Why the labour rate matters
The workshop labour rate is the per-hour figure that auto-fills on every new automotive job, quote, and invoice line item. Most independent AU workshops sit between $110/hr (smaller regional) and $175/hr (city specialists). Getting the default right means every quote you generate reflects your real cost — without you re-typing it on each invoice.
OneBookPlus ships a $135/hr default — close to the 2025 AU average across mid-tier independents. Bump or trim before you write the first invoice.
Where to set it
- Open Dashboard → Vehicles → Settings (or the gear icon next to the vehicles header)
- The Workshop labour rate field sits near the top of the form
- Enter the dollar value (no $ sign, no comma —
135or145.50) - Click Save
The change takes effect on the next job you create. Existing jobs/invoices keep their original rate — by design, so you can't accidentally reprice committed work.
Choosing the right rate
If you're unsure where to land, a quick framework:
- Take your annual labour cost (techs' wages + super + workers comp + payroll tax) — call this
C - Take your billable hours (techs × productive hours per week × 48 weeks) — call this
H - Your floor rate is
C / H × 1.15(15% buffer for non-billable supervision) - Add 25-40% margin depending on your local market and brand strength
A two-tech shop with $180K annual labour cost and 3,400 billable hours = $61/hr floor × 1.4 = $85/hr. That's a regional shop number — city workshops with prestige clientele will run 1.8-2.2× the floor.
Per-job override
The rate set here is the default — every line item on a new job lets you override per-line. Use that for:
- Diagnostic work (often 1.5-2× standard — specialist labour)
- Fleet contracts (often 0.9× — volume discount)
- Warranty / comeback work (often 0× or a token amount)
- Apprentice-only work (often 0.7-0.8× — reflects the actual cost)
The per-line override doesn't affect the workshop default — it only changes that single line.
Surface in the dashboard
The automotive workshop dashboard header shows the active labour rate so you know what's being applied to new work:
*Your workshop · labour rate $135/hr*
If you change the rate, refresh the dashboard to confirm the new figure is showing.
When to review
Most workshops review the rate annually — at the start of each financial year. Parts costs have moved 8-15% per year since 2022; if you're not lifting the labour rate to match input inflation, your margin is silently eroding.