Auto repair franchise costs

Auto franchises cover general repair shops, tire and brake centers, quick oil change bays, collision and paint shops, glass repair and mobile services that fix dents, scratches and windshields in the customer’s driveway. The shop brands need a building with service bays and lifts; the mobile brands need a van and tools, and cost a fraction as much.

Demand follows the age of cars on the road, which keeps rising, and repair is hard to put off, so the industry holds up in downturns. The constraint is technicians: shops compete for a limited pool of trained mechanics. Quick oil change brands, also on the oil change list, need fewer skilled technicians and run on speed.

What an auto repair franchise costs

Across the 53 brands on the auto repair list, the typical cost to open runs from $224K at the low end of each brand’s estimate to $534K at the high end. The low end is a small location in a cheaper market with little build-out; the high end a large site in an expensive one. Of these brands, 34 start at $250K or less and 12 at $100K or less.

Where the money goes

Each franchisor itemizes its cost to open. Grouping the lines for the 44 auto repair brands with a full breakdown shows what a typical budget pays for, as an average share of the high estimate, with the typical amount.

Equipment is a larger share of the cost here than in most franchises: lifts, diagnostic computers, tire machines, alignment racks, paint booths for collision brands and pits for oil change bays. The building comes next, and brands that build a new free-standing shop cost far more than ones that convert an existing garage. Many brands welcome conversions of independent shops at a lower fee.

Cheapest and most expensive auto repair franchises

The cheapest auto repair brands with at least 20 US locations, by the low end of the cost to open. Use the full range on each brand’s page for budgeting, not the low end alone.

Fees and royalties

The typical auto repair brand charges a franchise fee of $40K, a royalty of 6% of sales and 1.5% to a marketing fund. Another 13 brands charge a flat or tiered royalty instead of a single percentage. Royalties and marketing come off sales before rent, staff or loan payments, so on a $1.14M year they cost about $85K. The fees and royalties guide compares industries.

What auto repair franchise locations sell

Of the auto repair brands, 25 publish a comparable yearly sales figure per location. The typical one is $1.14M, above the $797K typical across all brands.

Shop sales depend on bays and technicians: how many cars a day each bay turns and how much each repair order brings in. Ask owners about car count, average repair order and parts margins, and how long it took a new shop to build a base of returning customers.

Which auto repair franchises are growing

Of the 28 auto repair brands with three years of figures, 14 added US locations from 2023 to 2025 and 11 shrank. The typical brand with 20 or more locations changed by −2.8%, against +3.8% across all franchises.

The brands that lost the most locations were LINE-X (289), Tire Pros (128) and Car-X (48). The fastest-growing franchises ranking covers every industry.

Who runs an auto repair franchise

Of the auto repair brands whose agreements are clear, 38 let a trained manager run the business day to day and 14 require the owner to. Initial training typically runs 92 hours, against 71 across all brands. The typical brand loses 4.4% of its franchised locations a year to closures, terminations and non-renewals. On the SBA Franchise Directory are 30 of the 53 brands, so SBA-backed loans are available for them.

Best auto repair franchises to own

These auto repair brands pass all five tests on the best franchises to own ranking: they grew, lost no more owners than is typical, publish earnings figures, are on the SBA directory and had 100 or more US locations three years ago.

Before you buy an auto repair franchise

Ask how the brand helps you hire and train technicians, and what technicians earn locally. Check whether the franchisor or its suppliers set parts prices, and what national fleet or warranty programs send work your way. For a conversion, ask what the brand requires you to change and what the lower fee saves after rebranding costs.

Mobile auto brands are among the cheapest franchises to open; the home-based franchises guide lists those that need no premises.