Transmission Repair Cost Calculator
Compare repair, rebuild and replacement against the half-the-cost decision rule.
OpenBRAKE JOB COST CALCULATOR
Brakes are the job a shop quotes most and argues about most, because “a brake job” means four different jobs at four different prices. Pick which one you are actually doing below, and the sheet returns a range rather than a false precision.
BRAKE ESTIMATE
Per axle basis
Parts bands are published ranges, so the total is a range too. That is honest — a quote is not.
| Line | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Labor, 1.8 hr | $252.00 | $252.00 |
| Parts cost | $242.00 | $502.00 |
| Parts sell at 55% GP | $537.78 | $1,115.56 |
| Job total | $789.78 | $1,367.56 |
Quote as
a range, then confirm on teardown
Estimated total
$790–$1,368
Four jobs wearing one name
| Job | Book hours | When it is the right call |
|---|---|---|
| Pads only, one axle | 1.2 | Rotors above discard thickness and true |
| Pads and rotors, one axle | 1.8 | Rotors under spec, scored, or pulsing |
| All four corners | 3.6 | Both axles at or near the wear line |
| Any of the above + fluid | +0.8 | Fluid past its interval or moisture-tested wet |
Measure before you quote. A rotor that is 0.4 mm above discard is not a rotor you reuse on a car that will come back in eight months, and a rotor 2 mm above it is not one you sell.
Pad material is a real choice, not an upsell
Organic pads are quiet and cheap and wear fast. Semi-metallic bite harder, tolerate heat and dust the wheels. Ceramic sit in between on price, run clean and are the default on most passenger cars for a reason. The bands are $25–$60 per axle, $45–$120 per axle and $80–$220 per axle — a spread of maybe $160 on a job, which is worth explaining rather than deciding silently.
Checking the total against the published band
A pads-and-rotors axle at a $140 door rate should land inside $300–$650 per axle with rotors. If your number is well above it, the usual causes are a rate that is too high for your market, a parts matrix set too aggressively at the $75–$400 tier, or book hours padded past what a labor guide supports. The brake pad cost guide explains what drives the band.
Turning it into paperwork
Move the lines onto the estimate calculator to add supplies and tax, record the measurements on the repair order, and if the customer declines the rear axle, write that down. A fluid flush is the cheapest thing on the ticket and the one most often skipped.
PUBLISHED BRAKE BANDS
- Pads only, per axle
- $150–$300 per axle, pads only
- Pads + rotors, per axle
- $300–$650 per axle with rotors
- All four corners
- $600–$1,200 for all four corners
- Organic pads
- $25–$60 per axle
- Semi-metallic pads
- $45–$120 per axle
- Ceramic pads
- $80–$220 per axle
- Fluid flush
- $100–$160 at most shops
RELATED
Diagnostic Fee Calculator
Diagnostic hours times your rate, with the credit-to-repair policy spelled out.
OpenBrake Pad Replacement Cost
Pad material bands, per-axle pricing, and when the rotors join the job.
OpenSOURCES
Each line is where a figure on this page came from and the date it was read.
| Figure | Source | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Pads-only and pads-with-rotors per-axle bands, all-four total | ConsumerAffairs — Cost to Replace Brake Pads and Rotors | |
| Pad material price bands by friction type | Direct Brakes — Brake Pad Replacement Cost 2026 | |
| Default door rate | Tekmetric — Average Auto Repair Labor Rates by State | |
| Brake fluid flush band | CARFAX — Brake Fluid Change Cost |