Frequently asked questions

Each job has a standard labour time – how long a trained technician 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 vehicle.

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

Book a diagnostic inspection. A mechanic will scan the fault codes, test the vehicle 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 vehicle. You choose a morning or afternoon arrival window on a day your mechanic is available. All times are Pacific Time.

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; confirm the parts and labour warranty with them before booking. If we can't stand behind the parts, we can't stand behind the work. (Winter tire changeovers are the exception – you supply the tires.)

On many BC highways, passenger vehicles must have winter tires (M+S or the mountain/snowflake symbol, with at least 3.5 mm of tread) from October 1 to April 30 – for some routes until March 31. Check the signs and DriveBC for your route. Our mechanics can swap your tires over at home so you're ready before the deadline.

Online card payments are not enabled yet. Confirm payment arrangements directly with your mechanic before the job.

When the mechanic finishes, you'll get a message asking you to check and approve the work in your account. Approve the finished work in your account and follow the payment arrangements agreed with your mechanic.

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 business days.

Prices are shown in Canadian dollars. How GST and PST apply to bookings is being confirmed with our accountant; until then, any tax a mechanic must charge is their responsibility and is shown on their invoice. We'll update this answer before payments go live.

Mobile mechanics can work in a driveway, carport, parking stall or outside your home or workplace, as long as it's safe, permitted and reasonably level. Let us know about strata rules, parking restrictions or underground parking in your booking notes. Prefer a garage? Choose "I'll bring it in" on the first step and drop your car at a local garage near you. Jobs that need a lift (clutch work, DPF cleans, EGR valves, out-of-province inspections and wheel alignments) are garage-only, and we'll switch you to drop-off automatically.

Choose "I'll bring it in", then pick a garage from the list (sorted by distance, with hours and amenities like key drop or courtesy shuttle) or let the nearest available garage take it. You choose a morning or afternoon drop-off window. Your confirmation email has the garage's full address and drop-off notes, and the garage calls you when the car is ready. You pay only after you approve the work.

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 vehicle 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.

Mobile mechanics work in most weather, but heavy snow, ice or unsafe conditions can mean a job is moved. If so, your mechanic or our team will contact you to agree a new time at no charge.

Confirm the mechanic's parts and labour warranty before booking. We do not currently promise a platform-wide warranty. Contact your mechanic and our support team if a repair concern arises.

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 business day.

Nothing to join and no monthly fee. When you complete a job, we charge a flat $5 CAD booking fee. Card processing is passed through at cost (roughly 2.9% + 30¢ on Canadian cards). There is no commission on the job value.

Set your base postal code, travel radius, 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. Customers can also pick you by name.

Online card payments are not enabled yet. Once card payouts are live, money goes to your Canadian bank account in CAD via our payment partner (Stripe), 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 trade qualification (for example a BC Automotive Service Technician certificate, Red Seal endorsement or equivalent), at least 3 years' hands-on experience, commercial general liability insurance and garage/automobile insurance appropriate to your work. We check them before you can accept jobs.

You're an independent business and responsible for your own GST registration and PST obligations. If you're registered, tell us your GST number in your profile notes. How tax is shown on platform receipts is being confirmed with an accountant.