Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Projected key-to-key cycle time
11.4
Revenue per in-shop day
$455
Non-productive days in cycle
7.4
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How to use this
- 1Enter estimated repair hours (hrs).
- 2Enter touch-time ratio (actual work vs elapsed) (%).
- 3Enter shop-available hours per day (hrs).
- 4Enter total repair order value ($).
- 5Read your projected key-to-key cycle time on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Cycle time — key-to-key days from drop-off to delivery — is the single biggest lever on collision shop throughput and DRP (direct repair program) scorecard standing, because a car sitting an extra two days isn't just slow, it's occupying a stall that could be turning another repair order. This calculator converts estimated repair hours and your shop's touch-time ratio (actual hours worked versus total days in shop) into projected cycle time, then computes revenue per in-shop day so you can compare jobs and see which ones are actually profitable on a throughput basis versus which ones tie up a stall for weeks on parts delays or supplement approval waits.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Estimated repair hours: 32 hrs
- Touch-time ratio (actual work vs elapsed): 35 %
- Shop-available hours per day: 8 hrs
- Total repair order value: 5200 $
Results
- Projected key-to-key cycle time: 11.4
- Revenue per in-shop day: $455
- Non-productive days in cycle: 7.4
What each field means
Inputs
- Estimated repair hours (hrs)
- The estimated repair hours used in the calculation, measured in hrs. Starts at 32 hrs so you have a working example on load.
- Touch-time ratio (actual work vs elapsed) (%)
- The touch-time ratio (actual work vs elapsed) used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 35 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–100 %.
- Shop-available hours per day (hrs)
- The shop-available hours per day used in the calculation, measured in hrs. Starts at 8 hrs so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–24 hrs.
- Total repair order value ($)
- The total repair order value used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 5200 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Projected key-to-key cycle time
- Returned as a decimal number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Revenue per in-shop day
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Non-productive days in cycle
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What's a good touch-time ratio?
Top-performing shops run 30-45% touch time. That sounds low, but it accounts for teardown-to-supplement-approval waits, paint booth queue, and parts staging that are normal parts of the process, not just idle mismanagement — 100% touch time is neither realistic nor the goal.
How does DRP scorecard cycle time relate to this number?
Insurance DRP scorecards typically measure the same key-to-key concept but average it across all repairs in a period. This calculator lets you model a single job before it's scheduled, so you can flag jobs likely to blow your scorecard average before they happen, like ones with rare parts on backorder.
What's the fastest way to cut cycle time?
Attack the touch-time ratio, not repair hours. Pre-ordering parts before teardown, same-day supplement submission with photo documentation, and blueprinting the repair upfront routinely cut 20-30% off cycle time without touching actual labor hours.
Why does revenue per in-shop day matter more than RO size?
A $9,000 RO that sits in the shop for 20 days ties up a stall producing $450/day, while a $4,000 RO done efficiently in 6 days produces $667/day. Prioritizing stall throughput over ticket size often improves monthly shop revenue more than chasing bigger repair orders.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Body Shop Cycle Time Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/body-shop-cycle-time
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/body-shop-cycle-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Body Shop Cycle Time Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Body Shop Cycle Time Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/body-shop-cycle-time) (2026).