill — driving, quoting, chasing parts and paperwork. Work out your yearly costs, divide by the hours you can realistically charge, then add your wage and margin. Charge call-out or travel separately.
Rates vary by area, experience and the work you take on, so I'm not going to quote a national average I can't verify. Here's the method instead.
Step 1: Add up your yearly running costs
Van finance or depreciation, fuel, insurance (including public liability and motor trade), tools and diagnostics subscriptions, phone, software, training and accountant fees.
Step 2: Count your billable hours honestly
A mobile mechanic might work 45 hours a week but only bill 25 of them. The rest is travel, waiting for parts and admin. Use your real billable hours, not your working hours.
*Example figures only:* £18,000 a year in costs over 1,100 billable hours is about £16.40 an hour just to break even — before you've paid yourself.
Step 3: Add your wage and margin
Decide what you want to earn in a year, divide by the same billable hours, and add it on. Then add a margin for quiet weeks and comebacks.
Step 4: Charge call-out and travel separately
A separate call-out or mileage line keeps your hourly rate competitive and makes long trips pay. Put it on every invoice so customers see it's standard.
Step 5: Show parts and labour clearly
Customers trust an invoice that splits parts, labour and call-out. The mechanic invoice template page shows what to include and has a free template you can fill in now. If you'd rather say the job than type it, see voice invoicing for mechanics and the mobile mechanic software comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out my mobile mechanic hourly rate?
Add your yearly costs and your target wage, then divide by the hours you can actually bill in a year. Add a margin on top. Compare with local garages and mobile mechanics so you're in a sensible range.
Should a mobile mechanic charge a call-out fee?
Many do, because travel time isn't billable labour. A clear call-out or mileage line on the invoice is easier for customers to accept than a higher hourly rate.
Should I mark up parts?
That's your decision, but many mechanics add a markup to cover sourcing time, collection and warranty handling. Whatever you do, list parts separately on the invoice.
What's the quickest way to invoice after a job?
Say the job beside the vehicle. SaidToPaid turns "Brake pads front, 1.5 hours labour, £30 call-out" into an itemised invoice for you to check and send.
Try it with your numbers
Labour rate calculator
Put in your own monthly costs and the hours you can actually bill. Parts are charged separately.
- Break-even rate (costs only)
- £8.04/hr
- Rate to hit your take-home
- £33.90/hr
- Billable hours per month
- 108
A starting point worked out from your figures only. Nothing is saved. Excludes VAT.
Use these prices on a free invoiceInvoice terms you can copy
Plain wording to add to the notes on your invoices. Save it once in your settings and it goes on every invoice. General guidance, not legal advice.
Late payment (business customers)
Payment is due within 30 days of the invoice date. If you are a business customer, we may charge interest on late payment at 8% a year above the Bank of England base rate, plus fixed compensation, under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
Parts warranty
Parts supplied carry the manufacturer's warranty only. Customer-supplied parts are fitted at the customer's risk and are not covered for labour if they fail.
Diagnostics
Diagnostic time is charged even if the customer chooses not to go ahead with the repair.
Waste disposal
A disposal charge applies for used oil, filters, batteries and other waste removed from the vehicle.
The late payment law only covers business-to-business invoices. Fixed compensation is £40 on debts under £1,000, £70 up to £9,999.99 and £100 from £10,000.
Mobile mechanic checklist (UK)
- Register for VAT once your taxable turnover passes the current threshold (£90,000 from April 2024). Below that, don't add VAT to invoices.
- Waste oil, filters and batteries are hazardous waste. Use a registered waste carrier and keep the paperwork.
- Have public liability and motor trade or road risks insurance that covers working on customers' cars.
- Record the vehicle registration and mileage on every invoice. It helps the customer's service history and settles disputes.
- Keep invoices and records for at least 5 years after the 31 January Self Assessment deadline.
General guidance, checked October 2026. Rules change and vary by council, so check with your local authority, insurer or HMRC.
From individual Trustpilot reviews
A customer's experience
“I can speak the job details into SaidToPaid, check the invoice draft and send it to the customer. It’s been really useful when I’m working away from a desk.”