Garages report rise in labour rates and invoice values
23 January 2025 
Average labour rates increased by 2.5% in 2024 and invoice values grew by over 5%, according to business performance data based on more than one million independent garage transactions.
Garage Hive, whose real-time data platform Garage Industry Trends tracks a range of metrics, announced the figures yesterday — hailing the million-plus transactions registered as a significant milestone for the service.
Garage Industry Trends tracks average invoice value, future bookings, labour rates, net promoter score and shows demand for repairs and maintenance by vehicle age and fuel type.
More than 175 workshops have shared anonymised data through 1,010,000 transactions since Garage Industry Trends launched in September 2022.
The data shows that average labour rates last year rose from £74.04 in January to £75.87 by December. Scotland currently boasts the highest average labour rate at £82.04, followed by £77.66 and £69.43 in England and Wales respectively.
Average invoice values last year rose from £285 to £300. Garage Hive said diesel vehicles continued to command the highest average invoice values, with a 2024 average of £342.61, significantly outpacing EV’s at £227.84.
‘Valuable benchmarks’
However, when broken down by vehicle age, a more complex picture emerges, Garage Hive said.
For vehicles registered within the last five years, diesel leads with an average invoice value of £357.48, while EVs are notably lower at £186.69. In contrast, for vehicles older than five years, EVs take the lead, averaging £342.43 per invoice, with petrol vehicles at the bottom at £254.64.
Garage Hive director Alex Lindley (pictured above, inset) said: “We now have over two years of data from Garage Hive workshops that have voluntarily shared their business metrics to benefit the industry.
“This freely available data from Garage Industry Trends provides valuable benchmarks, helping owners and managers evaluate their performance and make informed decisions.”
Lindley said: “These figures suggest that EV ownership is notably cost-effective during the first five years of ownership but becomes more expensive as vehicles age. It will be fascinating to track how these trends evolve over time.”
Alongside opted-in Garage Hive workshop data, ‘MOT Data Trends’ additionally analyses 250 million lines of DVSA MOT data.
It played a pivotal role in the government’s January 2024 decision to retain the UK’s 3-1-1 MOT testing regime, aiding the Institute of the Motor Industry in crafting an evidence-based response during the consultation, Garage Hive said. The outcome was a major victory for road safety and the motor industry.
Garage Industry Trends is free to access and available for use by all independent garages.