Frequently asked questions

Each job has a standard labour time – how long a trained mechanic normally needs. We multiply that by a fair hourly rate for your area and add the cost of good-quality parts for your size of car.

The result is one fixed price that includes parts, labour, travel to you and disposal of old parts. Because mechanics only pay us £5 per completed job, there's no large commission built into what you pay.

Book a diagnostic inspection. A mechanic will read the fault codes, test the car and explain what's needed. You'll then get a fixed price for the repair, and you can choose whether to go ahead.

Most jobs can be booked from the next day. This gives your mechanic time to order the right parts for your car. Mechanics work 7 days a week between 8am and 8pm, and you choose a two-hour arrival window.

Sign in, go to My bookings and open the booking. You can move it to a new date or cancel it.

Changes and cancellations are free up to 24 hours before your slot. After that, a small fee may apply to cover the mechanic's lost time. See our cancellation policy for the details.

Not through MyLocalMechanic. Your mechanic supplies the parts so they can guarantee the whole job for 12 months. If we can't stand behind the parts, we can't stand behind the work.

When you book, we place a hold on your card for the quoted amount. Nothing leaves your account yet.

When the mechanic finishes, you'll get a message asking you to check and approve the work in your account. Your card is charged once you approve. If you cancel in time, the hold is released.

They'll show you what they've found and explain why it matters. Any extra work gets its own fixed price and only goes ahead if you agree. You're never charged for work you didn't approve.

If you're unhappy with a job, contact us before you approve it, or within 14 days of it being completed. We'll look into it with the mechanic. If a refund is due it goes back to the card you paid with, usually within 5–10 working days.

Mobile mechanics can work on a driveway, outside your home or at your workplace, as long as it's safe, legal and reasonably level. Let us know about parking restrictions in your booking notes. A few bigger jobs need a workshop; we'll tell you before you book.

You need to be there at the start to hand over the keys, and at the end so the mechanic can show you what they did. You don't need to wait with the car while they work.

Your mechanic will call ahead if they're delayed. If you haven't heard anything within 30 minutes of the end of your window, contact us and we'll chase it for you.

Parts fitted and labour carried out through a MyLocalMechanic booking are guaranteed for 12 months. If a part fails or the work wasn't done properly, the mechanic will put it right at no cost to you. See the guarantee page for exclusions.

Tell us through the contact form or by replying to your booking email. Include your booking reference and photos if you have them. We aim to reply within one working day.

Nothing to join and no monthly fee. When you complete a job, we charge a flat £5 booking fee. Card processing is passed through at cost (roughly 1.5% + 20p on UK cards). There is no commission on the job value.

Set your coverage area, the jobs you do and the days you work in your profile. When a customer books a job that fits, it appears on your dashboard and we email you. The first suitable mechanic to accept gets the job.

The customer's card is held at booking and charged when they approve your work. Once card payouts are live, money goes to your bank via our payment partner with the £5 fee and card processing taken off. Until then, you're paid directly by the customer and we invoice the £5 fees monthly.

We ask for proof of your qualifications (for example NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent), at least 3 years' hands-on experience, public liability insurance and motor trade insurance. We check them before you can accept jobs.