Guides for auto repair shop owners, by topic
Every BayRobin guide, grouped by what you're working on: pricing jobs and reading your numbers, the state and federal rules a shop has to follow, answering calls and keeping customers, running the bays day to day, and choosing shop management software.
Pricing and shop numbers
Labor rate and effective labor rate, parts markup matrix, ARO, margins, KPIs, fees, and pricing brakes, tires, oil changes, alignments and AC.
- Loaner Car Program for Auto Repair Shops: Costs and Rules
- Technician Efficiency vs Productivity: Formulas, Examples
- How to Raise Prices at Your Auto Repair Shop
- AC Recharge Pricing for Shops: R-134a and R-1234yf
Calls, customers and marketing
Phone scripts, missed and after-hours calls, texting and reminders, no-shows, declined work, reviews, Google Business Profile, LSAs and car count.
- Auto Repair Shop Website Checklist: 20 Must-Haves
- Auto Repair Customer Retention: Formula and 90-Day Plan
- Review Response Templates for Auto Repair Shops
- How to Explain Repairs to Customers: Talk Tracks
Running an auto repair shop
Workflow and SOPs, daily checklists, digital inspections, estimates and invoices, warranties, hiring mechanics and service advisors, pay, ADAS and EVs.
- Flat Rate Labor Guide: How Labor Times Work (2026)
- EV Repair for Independent Shops: Where to Start
- Auto Repair Shop SOPs: Template and 12 Core Procedures
- OEM vs Aftermarket Parts: How to Explain It to Customers
Auto repair laws and compliance
Written estimate laws, state repair acts, liens, storage and abandoned vehicles, right to repair, EPA waste and refrigerant rules, OSHA and lifts.
- Auto Repair Shop Insurance: Coverage Types and Costs
- Washington Auto Repair Act: A Shop Owner's Guide
- New York Auto Repair Shop Laws: A Shop Owner's Guide
- Car Lift Inspection Requirements for Repair Shops
Shop software pricing and alternatives
Plan prices, alternatives and head-to-head comparisons for Tekmetric, Shopmonkey, Shop-Ware, AutoLeap, Mitchell 1, Protractor and AI answering tools.
- Mitchell 1 Pricing (2026): Manager SE and ProDemand
- AutoLeap Pricing (2026): Plans, Setup Fee and AIR
- Shop-Ware Pricing (2026): Packages, Add-On and Fees
- Shopmonkey Pricing (2026): Plans, Users and Add-Ons