Posted Rates and Ballpark Repair Prices

Four rates, posted, and they do not move by customer. A rate card that changes depending on who is asking is not a rate card, it is a negotiation, and it is the reason most shops in this trade will not publish anything at all. Ours is on the wall and it is on this page.

Category	Rate	What it covers
Body and paint	$210 per hour	Structural and cosmetic body labor, panel work, fiberglass, refinish, masking, blending, reassembly.
Mechanical and electrical	$260 per hour	Slide mechanisms, leveling, suspension, brakes, generators, 12V and 110V systems, LP, plumbing, appliances.
Diagnostics, scan and programming	$285 per hour	Fault tracing, module scan, calibration and programming. One hour minimum, applied as a credit against an authorized repair.
Detail	$95 per hour	Wash, decontamination, polish, interior cleaning and reconditioning.

A job usually touches more than one rate. Replacing a slide seal and then refinishing the sidewall around it is mechanical hours plus body hours plus paint hours, each billed at its own rate on its own line. The estimate shows the split rather than folding everything into a single blended figure, which is what makes it auditable by you or by an adjuster.

Insurance billed work is the one exception worth naming plainly. A carrier may pay at a negotiated labor rate that differs from the posted retail rates above. When that applies to your file, the estimate says so and we tell you before the work starts. More on that in the insurance section.

By formula, automatically, on every estimate. Materials are not a line somebody guesses at the end. They are calculated from the labor hours already on the estimate, so a bigger paint job produces a bigger paint materials figure without anyone reaching for a number.

Line	Formula	Applies when
Paint supplies	$55 per paint hour	Any operation with refinish hours on it.
Body supplies	$5 per body hour	Any operation with body labor hours on it.
Hazmat and disposal	$45 flat	Chemicals, refrigerant or LP is involved in the work.
Sales tax	7.75 percent	Parts and materials only. Labor is not taxed.

The reason paint supplies run at $55 an hour rather than something nominal is surface area. A forty five foot coach is several times the painted surface of a passenger vehicle, and a segmented coach scheme is a base color plus two to four accents with hard masked boundaries. Primer, sealer, base, clear, reducer, hardener, masking film, tape, tack cloth and booth consumption all scale with the hours, so tying the figure to the hours keeps it honest in both directions: a short blend does not subsidize a full respray.

Body supplies at $5 per body hour covers abrasives, filler, adhesives, butyl, self leveling lap sealant, one time use fasteners, weld wire, gas and the rest of the consumables a reassembly actually eats. On a laminated body those consumables are not optional and they are not reusable once broken loose. Estimates written in an automotive format routinely omit the entire category, which is one of the most common ways a repair ends up costing more than the paperwork said.

Sales tax at 7.75 percent applies to parts and materials and never to labor. Because our estimates separate parts from labor on every operation, you can see exactly which portion was taxed.

Two markup tiers and one deposit rule, applied the same way every time.

• Parts priced at $100 or less carry a 100 percent markup. Small parts carry disproportionate handling cost: sourcing, ordering, receiving, staging and returning. A twelve dollar latch is not a twelve dollar line item once a person has spent twenty minutes finding the correct one for a discontinued door.
• Parts priced over $100 carry a 35 percent markup. That covers procurement, freight handling, inspection on arrival, storage and the risk of a damaged or incorrect shipment that has to be resolved before a technician can proceed.
• Special order parts require a full deposit at order, and that deposit is not refundable. This is the rule people ask about most. Special order components in this category are frequently non returnable to the supplier, model specific and not resellable. A one piece windshield cut for a specific coach, a color matched cap, a discontinued slide motor sourced from a liquidator: none of those go back on a shelf.

Parts availability, not markup, is what actually drives cost and calendar time on older units. Recreational vehicle manufacturers discontinue components aggressively and the aftermarket behind them is thin. When a part does not exist new, we document the unavailability in writing and quote the alternative, which is usually fabrication or adaptation of a current equivalent. That is real work at the posted body rate and it is quoted as such, not slipped into a parts line.

Three kinds of evaluation, priced according to how much technician time each one consumes.

Evaluation	Price	Credit treatment
Collision estimate	No charge	Nothing to apply. Insurance walk ins are welcome.
RV systems estimate	$150	Applied as a credit against an authorized repair.
In depth diagnostic	1 hour at $285	Applied as a credit against an authorized repair.

A collision estimate carries no charge because it is a documented walk around against visible damage, and because insurance walk ins are how a large share of this shop's work arrives. Bring the vehicle, or bring photographs and a claim number if it is not drivable, and we will write it.

An RV systems estimate at $150 is a different animal. Slide, awning, water intrusion, electrical and generator faults do not present themselves. Finding them means running the system, metering it, moisture mapping a wall or pulling a panel, and that is hours of a technician's day. The $150 is applied as a credit against an authorized repair, so if you proceed, the evaluation effectively folds into the job.

An in depth diagnostic is one hour at $285, also applied as a credit. That is the rate for scan tool work, module interrogation, intermittent fault chasing and calibration. One hour is a minimum, not a cap: some faults surrender in twenty minutes and some take a day. You are told before the hour is exhausted if it is going to run long, and nothing continues without your say so.

The distinction between these three is not arbitrary. Estimating visible collision damage is fast. Diagnosing an intermittent 12 volt fault is not, and quoting it blind would mean guessing at your expense. Work through your own numbers on the cost calculator.

Deposits are staged against the shop's exposure, not against the size of your patience. On a job with tens of thousands of dollars of parts on order, somebody has already paid for those parts before a single hour is billed.

Trigger	Amount	Timing
Job authorized over $2,000	50 percent deposit	At authorization, before work begins.
Job over $10,000	Additional 25 percent	When parts arrive at the facility.
Special order parts	Full deposit, not refundable	At order.
Card payment over $1,000	3.5 percent surcharge	At the time of that payment.
Remaining balance	Paid in full	At pickup. No vehicle leaves the property until it is paid.

The 3.5 percent card surcharge on payments over $1,000 is a pass through of merchant processing fees, not a profit line. On a large structural repair the processing fee on a card is a real number, and the alternatives, raising every rate to absorb it or quietly building it into labor, are both worse for the customer paying by other means. Payments under $1,000 by card carry no surcharge.

On insurance billed work the same deposit structure applies to the portion you are responsible for, which is usually your deductible and any betterment. The carrier's portion is billed directly to the carrier. Nothing about a claim changes the rule that the final balance is settled before the vehicle leaves.

Below is the full ballpark table, every operation the shop performs, with a low and high figure and the labor hour range behind it. These are ranges because the same operation on two vehicles is genuinely two different jobs. A roof reseal on a twenty four foot travel trailer with sound sealant is not a roof reseal on a forty two foot coach with three slide toppers, two air conditioners, a satellite dome and eight years of neglected lap sealant.

Read the hours column, not just the dollars. Hours are the honest unit. Multiply the hours by the rate that applies to that operation and you have built the labor side of your own estimate.

Collision and structural

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Collision repair	$1,000 to $150,000	5 to 800
Camper collision and body repair	$750 to $50,000	5 to 250
Van collision repair and refinish	$1,500 to $40,000	10 to 200
Fleet collision repair and paint refinish	$1,500 to $50,000	10 to 250
Frame and structural welding and repair	$750 to $20,000	5 to 80
ADAS scan and recalibration	$275 to $1,800	1 to 7

Paint and body

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Full paint refinish	$5,000 to $35,000	40 to 250
Color match paint blending and panel blending	$500 to $5,000	4 to 25
Cab body repair, door, hood, fender, bumper	$750 to $12,000	5 to 60
Vinyl wrap, partial and full	$1,500 to $9,500	10 to 45
Decal and graphics replacement	$500 to $5,500	3 to 25
Decal removal and reapplication	$400 to $3,000	2 to 12

Fiberglass

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Fiberglass cap repair, front and rear	$750 to $12,000	4 to 60
Delamination repair, sidewall, roof, slide face	$1,500 to $20,000	10 to 100
Aluminum skin and sidewall replacement	$2,500 to $25,000	16 to 120
Front and rear cap replacement	$4,500 to $25,000	30 to 120

Roof

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Roof recoat and reseal	$750 to $4,500	4 to 20
Roof membrane replacement, EPDM, TPO, fiberglass	$3,500 to $18,000	20 to 80
Camper roof repair, reseal and full replacement	$500 to $14,000	3 to 70
Roof vent and fan replacement	$250 to $1,200	1 to 5
Skylight repair and replacement	$350 to $2,500	1 to 10
Water damage restoration and subfloor replacement	$750 to $15,000	4 to 60

Slides and awnings

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Slide out mechanism service	$500 to $8,500	3 to 35
Slide out seal replacement, wiper, bulb, D seal	$400 to $3,000	2 to 14
Slide out topper replacement	$450 to $1,800	3 to 8
Slide room rebuild and structural repair	$1,500 to $7,500	10 to 35
Awning fabric replacement	$400 to $2,500	2 to 10
Awning arm and motor replacement	$500 to $3,500	3 to 14

Leveling, suspension, chassis

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Leveling system service	$350 to $6,500	2 to 25
Air bag suspension repair	$500 to $4,500	2 to 18
Chassis lube and basic service	$300 to $1,200	1 to 5
Trailer suspension service, leaf, torsion, air ride	$400 to $6,500	2 to 25
Axle service and replacement	$500 to $5,500	3 to 22
Electric, surge and hydraulic brake service	$300 to $5,500	1 to 22
Brake service, pad, rotor, caliper	$350 to $2,500	1 to 10
Wheel bearing repack and hub service	$250 to $1,200	1 to 5
Tire mount, balance and replacement	$250 to $1,500	1 to 6

Interior

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Full interior remodel	$1,500 to $50,000	20 to 250
Camper interior renovation and remodel	$1,500 to $35,000	15 to 150
Furniture replacement, theater seats, sofas, dinettes	$750 to $8,500	4 to 25
Cabinetry repair, refacing and custom build	$500 to $7,500	4 to 35
Flooring replacement, LVT, vinyl, carpet, tile	$750 to $9,500	6 to 40
Headliner and wall panel repair and replacement	$500 to $5,500	3 to 22
Countertop repair and replacement	$500 to $7,500	4 to 35

Electrical and power

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
House battery replacement, AGM, lithium, LiFePO4	$500 to $5,500	2 to 10
Inverter and charger replacement	$750 to $4,500	3 to 14
Generator service and repair	$400 to $8,500	2 to 35
Transfer switch and shore power diagnostics	$285 to $1,500	1 to 6
Solar panel installation, rigid and flexible, MPPT	$1,500 to $12,000	8 to 40
12V and 110V electrical diagnostics and repair	$285 to $5,000	1 to 20
Starlink and satellite antenna installation	$400 to $2,500	2 to 10
Backup and side camera installation	$400 to $2,500	2 to 10
TV, antenna and satellite service	$300 to $3,500	1 to 14
LED lighting upgrades, interior and exterior	$250 to $2,500	1 to 10
Lighting and wiring diagnostics	$285 to $2,500	1 to 10
7 way and 4 way connector repair	$200 to $800	1 to 4

LP, heating, cooling

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
LP gas system service and leak repair	$285 to $2,500	1 to 10
LP, smoke and CO detector replacement	$200 to $600	1 to 3
Furnace service and repair	$350 to $2,500	2 to 10
Water heater service	$350 to $4,500	1 to 18
AquaHot and hydronic heat system service	$750 to $8,500	3 to 35
AC replacement, hard start and soft start install	$750 to $4,500	2 to 14
Ventilation system repair and upgrade	$300 to $3,500	1 to 14

Appliances

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Refrigerator service	$400 to $4,500	1 to 18
Cooktop, range and microwave replacement	$350 to $2,500	1 to 10
Washer and dryer install and service	$400 to $2,500	2 to 10

Plumbing and tanks

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Fresh water plumbing service and repair	$285 to $4,500	1 to 18
Black and gray tank repair and replacement	$750 to $8,500	5 to 35
Macerator and sewer pump replacement	$400 to $1,800	2 to 8
Toilet replacement	$300 to $1,500	1 to 6
Shower, tub and pan replacement	$750 to $5,500	4 to 25
Faucet and fixture replacement	$200 to $800	1 to 4

Glass, doors, steps

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
RV windshield replacement, one and two piece	$2,500 to $7,500	6 to 18
Window and frame reseal and replacement	$250 to $3,500	1 to 14
Entry, baggage and compartment door repair	$400 to $4,500	2 to 20
Compartment and baggage door repair and replacement	$200 to $1,800	1 to 10
Step replacement	$400 to $2,000	2 to 8
Sliding door repair, track, roller, latch, power	$400 to $3,500	2 to 14
Rear barn door service and latch repair	$300 to $2,500	1 to 10
Roll up and swing door service	$400 to $4,500	2 to 18
Cargo door, ramp door and roll up door service	$400 to $5,500	2 to 22

Trailer and towing

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Tongue, coupler and safety chain repair	$250 to $1,500	1 to 6
Hitch, coupler, gooseneck and fifth wheel service	$400 to $5,500	2 to 22
Hitch receiver and weight distribution install	$400 to $2,500	2 to 10
Tow hitch and 7 way wiring install	$500 to $2,500	2 to 10
Leveling jack service, manual, electric, hydraulic	$300 to $4,500	1 to 18

Trailer structure

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Floor repair and replacement, wood, aluminum, steel deck	$500 to $9,500	4 to 40
Wall and roof skin replacement	$1,000 to $15,000	8 to 60
E track, D ring and tie down installation	$250 to $2,500	1 to 10
Interior build out and conversion	$2,500 to $50,000	20 to 250
Rust treatment and anti corrosion coating	$400 to $3,500	2 to 14

Van and fleet upfit

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Custom van build out, camper, mobile office, mobile medical	$5,000 to $80,000	40 to 400
Cargo shelving and racking install	$750 to $7,500	4 to 30
Bulkhead and partition install	$400 to $2,500	2 to 10
Cargo floor and liner install	$400 to $4,500	2 to 18
Insulation and sound deadening	$750 to $4,500	4 to 20
Window install, side, rear, sliding	$400 to $3,500	2 to 14
12V electrical, auxiliary battery and inverter system	$750 to $7,500	4 to 30
Auxiliary heat augmentation	$1,500 to $5,500	8 to 22
Roof rack and ladder install	$400 to $3,500	2 to 14
Step, side bar and running board install	$400 to $2,500	2 to 10
Roof reinforcement and solar roof rack install	$750 to $6,500	4 to 30

Commercial body

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Box and cargo body repair, aluminum and composite	$750 to $15,000	5 to 80
Reefer and insulated box skin and liner repair	$1,000 to $18,000	8 to 80
Lift gate install and repair	$1,500 to $8,500	8 to 35
Service body and utility body install	$2,500 to $15,000	15 to 60
Toolbox and crane body install	$1,500 to $10,000	10 to 40
Headache rack and cab guard install	$750 to $3,500	4 to 14
Fifth wheel plate install	$1,500 to $5,500	8 to 22
Light bar, strobe and emergency lighting install	$400 to $3,500	2 to 14
Reflective tape and compliance marking	$250 to $1,200	1 to 6
Bedliner and box liner spray in	$500 to $1,800	3 to 7
Mud flap and fender flare install	$200 to $800	1 to 4
Tow hitch, pintle and gooseneck install	$500 to $3,500	2 to 14

Inspection and maintenance

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Pre purchase inspection, full RV systems walk and written report	$400 to $1,200	3 to 6
Camper pre purchase inspection	$300 to $900	2 to 4
Trailer pre purchase inspection	$250 to $800	2 to 4
Van pre purchase inspection	$285 to $800	2 to 4
Cosmetic and structural body inspection	$250 to $600	1 to 3
Annual maintenance service	$400 to $2,500	3 to 10
Trailer annual maintenance service	$300 to $1,500	2 to 6
Winterization and de winterization	$250 to $750	1 to 4

Detail

Operation	Ballpark range	Labor hours
Full interior and exterior detail	$500 to $2,000	5 to 21
HVAC, vent and insulation install	$750 to $7,500	4 to 30

Every figure above is a starting range for planning, not a quotation. The number that binds is the written estimate against your vehicle, and on insurance work, the approved estimate against your claim.

Because the vehicles are not standardized and the damage is not visible. Those two facts drive nearly every pricing question in this trade.

A passenger car body shop can quote a bumper cover with confidence because the part number is known, the labor time is in a database, and there are ten thousand identical vehicles. None of that holds here. A laminated sidewall is an assembly of exterior skin, adhesive, foam or block insulation, framing and interior panel, bonded as a unit. A dent in the skin might be a four hour repair or it might be the visible corner of a two hundred hour delamination. Nobody can tell from the outside, which is why teardown authorization exists and why a supplement is the normal shape of a structural file rather than an exception.

The second driver is access. On a coach, repairing an interior surface frequently means removing cabinetry, wall panels, wiring runs and sometimes furniture, then putting all of it back. That remove and install time is real, it is often larger than the repair itself, and it varies enormously by floor plan. Two coaches with identical damage and different interiors are two different estimates.

The third driver is parts. A current model slide motor ships in two days. A discontinued one may not exist, at which point the honest options are adaptation, fabrication or a used unit with no history, and each of those is a different number and a different calendar. See how the work moves through the shop for where each of these decisions lands in the sequence.

Three steps, and you can do all three before you ever call.

1. Find the operations. Pick every line in the ballpark table that describes what your vehicle needs. Most real jobs are two to five operations, not one. A rear corner impact is collision repair plus fiberglass cap repair plus paint blending plus, frequently, a slide seal.
2. Use the hours, not the dollars. Take the hour range for each operation, decide honestly whether your vehicle sits at the low, middle or high end of it, and multiply by the rate for that category: $210 body and paint, $260 mechanical and electrical, $285 diagnostics, $95 detail.
3. Add materials, parts and tax. Add $55 for every paint hour and $5 for every body hour, add $45 if chemicals, refrigerant or LP are involved, add your parts with the correct markup tier, then apply 7.75 percent to the parts and materials only.

That arithmetic will land you inside the range of a real estimate on most jobs, and it will tell you immediately whether you are looking at a deductible sized repair or a claim sized one. It will not catch concealed damage, because nothing catches concealed damage from the outside.

When you want the real number, bring the vehicle in. A collision estimate carries no charge, a systems evaluation is $150 applied as a credit, and either one produces a written document with the hours, the parts and the materials broken out. Request a quote and bring your declarations page if a carrier is involved.