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
Current recovery rate
77.2%
Fee per RO to fully recover cost
$8.42
Max fee allowed under state cap
$21.00
Monthly shortfall at current fee
$730
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter actual monthly consumable spend ($).
- 2Enter repair orders per month.
- 3Enter current average shop supplies fee per ro ($).
- 4Enter state cap on shop fee as % of labor (0 = none) (%).
- 5Enter average labor charge per ro ($).
- 6Read your current recovery rate on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Shop supplies fees — rags, degreaser, gloves, disposal, small fasteners, cleaning solvents — get set once and left alone for years while consumable costs quietly climb. This calculator compares what you actually spend monthly on shop consumables against what your fee structure is recovering across your repair order volume, so you can see whether your percentage cap or flat fee is keeping pace. Most states allow a shop supplies fee as a percentage of labor (commonly capped around 5-10%) or a flat per-RO amount; either way, the fee should track actual consumable spend, not just sit at whatever number was copied from a competitor's invoice years ago. Undercharging shop supplies is a silent margin leak because it's rarely reviewed the way labor and parts pricing is, and it compounds every single RO.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Actual monthly consumable spend: 3200 $
- Repair orders per month: 380
- Current average shop supplies fee per RO: 6.5 $
- State cap on shop fee as % of labor (0 = none): 10 %
- Average labor charge per RO: 210 $
Results
- Current recovery rate: 77.2%
- Fee per RO to fully recover cost: $8.42
- Max fee allowed under state cap: $21.00
- Monthly shortfall at current fee: $730
What each field means
Inputs
- Actual monthly consumable spend ($)
- The actual monthly consumable spend used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 3200 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Repair orders per month
- The repair orders per month used in the calculation. Starts at 380 so you have a working example on load.
- Current average shop supplies fee per RO ($)
- The current average shop supplies fee per ro used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 6.5 $ so you have a working example on load.
- State cap on shop fee as % of labor (0 = none) (%)
- The state cap on shop fee as % of labor (0 = none) used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 10 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
- Average labor charge per RO ($)
- The average labor charge per ro used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 210 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Current recovery rate
- Returned as a percentage and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Fee per RO to fully recover cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Max fee allowed under state cap
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Monthly shortfall at current fee
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Is a shop supplies fee legal everywhere?
Rules vary by state — many require it be disclosed as an estimate, capped as a percentage of labor, or itemized rather than a vague catch-all. Check your state's consumer protection or auto repair statute before setting or raising the fee; some states prohibit it outright on certain repair types.
What should be included in 'consumable' cost?
Shop rags, degreasers and cleaners, disposable gloves, small hardware not itemized on the RO, brake cleaner, penetrating oil, and disposal fees for absorbents. It should not include items you already bill separately, like disposal fees for oil or tires which usually have their own line item.
My fee is capped below what I actually spend — now what?
Build the shortfall into your labor rate instead of trying to exceed the legal cap. It's the same dollar recovered from the customer, just moved into a line item that isn't capped, and it keeps you compliant.
How often should this be reviewed?
Annually at minimum, or whenever a major consumable cost jumps — brake cleaner and nitrile glove prices moved significantly in recent years, and a fee set five years ago is very likely under-recovering today.
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). Shop Supplies Recovery Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/shop-supplies-recovery
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/shop-supplies-recovery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shop Supplies Recovery Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Shop Supplies Recovery Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/shop-supplies-recovery) (2026).