Standard labour time
book time · flat rate time · labour time · SRT
Standard labour time is the normalised duration assigned to a repair operation, published by the vehicle manufacturer or a technical reference system, and used as the basis for pricing labour. It is a defensible calculation convention, not a measurement of time actually spent.
Director of publication : Florian Précigout
Its value is that it makes a quote explainable. A time drawn from a published standard can be justified to a customer, an insurer or an assessor; an estimated time gets negotiated. Same logic as catalogue pricing on the parts side: a shared basis beats an appreciation, however fair.
Divergence from reality is normal and expected. Corrosion, seized fasteners, restricted access, a modified vehicle: the standard describes the job under standard conditions, which the workshop does not always meet. A good quote plans how to handle that gap rather than pretending it does not exist.
For a distributor, understanding labour standards helps explain workshop decisions: on a long job, labour cost dwarfs the part, and the trade-off is made on part reliability rather than part price.
The trap
Comparing two quotes on the parts price alone. On a heavy job, a thirty-euro difference on the part is invisible next to an extra hour of labour caused by a more awkward refit.
Frequently asked
Is standard labour time negotiable?
The standard itself is not, and that is the point. What gets discussed is the hourly rate applied and how unforeseen conditions found during the job are handled.
Where do standard labour times come from?
From manufacturers for their own networks, and from independent technical reference systems for the aftermarket. Coverage varies by make and model year.