What a mobile mechanic costs in NYC: our starting prices for every job, and what the number includes
Every starting price we charge is on this page, because the first question anyone asks a mobile mechanic is what it costs and the usual answer is call for a quote. Oil change and general maintenance labor from $70. Brakes, battery, diagnostics and a pre-purchase inspection from $95. A tune-up from $130. A starter from $150. Parts are quoted for your car before the visit is booked, and the number you were quoted is the number you pay at the curb.
The lowest starting labor on the menu. Every job below shows its own starting price; parts are quoted for your specific car before the visit is booked.
Starting labor prices, every service
| Service | Labor starts at | What is quoted on top |
|---|---|---|
| Oil change | $70 | Oil and filter for your engine, quoted before booking |
| General maintenance and small repairs | $70 | Parts and fluids for the job |
| Brake pads and rotors | $95 | Pads, rotors, hardware per axle |
| Battery replacement | $95 | The battery, by group size and type |
| Diagnostics | $95 | Nothing; the scan and written finding are the job |
| Pre-purchase inspection | $95 | Nothing; the report is the job |
| Tune-up | $130 | Plugs, coils if weak, filters, for your engine |
| Starter replacement | $150 | The starter for your car; alternators quoted after testing |
| Suspension, tires, roadside and emergency | Quote | Depends on the job, the hour and where the car is |
Starting labor is the labor for the simplest version of the job. A four-cylinder with the plugs on top is the starting price; a V6 with a hidden rear bank is quoted above it, and we say so before we come.
How mobile mechanics price, in general
Two models. Some charge by the hour, and the guides that rank for this search put mobile hourly rates in a broad range by area and experience, with the mechanics on Reddit arguing about whether $150 an hour is too much. Others, and this is what we do, charge a flat labor price per job, with the parts quoted separately for the specific car. Flat pricing means a rusted bolt or a stubborn filter housing is our problem, not a bigger bill for you.
Either way, the thing to compare is the whole number. A mobile quote includes the trip. A shop quote does not include the tow or the ride there, the time off work, or the second diagnostic fee if you go somewhere else for the repair. Add those up and the mobile job is usually the cheaper total even when the labor line is similar.
Why mobile is often cheaper, and why parts are not
We do not carry a shop. No lease on Northern Boulevard, no lifts to finance, no waiting room, no service writer whose job is to add a fuel-system flush to your oil change. That overhead is what a shop labor rate has to cover, and it is why our labor can start at $70 for a service a shop bills at an hour of shop time.
Parts cost what parts cost. A good battery, a set of quality pads, the right synthetic oil: we pay roughly what a shop pays and we quote it to you before the visit. Anyone offering parts far below the market is fitting parts far below the market. Where we save you money is the labor, the trip, and the things that do not get added on.
Cheap, affordable, and the difference
People search for a cheap mechanic and mostly they mean a fair one: a number they can see up front, no invented extras, and a job that does not come back. That is what we sell. What we do not sell is the cheapest possible price, because the cheapest brake job in Queens is done with the cheapest pads by someone who is not coming back to stand behind it.
So the honest framing is this. The labor prices above are lower than most shops in the city, the quote is fixed before we come, and if we find something else while we are there, you hear about it and decide, and nothing is done to the car that you did not agree to. That is affordable. It is different from cheap, and the difference is the car working next month.
What is in the price and what is not
In: the trip to your location anywhere in our service area, the labor for the job, the parts we quoted, disposal of the old oil or battery or parts, and a look over the car while we are there, with anything we spot mentioned rather than billed. A diagnostic that leads to a repair is not charged twice: the $95 finding is the finding, and the repair quote stands on its own.
Not in: parts beyond what was quoted, if the job turns out to need them, which we stop and tell you about first. Emergency and after-hours calls, which are quoted for the job, the hour and the location before anyone commits. Jobs that need a lift or a shop, which we tell you straight rather than attempting at the curb.
Getting a number
Text or call with the year, make, model and what the car is doing or what service it is due for. For most jobs you get the exact price back, labor and parts, before anything is booked. For a noise or a light, the answer is a $95 diagnostic at the car and then a quote for whatever it turns out to be. We cover Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and Long Island, and the trip is included in every price on this page.
Common questions
Is there a call-out or travel fee?
No. The trip is built into the labor prices above for anywhere in our service area. Emergency and after-hours calls are quoted separately for the job, the hour and the location, and you get that number before we roll.
Why does my quote come in above the starting price?
Because the starting price is the simplest version of the job. A tune-up on a four-cylinder with the plugs on top starts at $130; on a V6 that needs the intake removed to reach the rear bank, the labor is higher, and we tell you that when you tell us the engine. The number you get before booking is the one you pay.
Do you charge for the diagnosis if I go ahead with the repair?
The $95 diagnostic is charged once, for the scan and the written finding. The repair is quoted on its own. You are not paying a second diagnostic fee to have the same car fixed by the same person, which is the fee a shop charges when you bring it somewhere else.
Are mobile mechanics cheaper than a shop?
On labor, usually, because there is no shop to pay for. On parts, no, and be wary of anyone who says otherwise. On the total, including the tow or the trip and the time, almost always. The exception is a job that needs a lift or a machine we cannot bring, and we tell you when that is the case.
Can I supply my own parts?
Ask when you book. For some jobs it is fine. For brakes and batteries we prefer to supply the part, because we stand behind the job, and we cannot stand behind a part we did not choose.
Want a real number before you book?
Text us the car, the year, and the symptom for a free quote. We typically reply in under five minutes and can often come the same day.