Repair shops buy fluid gear, body equipment and parts long before customers pick up their cars. This page puts invented figures on three of those costs.
At a glance
- Automotive repair and maintenance (NAICS 8111), Morton County, ND
25 employer establishments (CBP 2023)
- Paid employees at those shops, Morton County, ND
101 (CBP 2023)
- ZIP 58554 automotive repair employers
24 establishments (ZBP 2023)
- Repair shops without paid employees, Morton County, ND
34, with $1.9 million in receipts (NES 2024)
Oil Drains and a Coolant Flush Cart on One Request: A Repair Shop Plan in Mandan, ND
Fluid service is steady work for a general repair shop, and it runs on rolling equipment: oil drains on stands, a coolant flush cart and sealed caddies that carry used fluid to storage. None of it is attached to the building, so it can be financed as equipment.
Illustration only, invented figures: a two-bay shop prices four oil drains, a coolant flush cart and two fluid caddies at $7,914 and asks for 36 monthly payments at an 11.36% annual rate through equipment financing. The invented shop would pay $260.45 a month; its 36 invented payments add to $9,376.20, which is $1,462.20 of invented interest over the cash price.
A partner may ask for the quote, the serial numbers once the gear arrives and a few months of bank statements.
A Frame Machine and Measuring System for a Body Repair Bay
Body shops that straighten unibody damage need a frame machine with pulling towers and a measuring system that checks the car against factory points. It is one of the larger equipment costs in an auto repair business.
Illustration only, invented figures: the machine, towers, clamps and measuring system come to $43,780, financed over 60 months at a 9.47% annual rate. That invented loan carries a monthly payment of $918.82, and the 60 invented payments total $55,129.20, and the invented interest is $11,349.20.
- The machine, towers and measuring system: equipment, tied to the purchase
- Anchoring the machine to the floor, any slab work and wiring: property work outside this site
- Training on the measuring software: an operating cost, paid from cash or a line
- A used machine: a partner may ask for its age, condition and a seller's invoice
Budgeting Parts Room Stock at a Morton County, ND Repair Shop
A shop that keeps filters, belts, brake pads and common sensors on its own shelves can start a job without waiting on a parts run, but the money sits in the parts room until the repair order is paid. Remanufactured diesel parts add core charges to that money, as the diesel and light-truck bays post shows.
Illustration only, invented figures: a shop restocks $9,145 of parts with a line draw at a 13.92% annual rate and repays it 34 days later as those parts go out on paid repair orders. Simple daily interest on that invented draw is $118.58.
If the parts room keeps growing, a partner may look at how long parts sit before they are used. Old stock that never moves is cash the shop cannot draw on.
Tire Storage Racks and Technician Pay While a Fleet Account Pays Late
Shops that service vehicles for local companies may invoice those accounts monthly, while technicians are paid every week or two. Freestanding tire storage racks for those accounts' tires are equipment; the payroll gap is a different cost.
- Freestanding tire racks and wheel dollies: equipment, or cash if the cost is small
- Technician pay while a monthly account invoice is outstanding: working capital sized to the gap
- A larger, longer project, such as several pieces of bay equipment at once: a term loan may suit
- Racks bolted to walls or a mezzanine: property work outside this site
A partner may ask for the invoices to the accounts and how many days they take to pay.
Which Repair Shop Cost Points to Which Product
| Cost | Product it points to | What a partner may ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Oil drains, flush carts, a frame machine | Equipment financing | The quote and, later, serial numbers |
| Filters, belts, pads and sensors on the shelf | A short line draw | Parts invoices and repair order totals |
| Technician pay while an account invoice is open | Working capital | The open invoices and payroll records |
| Several bay machines bought together | A term loan | Quotes for each machine and bank statements |
Some Mandan, ND shops may find exceptions to some rows. A shop with steady card sales may also see advance offers; those are collected from daily card receipts and are worth pricing against a loan before signing anything. A funding partner reviews each request on the shop's own records and decides what, if anything, it will offer.
Repair Shop Staff, Wages and Owner-Run Garages in Morton County, ND
Automotive repair and maintenance employers in Morton County had 101 paid employees in 2023 and paid $5.1 million in wages that year (County Business Patterns 2023), spread across 25 employer establishments.
ZIP 58554 addresses held 24 automotive repair and maintenance employers (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023).
Nonemployer Statistics counted 34 repair businesses without paid employees in the county in 2024, with $1.9 million in receipts. That is a separate program and year, so the figure stands next to the employer count. For the county as a whole, see the Mandan, ND page; body shops and general garages share a note with plants on the industries page.
By Thistlepine Capital · Updated