Eight hours of labor, with the job held constant
- Columbus, OH1,041.84
- 50-metro median reference1,180.92
- San Francisco, CA1,566.16
Finding 01
The same repair can leave you with a different bill
An eight-hour repair would cost $1,041.84 in labor at our modeled rate for Columbus, compared with $1,566.16 in San Francisco. That's 50.3% more for the same hours of work, before parts. The hourly rates behind that comparison are $130.23 and $195.77.
These are modeled prices, not bills collected from repair shops. We used eight hours so you can see the effect of location on one fixed job. Eight hours isn't an average repair time, and this example doesn't refer to a particular broken part.
That difference matters when you're shopping for coverage. If a plan's labor allowance is below your shop's rate, you could owe the gap even on an approved repair. Check limits on labor hours, parts and the total claim payment too.
Finding 02
Use a local quote when you can get one
The middle of our 50-city range is $147.62 per hour, or $1,180.92 for eight hours using the unrounded rate. Each city has equal weight in that calculation. It isn't a national average based on population, vehicle numbers or shop visits.
For your own decision, a written estimate from your usual shop is more useful than the rate for the nearest big city. Specialists, equipment and the work involved can change the price even between shops a few miles apart.
We haven't compared dealer and independent-shop prices here. Our dealer rates use a fixed markup, so that comparison would only repeat an assumption in the model.
Finding 03
Check what the plan pays your shop
Ask the provider two questions: what's the highest hourly labor rate the plan pays, and how many hours would it approve for the repair? Compare those answers with your shop's estimate. Your share of the bill could be more than the deductible.
Next, compare the full plan price plus the deductible with the part of a repair bill the plan would actually cover. Our calculator helps you do that for one claim. It doesn't predict whether you'll need the repair.
When local labor is expensive, check how much of the rate the contract will pay. High repair costs alone don't make every warranty a good deal. If the plan leaves you paying a large shortfall, compare another plan or keep a repair fund. With a fund, any money you don't spend stays yours.
Behind the numbers
How we worked it out
- Sort all included metros by modeled independent-shop midpoint, keeping ties in source order.
- Multiply each midpoint by eight. Exclude parts, diagnostics outside those hours, taxes, fees and model-specific calibration.
- Average the two central rates for the median. Round only final currency amounts, not intermediate arithmetic.
- Inputs are confidence-C modeling assumptions. This is reproducible scenario analysis, not new shop-price collection.
What these figures can't tell you
- The metro sample is not nationally representative.
- No failure rate, contract coverage or expected saving is inferred.
- Vehicle-specific repair estimates use additional calibration, deliberately excluded here.
The download has 50 data rows plus a header, generated from the same inputs as this page. Dates and units are listed in the columns or sources below. A blank field means the information wasn't available.
CSV column definitions
metrostateslugmodeled_independent_hourly_mid_usdfixed_labor_hoursmodeled_labor_only_usdevidence_type
Configuration counts measure matched source rows, not unique trims or VINs. Issue counts measure sitemap routes, not independent failures.
Sources and corrections
- Labor inputs and confidence definitions · source or review date 2026-09-04
First published 2026-09-04; wording updated September 5, 2026. The figures are unchanged. If you spot a problem, email me@autowarranty.autos with the page, data row and a source we can check.
Our calculations and explanatory charts may be cited with a link to this report. Underlying data retains its source terms. Download availability is not a grant of third-party content rights.