Estimate v invoice total

Hello 911uk community, this is my first post here after lurking for some time... I've just had some extensive work done on my 996 at a reputable independent Porsche specialist. The service estimate was of the mid 4 figures (primarily suspension and brakes) which although seeming a little high, I went with due to their good reputation and to get it all done and out of the way in one go. During the works, it became apparent that due to corrosion, some items were taking longer than estimated to complete - having to cut out, drill, unseize old bolts etc etc - and they provided relevant pictures. Anyway, the work is now complete and the final bill has been provided, at significantly more than the estimate. Labour has gone from an estimated 22 hours to around 34. In your experience of using independent Porsche specialists, does this sound reasonable, is an estimate just that? Is it normal to get charged more for labour than the estimate when the work took longer than they thought? Grateful for any experience you may have of similar scenarios.

I would have thought that when they did the walk around the car they would have allowed for rust in their estimates. Having said that, Rust can be a rather tricky topic as what process works on one bolt may be insufficient on another. To put it into perspective, I swapped the exhaust in my car and what should have taken 3 hrs to do, but it took 1.5 days. But I'm no mechanic, far from it. More capable people most likely would have done it much quicker, but how much is a hypothetical. If they're a reputable Indy, and they documented the challenges, and kept you updated through the process, then I think you have to accept it and stomach the bill. It's like building a house really, you can project the cost of everything once the footings are in, but until you dig the holes, you don't know what you're going to find. Could be better, could be worse.

Depends on how they price things. If its for a job, then they should factor in things such as seized bolts etc. They have done hundreds of these, they know typically what they will come across and can give you an all included price for the job. However, if they charge by the hour, then the total will change depending upon how long things take. In my experience the indies I use are very good at estimating and usually are spot on with their figures. If they spend longer than they expected then usually a compromise is done - I pay for some of the extra hours and they cover the cost of some themselves. That way everyone is happy and they know I will go back to them again in the future. It was good though that they did keep you informed and show you pictures during the process rather than just present you with a bill at the end. Although they should have told you to expect it due to longer time things are taking etc.

...seems reasonable and transparent...I had my brake lines replaced and one of the 8 nipples was seized and snapped...Indy simply said this can happen and the repair bill belongs to me... The nuts and bolts on these are notoriously chocolatey

My previous mechanic gave me 2 estimates: best-case and worst-case. The worst case one was for things like rust, siezed bolts, drilling old crap out if needed etc. Basically all the unforseen things that you could find on a 20 year old car. Normally I planned finance around the worst-case. Mostly I was billed best-case

Seized bolts or not it shouldn't take them much longer as they have the best tools for the job and have delt with the problems before. A few hours more maybe but 12 hours extra is ridiculous.

I agree.

They are out of order on the face of it, by way of example I know Unit 11 would have already factored in the risk of time based on normal age realted factors such as these. Go on .... which indy is it as I know of one in particular which are famous for just this type of thing yet have a fantastic reputation :roll:

As are nuts and bolts on most 18 year old cars.

...very true...

...and watching the tonnes of Salt being applied to our roads at the moment you can appreciate why rust is such an issue for our cars...and is why my 996 will remain in the garage until warmer,drier days arrive...

Bloody annoying when that happens , but they can and do hit unexpected issues, I agree 12 hours seems excessive and a job that big really should have been identified as a potential problem at the time of estimate. I thought I would post a pic to bring a smile :grin: :grin: :grin:

Mid 4 figures to me says £5k. Is that what you mean?

Thanks for the opinions. I have queried the additional cost but they were pretty much of the opinion that they did all they could to keep costs down... I guess I shall have to suck it up - they have done very well out of the car as they undertook a full engine rebuild a couple of years ago. Hopefully with the amount of money sunk in to the car it should be pretty sorted now and there can't be much more that could go wrong - famous last words...!

If they didn't keep you posted, and inform you of some unexpected issues during the work, you might be able to have a word and get a reduction, but sometimes these things are just not predictable. And estimates are non-binding. You may need to just pay the bill. If you're happy, you'll go back, if not, you'll go elsewhere. It can take a while to find a good indy. With my other car, after one unhelpful experience with the dealer (a full price pre-MOT service and 'import inspection' that wasn't worth a penny, given the number of advisories at the MOT...), I went elsewhere. The next shop wasn't impressive, but the one after that was great. Until the service manager left. I'm now using two different outfits, one for routine stuff, the other for more specialist care.