Cost guide
How Much Is an MOT?
The MOT test fee is capped by law, so the number you should worry about is not the test but the repairs behind a fail.
Car Repair and Servicing Cost Guides
What decides the price of the jobs people ask about most, why quotes differ, and how to get an honest one. No invented price ranges: the only figures we publish are the ones fixed by law or by us.
Search for the cost of almost any car repair and you get a national average that bears no relation to your car, your engine or the garage doing the work. These guides take the opposite approach. Each one explains what the job actually involves, which parts and how much labour drive the price, where the false economies are and what a good quote looks like, so that when you ring a garage, ours or anyone else's, you know what you are being quoted for. The only figures printed are the ones that are fixed: the DVSA maximum MOT fee of £54.85 for a car and our brake pads from around £60 per axle.
Open 7 daysMon-Sat 8-6, Sun 10-4
Quoted before workfree, by registration
3-month guaranteeor 3,000 miles on workmanship
Free parking100-106 Ber Street, NR1 3ES
Cost guide
How Much Does a Car Service Cost?
There is no single price for a service because there is no single service.
Cost guide
How Much Does Tyre Fitting Cost?
The tyre is most of the bill and its price is decided by size, speed rating and brand tier.
Cost guide
How Much Does Wheel Alignment Cost?
A front tracking adjustment and a full four-wheel geometry set-up are different jobs at different prices.
Cost guide
How Much Does an Air Con Regas Cost?
Two cars, two very different prices, and the reason is the gas.
Cost guide
How Much Does a Clutch Replacement Cost?
A clutch is mostly labour, and the labour depends on how the car is built.
Cost guide
How Much Does a Car Battery Cost?
The price of a battery is set by its type, and the type is set by your car.
Cost guide
How Much Does an Alternator Replacement Cost?
The alternator is one of those parts where the same job can be cheap on one car and expensive on the next.
Cost guide
How Much Does a Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost?
A wheel bearing is a small part with a wide price range, and the difference is almost entirely how your car's hub is built.
Cost guide
How Much Does a Head Gasket Repair Cost?
A head gasket is a cheap part behind one of the most expensive jobs on a car, and the real question is usually not what it costs but whether the car is worth it.
Cost guide
How Much Does a Cambelt Replacement Cost?
A cambelt change is the one big-ticket service item you cannot skip, and the price is decided by the engine, not the badge.
Cost guide
How Much Does Shock Absorber Replacement Cost?
Shock absorbers wear so gradually you stop noticing, until the MOT tester or a wet roundabout notices for you.
Cost guide
How Much Does Suspension Repair Cost?
"Suspension repair" covers everything from a ten-minute drop link to a full set of struts, which is why nobody can price a knock over the phone.
How to Read These Guides
Every guide follows the same shape: what the job is, what sets the price (parts tier, labour hours, what must be replaced alongside), the symptoms that mean you need it, the false economies, and how we quote it. For an exact figure for your car, call 07933 900901 with the registration; the quote is free and nothing is done without your approval.
Tyres, wheels and MOT
- How Much Is an MOT?: The MOT test fee is capped by law, so the number you should worry about is not the test but the repairs behind a fail. Here is the full picture, with the current figures.
- How Much Does Tyre Fitting Cost?: The tyre is most of the bill and its price is decided by size, speed rating and brand tier. Fitting should be a small, fixed part of it. Here is how to read a quote.
- How Much Does Wheel Alignment Cost?: A front tracking adjustment and a full four-wheel geometry set-up are different jobs at different prices. Knowing which your car needs is most of the answer.
Servicing and brakes
- How Much Does a Car Service Cost?: There is no single price for a service because there is no single service. Here is what moves the number, how the three levels differ, and how to get a quote that will not grow.
- How Much Do Brake Pads Cost?: Brake pads fitted from around £60 per axle at Ber Street. The bill goes up when the discs are worn too, and that is the thing worth understanding before you get a quote.
- How Much Does a Car Battery Cost?: The price of a battery is set by its type, and the type is set by your car. Stop-start cars need EFB or AGM batteries that cost more and must be coded to the vehicle.
- How Much Does an Air Con Regas Cost?: Two cars, two very different prices, and the reason is the gas. Cars built from around 2017 use R1234yf, which costs several times more than the R134a older cars use.
Good to know
Why do garages quote such different prices for the same job? Parts tier (genuine, OEM-quality or budget), the labour time on your particular engine, what is replaced alongside, and whether the quote includes everything or leaves things to be added later. Our guides explain each.
Bigger repairs
- How Much Does a Clutch Replacement Cost?: A clutch is mostly labour, and the labour depends on how the car is built. Add a dual mass flywheel and the bill can double. Here is how to understand a quote before you agree it.
- How Much Does a Cambelt Replacement Cost?: A cambelt change is the one big-ticket service item you cannot skip, and the price is decided by the engine, not the badge. Here is what goes into it, and what happens if you leave it.
- How Much Does a Head Gasket Repair Cost?: A head gasket is a cheap part behind one of the most expensive jobs on a car, and the real question is usually not what it costs but whether the car is worth it. Here is how to think it through.
- How Much Does an Alternator Replacement Cost?: The alternator is one of those parts where the same job can be cheap on one car and expensive on the next. Here is why, how to be sure it is the alternator at all, and how to get a quote you can trust.
- How Much Does a Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost?: A wheel bearing is a small part with a wide price range, and the difference is almost entirely how your car's hub is built. Here is what decides it and why leaving a droning bearing costs more.
- How Much Does Shock Absorber Replacement Cost?: Shock absorbers wear so gradually you stop noticing, until the MOT tester or a wet roundabout notices for you. Here is what a replacement involves, why it is done in pairs, and what decides the price.
- How Much Does Suspension Repair Cost?: "Suspension repair" covers everything from a ten-minute drop link to a full set of struts, which is why nobody can price a knock over the phone. Here is what the common jobs involve and what moves the price.
Why We Do Not Publish a Price List
Parts prices move weekly, the same job can be an hour on one engine and a day on another, and a price list that is right for one car is wrong for the next. What we can promise is that the quote is given before the work, itemised, and honoured; if something we find on the ramp changes it, we stop and call. See what decides a tyre price and what a service costs for the two questions we are asked most.
How It Works
Describe the symptom
Call or bring the car in. Diagnostic checks are priced before we plug in.
Diagnosed and quoted
We find the actual fault and quote the repair, itemised, before any work.
Repaired and guaranteed
OEM-quality parts, road tested, 3-month / 3,000-mile workmanship guarantee.
Get an Exact Quote
Call with the registration and the symptom. We look first, quote before any work, and nothing is done without your say so.
📞 07933 900901 Send an Enquiry ►Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 8:00am - 6:00pm
Sun: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Address:
100-106 Ber Street
Norwich NR1 3ES
Free parking on site
Get directions ›
Cost Guide Questions
Why do garages quote such different prices for the same job?
Parts tier (genuine, OEM-quality or budget), the labour time on your particular engine, what is replaced alongside, and whether the quote includes everything or leaves things to be added later. Our guides explain each.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. Quotes are free. A diagnostic check to find a fault is a chargeable job and we tell you the cost before we start.
Why are there no prices in these guides?
Because a price that is right for one car is wrong for the next, and we would rather quote your car exactly. The only fixed figures are the DVSA MOT fee cap and our brake pads from around £60 per axle.
Can I get a quote by phone?
Yes. Call 07933 900901 with the registration and the symptom or the job, and we quote it there and then or after a look on the ramp, whichever is honest.
Want a Real Number for Your Car?
Call 07933 900901 or visit us at 100-106 Ber Street, Norwich NR1 3ES. Open seven days a week with free parking on site.
Get a Free Quote