What goes on a mechanic estimate
Several states require a written estimate before anyone touches the car, and cap how far the final bill may exceed it without a fresh authorization. That makes a shop estimate a legal document as much as a sales one: the figure on it is a ceiling you have agreed to, and a phone call is the only thing that moves it.
- The vehicle, with mileage and plate or VIN — the estimate attaches to the car, not the customer
- The reported fault, and the diagnostic charge, shown whether or not it comes off the repair
- Parts by name, and whether they are OEM, aftermarket or reconditioned
- Labor as book hours times your rate, so the figure can be checked rather than trusted
- Shop supplies and waste disposal as their own line, not a percentage nobody saw coming
- What is not included — in particular, what you expect to find once it is apart
- The authorization line, and the figure over which you will ring before carrying on
The sample line items and example prices this sheet opens with are on the mechanic invoice template — the same table, which is about the trade rather than about this paper, so it lives in one place rather than on all six. Working out the price itself? The markup calculator turns your cost and markup into the figure to put on the estimate, and shows the margin it leaves.
What you get
A PDF, and a link your customer can open in any browser. Word and Excel versions are not available yet — if a spreadsheet is what you need, this is not yet the tool for it, and saying so is cheaper for both of us than you finding out after typing everything in.
Pick how it looks
Six looks, from a plain classic sheet through a bold top band to a shop ticket, and your initials go on automatically until you upload a logo. See all six.
How to send it
Most customers want the paper on their phone, so the estimate goes out by WhatsApp, text or email, or as a link that needs no app and no account on their side. Or download the PDF to print it or keep it for your own records.
Questions
How far over the estimate can I go?
In several states, not far without a fresh authorization — ten percent or a fixed dollar figure is common, and the clock starts at the written number. Put your own threshold on the estimate in plain words and ring before you reach it. The call takes two minutes and the dispute takes a month.
Do I charge for the diagnosis if they decline the work?
Most shops do, and the moment to say so is on the estimate rather than at the counter. Show the diagnostic as its own line and say whether it comes off the repair if they go ahead. A customer who declines and is then surprised by a bill is the one who writes the review.