Brake job estimate template for mobile mechanics
A brake job is a call you will quote again and again. This page gives you a fill-in estimate for front or rear pads and rotors, one axle at a time, plus a filled-in example so you can see how the lines add up. Copy it, print it, or build the same thing in GarageSolo.
The template (copy this)
Your business: name, phone, email
Estimate number and date:
Customer: name, phone, email
Vehicle: year, make, model, engine, VIN, odometer
Where the work happens: street address of the driveway or lot
What the customer told you: (noise, pulsation, pedal feel, warning light, how long it has been going on)
What you measured:
- Front pads: ___ mm left, ___ mm right
- Rear pads: ___ mm left, ___ mm right
- Front rotors: ___ mm measured, ___ mm minimum (cast on the rotor)
- Rear rotors: ___ mm measured, ___ mm minimum
- Brake fluid: condition and level
- Calipers and slides: free or sticking
- Hoses and lines: leaks or cracks
Line items (one axle per job, each part its own line):
| Type | Description | Qty or hours | Rate or unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Replace pads and rotors, ___ axle | ___ h | $___ /h | $___ |
| Part | Brake pad set, ___ axle | 1 | $___ | $___ |
| Part | Brake rotor, ___ axle | 2 | $___ | $___ |
| Part | Pad hardware kit | 1 | $___ | $___ |
| Part | Brake cleaner and shop supplies | 1 | $___ | $___ |
| Fee | Mobile service call | 1 | $___ | $___ |
Subtotal: $___
Tax: $___ (on the lines your state taxes)
Total: $___
Not included, quoted separately if needed: calipers, brake hoses, fluid flush, the other axle.
Customer OK to proceed: name, date
Published labor times for a brake job
Times other publishers state, read in October 2026. They differ by vehicle, access and who is counting, so check them against the labor guide you already use.
| Job | What each publisher states | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Brake pads, one axle | Jerry: 0.8 to 1.5 hours. YourMechanic: 1 to 2 hours for a mobile mechanic | 2 |
| Brake pads plus rotors, one axle | Jerry: 1.5 to 3 hours | Single source |
| Brake caliper | Jerry: 1 to 3 hours for an average caliper | Single source |
A filled-in example
These are example numbers. The hour and a half of labor is the low end of the published pads plus rotors time above. Your labor guide, your parts store and your rate decide the real ones. The $100 per hour sits in the most common shop labor rate band, $100 to $119, in a 2025 PartsTech survey reported by Ratchet+Wrench. The $40 service call sits inside the $25 to $75 trip fees EC Mobile Auto Services reports for California mobile mechanics.
Front pads and rotors on a four-cylinder sedan, one axle:
| Type | Description | Qty or hours | Rate or unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Replace pads and rotors, front axle | 1.5 h | $100 per hour | $150 |
| Part | Ceramic brake pad set, front | 1 | $55 | $55 |
| Part | Brake rotor, front | 2 | $62 | $124 |
| Part | Pad hardware kit, front | 1 | $11 | $11 |
| Part | Brake cleaner and shop supplies | 1 | $10 | $10 |
| Fee | Mobile service call | 1 | $40 | $40 |
Subtotal $390. Tax at an example 7% on the parts lines ($200) is $14. Total $404.
How to price each line
Labor. Look up the book time for the exact year, make, model and axle, then multiply by your hourly rate. Quote per axle. A customer who hears “front brakes” and then gets a bill for four wheels may not call you again.
Rotors. Resurfacing needs a brake lathe or an on-car tool, so a mobile brake job often means new rotors. Put them on their own line so the customer sees why the number is higher than the pads-alone quote they found online.
Parts markup. Write the price you charge, not your cost. Decide your markup once and use it on every job, so two customers with the same car get the same number.
The service call. Driving to the customer is part of the job. Give it its own line with a name the customer understands, like Mobile service call, and an amount you set ahead of time.
Measurements. Write the pad and rotor numbers on the estimate. When the rear pads are at 4 mm and you are doing the fronts today, the customer sees it in writing and the next job is already half sold.
Add-ons. A sticking caliper or a soft hose is a separate line the customer can say yes or no to. Never fold it into the brake job price.
Build it in GarageSolo instead of on paper
The same estimate, in the app you already have in your pocket:
- Start a job with the customer and the vehicle.
- Add a labor line: hours times your rate.
- Put each part on its own line: quantity times price.
- The service call goes on a fee line, named the way you name it.
- Mark which lines are taxable. The app adds the subtotal, the tax and the total.
- Turn the screen around: that’s your quote, line by line.
- Back in range, share the estimate link. The customer approves it there, with no login, or declines it.
You can write up the estimate with zero bars in the driveway. It saves on your phone and syncs when you are back in range. Sharing the link needs a signal.
When the work is done, create the invoice from the same job, with the same lines, and email it to the customer.
The Free plan has no card and no time limit, with 5 invoices a month.
Brake job estimate questions
Should I quote brakes per axle or for the whole car?
Per axle. Customers often come in for one end of the car. Quote each axle as its own job, and write the other axle’s measurements under Not included.
How many labor hours is a brake job?
Published times for pads plus rotors on one axle run 1.5 to 3 hours (Jerry, a single source). Pads alone run 0.8 to 1.5 hours (Jerry) or 1 to 2 hours for a mobile mechanic (YourMechanic). Use your labor guide’s time for the exact year, make and model.
What if the customer brings their own parts?
Write the estimate with labor and the service call, and note on it that the customer supplied the parts. Leave the parts lines off.
Can I charge for coming out to look at the car?
Yes. Put the service call on the estimate as its own line, so it is in writing before you start.
Related: mechanic estimate templates by job and the mobile mechanic invoice template.