Starter replacement estimate template for mobile mechanics
A car that clicks and won’t crank isn’t going anywhere, so the starter comes to you as a driveway job. This template walks the job from the first test to the last line, with a filled-in example so you can check your own math.
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: (single click, rapid clicking, no sound, grinding, starts sometimes)
What you tested:
- Battery: ___ volts resting, load test pass or fail
- Voltage at the starter during crank: ___ volts
- Starter signal wire: power when the key is turned, yes or no
- Battery cables and grounds: clean and tight, or corroded
- Flywheel or flexplate teeth: visible damage, yes or no
Line items:
| Type | Description | Qty or hours | Rate or unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Starting system test | ___ h | $___ per hour | $___ |
| Labor | Replace starter | ___ h | $___ per hour | $___ |
| Part | Starter, new or remanufactured | 1 | $___ | $___ |
| Part | Battery cable or terminal, if replaced | 1 | $___ | $___ |
| Fee | Mobile service call | 1 | $___ | $___ |
Subtotal: $___
Tax: $___ (on the lines your state taxes)
Total: $___
Not included, quoted separately if needed: battery, ignition switch, neutral safety switch, flywheel or flexplate.
Customer OK to proceed: name, date
Published labor times for a starter
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Starter, easy access | Jerry: 0.7 to 1.2 hours. CarParts.com: 1 to 2 hours | 2 |
| Starter, medium access | Jerry: 1.5 to 3 hours | Single source |
| Starter, hard access | Jerry: 3 to 6+ hours. CarParts.com: 3 to 4+ hours cramped or rusted | 2 |
A filled-in example
These are example numbers. One hour to replace an easy-access starter is inside both published ranges above. The half hour for the test is an example with no published time behind it. 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.
Remanufactured starter, easy access, cables and battery tested good:
| Type | Description | Qty or hours | Rate or unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Starting system test | 0.5 h | $100 per hour | $50 |
| Labor | Replace starter, easy access | 1 h | $100 per hour | $100 |
| Part | Remanufactured starter | 1 | $150 | $150 |
| Fee | Mobile service call | 1 | $40 | $40 |
Subtotal $340. Tax at an example 8% on the parts line ($150) is $12. Total $352.
How to price each line
Test before you quote. A weak battery, a bad ground or a corroded cable can look exactly like a dead starter. Put the test on the estimate as its own line, so the customer pays for the answer and not for a guess.
Labor. Starter times swing hard between vehicles. On some it’s two bolts from underneath; on others the intake comes off. Published times run from 0.7 hours on an easy layout to 6 hours or more when the starter is buried. Look up the book time for the exact year, make, model and engine.
Driveway conditions. A starter job means lying under the car. If the ground is gravel, mud or a steep driveway, say so on the estimate before you start, and price the time it really takes.
Cables and grounds. If a cable end is green with corrosion, quote it as its own line. Customers say yes more often when they can see the part and the price separately.
Bench test the old one. If you pull a starter that tests fine on the bench, stop and call the customer before you install the new one. Then write the change on the estimate.
Build it in GarageSolo instead of on paper
- Start a job with the customer and the vehicle.
- Add the test and the replacement as labor lines: hours times your rate.
- The starter and any cable go on part lines: 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.
Starter estimate questions
How many labor hours is a starter replacement?
Published times run 0.7 to 1.2 hours (Jerry) or 1 to 2 hours (CarParts.com) when the starter is easy to reach, and 3 to 6 hours or more (Jerry) or 3 to 4 hours or more (CarParts.com) when it is cramped, rusted or buried. Use your labor guide’s time for the exact vehicle.
What if the starter turns out to be fine?
That’s why the test is its own line. Charge for the test, fix what you found, and write a new estimate for that repair.
Should the estimate say new or remanufactured?
Yes. Write it on the part line, so the customer knows what went in their car.
Can I quote the battery on the same estimate?
You can, as its own line the customer can approve or turn down. A separate estimate for the battery also works, and keeps the starter job clear.
Related: mechanic estimate templates by job and the no-start diagnostic estimate template.