# How much do make at a paint and body shop?



## Ese Caqui (Dec 17, 2004)

I got an opportunity at a good size shop here in Albuquerque. I've never worked at a shop but i've been doing paint and body on and off for 15 years. I've been doing it out of my garage full time for about a year but I fucken hate dealing with customers. 
Anyways I have no idea how much people make at a shop


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## KAKALAK (Mar 11, 2005)

Sanders here get 8 bucks
Bodywork people get 12
And painters get 15-20


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## Ese Caqui (Dec 17, 2004)

Cool. I stopped by the shop and a few weeks ago and start tomorrow. I'm gonna be bouncing from the paint shop to the body shop


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## Dado (Nov 24, 2010)

I get 19.60 a flag hr for body
23 for frame and mechanical.. been at the same shop 8 yrs next month in Colorado its a dealership shop not an independent though so there is some bullshit you gotta put up with but thats everywhere, cant complain about the money and they pay for all my training and certifications and have sent me to houston and Wisconsin for my audi and Mercedes training


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## 74Olds98SLAB (Mar 21, 2004)

dealership bodyshop here, we make $21.50hr flag time so no work, no money, lots of work, lots of money...frame and mechanical depends on the insurance companies but is usually around $32hr

if its slow like what were dealing with you can make as little as $20,000 a yr, when its busy and you can sling work out you can make $75,000easy

our painters also make $21.50hr flag


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## Ese Caqui (Dec 17, 2004)

What do you guys mean by flag?


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## STR8RIDA (Nov 1, 2007)

flag hours = the hours on the estimate
if a job is estimated at 10 hours, you get paid 10 hours for it. No matter if it takes you 7 hours or 15 hours, you get paid 10 hours.


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## Ese Caqui (Dec 17, 2004)

STR8RIDA said:


> flag hours = the hours on the estimate
> if a job is estimated at 10 hours, you get paid 10 hours for it. No matter if it takes you 7 hours or 15 hours, you get paid 10 hours.


Gotcha. Thanks


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## 74Olds98SLAB (Mar 21, 2004)

yep, thats why i love flood cars, takes me less than 2 hours for the whole job, there is a wait time letting the carpet dry after cleaning it but actual work times and i make between 8-12hrs unless it has more work like airbag moduals replacing.

you also work with the insurance estimater...tell him you want 5 hours to fix a dent, he tells you approved or hows 3.5 sound. you agree, fix it in 30 minutes and relax

like i said when work is slow, no money, but when you have work its great

this year is shitty slow for us, the painters however make an easy 70-80hrs every single week


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## divine69impala (May 27, 2011)

Does that mean you guys don't get paid if there's no work or slow??


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## STR8RIDA (Nov 1, 2007)

Yes sir , no work no monies. 
I do think that here in WA we are guaranteed minimum wage, but I have never been close to that slow.


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## Dado (Nov 24, 2010)

we can collect minimum wage if we had too but i never have either...im usually good for 80/85 hrs a week sometimes more sometimes less...havent been up over 250 in a pay period in a couple years though we have like 12 or 13 other body techs, too many mouths to feed:happysad:


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## 74Olds98SLAB (Mar 21, 2004)

no minimum wage, if you dont have work you make nothing...the owners of our dealership are jewish i beleive so they aint paying anymore than they have to...thats how i got on comission, they told me i made too much money as a porter and i had to take a major pay cut or get on comission, so i said fuck it and went to bodywork, then they got pissed cuz noone would clean up.

i knickle and dime them for every single thing i do now


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## Dado (Nov 24, 2010)

74Olds98SLAB said:


> no minimum wage, if you dont have work you make nothing...the owners of our dealership are jewish i beleive so they aint paying anymore than they have to...thats how i got on comission, they told me i made too much money as a porter and i had to take a major pay cut or get on comission, so i said fuck it and went to bodywork, then they got pissed cuz noone would clean up.
> 
> i knickle and dime them for every single thing i do now


supplement sheets:thumbsup:


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## 74Olds98SLAB (Mar 21, 2004)

the way these dick insurance companies write, yea theres plenty suplements, they try screwing us on everything...they tried telling us they dont pay for mechanical, which is exhaust, suspension a battery ect...we just keep telling them and not working on the car then the owners get pissed at the insurance company and they finally pay...

like i said, I knickle and dime them and the company i work for for every single thing or it doesnt get done.


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## divine69impala (May 27, 2011)

Damn, my buddy works at a shop, for over 12 years now. He makes a hourly rate and works 40 plus a week. If its slow, he still gets paid the same rate per hour he is there. I never knew it was like that in the auto body trade.


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## 74Olds98SLAB (Mar 21, 2004)

yep, the only problem with hourly rate is you could do 80 hours of work in a 40 hour week and only get paid for 40 hours....the other downside is when it gets too slow for a long period of time, no shop is going to pay you to do nothing so then the lay ppl off.

i can make a check in 2 days and fuck off the rest of the week, seriously since my boss is cool. i show up late everyday, take a long lunch and leave early...but thats cuz i get shit done, correct and fast...way its slow though i spend a ton of time sitting in the a/c waiting on work


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## divine69impala (May 27, 2011)

74Olds98SLAB said:


> yep, the only problem with hourly rate is you could do 80 hours of work in a 40 hour week and only get paid for 40 hours....the other downside is when it gets too slow for a long period of time, no shop is going to pay you to do nothing so then the lay ppl off.
> 
> i can make a check in 2 days and fuck off the rest of the week, seriously since my boss is cool. i show up late everyday, take a long lunch and leave early...but thats cuz i get shit done, correct and fast...way its slow though i spend a ton of time sitting in the a/c waiting on work[/QUOTE
> How about benefits and retirement, how does that work?? I rather make less and have that.


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## 74Olds98SLAB (Mar 21, 2004)

thats another issue...i have health insurance (not obama care) and dental...other than that be smart with your money or hit the lotto...our cheap ass dealership has 401k but doesnt match or contribute anything to it...no payed holidays...but the money is good when theres work and i basically work my own schedrule. 

its 4:20 now and im home, been home for 20 minutes, work ends at 5


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## lowdeville (Jul 24, 2004)

$20 an hour as a painter @ a dealership,flat rate,so(in an 8 hour day) 12-14 hrs average in summer,16-18 in winter months(sometimes more)everything over 8 hour day is paid time and a half,we're in a small town so it's 75% big trucks and suv's,our hours aren't as big as in large cities.
I bank my O.T now,just take as needed,works better for me,I spend less,and it's there when I want to buy something on impulse,or go somewhere for holidays.
Like others stated,come into work late,leave early,but I don't take coffee breaks or stand around smoking or B.S-ing,to be on flat rate you have to have really good work ethic,and time management skills,we have a 2 apprentices on straight time who I believe will never survive on flate rate as they take way too long to complete jobs,and stand around yakking or smoking.
$65-$85000 is easily attainable for a busy shop,not bad for a 8-5 mon-fri job.


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