Bookkeeping & Payroll for Auto Workshops & Mechanics

Mechanics, auto electricians and automotive technicians are covered by the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award 2020, which sets minimum wages and conditions. Rates vary by skill level: Level 1 (apprentices), Level 2 (qualified mechanics) and Level 3 (senior/supervisory roles), with apprentices earning a percentage of the qualified rate that steps up each year of the apprenticeship. Award minimums are reviewed each year and rise from the first full pay period on or after 1 July (the 2026 review lifted modern award minimum wages by 4.75%), so confirm the current rate for each classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator. Ensure your payroll applies at least the award minimum for each mechanic's classification; if you pay above award rates, document this in writing.

Billable hours are the hours charged to customers for work performed. Paid hours are total hours paid to the mechanic (including breaks, meetings, admin). Calculate utilization: Billable Hours / Paid Hours. For example, if a mechanic is paid 40 hours and bills 32 hours of work, utilization is 80%. Target utilization is typically 75 to 85% (8 hours paid allows 1 to 2 hours for breaks, training, etc.). If utilization drops below 70%, investigate: is there insufficient work? Is the mechanic inefficient? Are jobs taking longer than estimated? Low utilization erodes profitability.

Job profitability = Labour Revenue + Parts Revenue less Labour Cost less Parts Cost less Allocated Overhead. Labour revenue is billable hours × labour rate charged to customer. Parts revenue is parts invoiced to customer. Labour cost is hours worked × mechanic hourly rate. Parts cost is the cost of parts consumed. Allocated overhead (rent, tools, insurance per unit of labour/parts). For example: Brake service billable at $120 labour + $80 parts revenue = $200. Labour cost: 1.5 hours × $40/hour = $60. Parts cost: $40. Allocated overhead per job: $30. Total cost = $130. Profit = $200, $130 = $70 (35% margin). Use job management software to track this per job.

Balance inventory investment against service delivery: stock too little and you can't complete jobs same-day; stock too much and capital is tied up in slow-moving parts. Categorise parts by demand: fast-moving core parts (brakes, filters, oils) keep higher stock levels; slow-moving specialised parts order as needed. Use the ABC method: A-items (high-value, high-demand) are tracked closely; B-items (moderate value/demand) are monitored; C-items (low-value, low-demand) are managed loosely. Implement a supplier ordering schedule (e.g., weekly orders to minimise stock on hand). Reconcile physical stock to GL records quarterly to identify shrinkage.

Generate invoices from the job management system that records billable labour hours and parts issued. Daily or weekly, compare: labour invoiced vs. labour recorded in timesheet, parts invoiced vs. parts issued from inventory. Discrepancies indicate: undercharging (mechanic worked more than billed), overcharging (mechanic billed more than worked), or inventory discrepancies (parts issued but not invoiced). Investigate and resolve discrepancies monthly. This process also identifies customer billing errors and inventory shrinkage.

An apprentice is a trainee learning the trade under supervision, typically over 3 to 4 years. Apprentice minimum wages are set as a percentage of the qualified rate that steps up with each year of the apprenticeship, take the current percentage and rate from the Fair Work Pay Calculator. An employee (qualified mechanic) is fully skilled and works independently. Both are award-covered and entitled to leave benefits. Apprentices must have a written training plan and spend time in formal training. Ensure your payroll applies the correct apprentice rate per the award. When an apprentice completes their apprenticeship, transition them to the qualified rate.

Warranty work (covered under manufacturer warranty) is unpaid labour, the workshop absorbs the cost but doesn't invoice the customer. Record warranty time separately in job management (as $0 billable revenue) so you can analyse warranty costs by vehicle make/model. This identifies if certain makes are warranty-heavy. Service recalls (e.g., manufacturer recall for a defect) may be compensated by the manufacturer at a fixed rate per job or may be unpaid. Track recall work separately. When calculating workshop profitability, separate paying work from warranty/recall work to see true labour productivity.

Keep records of: employee/apprentice name, address, employment dates; hours worked daily (timesheet); rates of pay and award classifications; amounts paid per pay cycle; leave accrued and taken; superannuation contributions; job labour and parts for costing purposes; parts purchase invoices and inventory records; customer invoices and payments; and warranty/recall work logs. Records must be kept for 7 years for Fair Work compliance and 5 years for ATO purposes. Fair Work may audit to verify award compliance. Poor records result in penalties even if you believe you paid correctly.

You must contribute the Superannuation Guarantee (12%) of ordinary time earnings (OTE) to eligible employees' super funds. OTE for mechanics includes their base wage and award allowances but typically excludes bonuses and overtime. Under payday super (from 1 July 2026), super is due with each pay run and must reach the fund within 7 business days of payday. Apprentices are also entitled to super on their OTE. If an employee nominates a preferred super fund, contribute to that fund; otherwise, use a default fund. Failure to pay super on time triggers superannuation guarantee charge interest and penalties.

Consolidate P&L by location monthly: revenue (labour + parts), labour cost, parts cost of goods sold, other operating costs, and gross margin per location. Calculate labour utilization (billable hours / paid hours) per location and average labour rate charged. Compare parts margin across locations. Benchmark against industry standards (labour margin typically 40 to 50%, parts margin 35 to 45%). Identify which locations outperform and which underperform. Investigate underperforming sites: is it low utilization, low pricing, or high operating costs? Use this data to improve performance at weaker locations.