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How to start a mobile mechanic business

Register the business, check whether your state requires a repair shop registration (California and Florida, for example, register anyone who repairs cars for pay), get garage liability insurance, and build a van around the jobs you'll offer. Price from your costs, and give every customer a written estimate, get their approval before you start, and hand over an itemized invoice.

Step by step

  1. Business setup: pick a structure (sole proprietor or LLC), get an EIN, a local business license and a sales tax permit if your state taxes parts.
  2. State registration: in California the Bureau of Automotive Repair registers automotive repair dealers, including mobile ones; Florida registers motor vehicle repair shops through FDACS; some cities license them too. Put the number on your paperwork. See auto repair laws by state.
  3. Certifications: ASE certifications aren't legally required for general repair, but they build trust. You need EPA Section 609 certification to service vehicle A/C.
  4. Insurance: garage liability, garagekeepers if you drive customers' cars, commercial auto for the van, and tools coverage. See auto repair shop insurance.
  5. Van and tools: start with what your core jobs need: a good scan tool, jacks and stands, battery tester, brake tools, a compressor or cordless impacts. Buy specialty tools as jobs pay for them.
  6. Choose your jobs: brakes, batteries, starters and alternators, diagnostics, fluid services, sensors and pre-purchase inspections work well in a driveway. Leave transmissions and heavy engine work to shops.
  7. Pricing: set a labor rate that covers your van, fuel, travel time and tools, plus a trip or call-out fee if you want one. See mechanic labor rate.
  8. Paperwork: estimate, approval, invoice and a parts warranty statement for every job.

Rules to know

  • Where you can work: some cities, HOAs and apartment complexes restrict repairs in driveways or parking lots. Ask the customer to check, especially for longer jobs.
  • Fluids and parts: take used oil, coolant and batteries to a recycler; don't drain fluids onto the ground.
  • Approvals: state repair laws on estimates and added-work authorization apply to mobile work too.

Getting customers

  • A Google Business Profile with your service area and real job photos.
  • Fleet accounts: landscapers, contractors and delivery businesses that lose money every hour a vehicle is in a shop.
  • Reviews: ask every happy customer the same day.

Your shop's paperwork, on your phone. WrenchTicket makes the estimate, the repair order and the invoice for each job, with your state's fields. Pro adds approval links the customer signs on their phone, VIN history and your logo, for $15 a month.

See it for mobile mechanics

Questions

Do I need a license to be a mobile mechanic?

Most states don't license individual mechanics, but you still need a business license, and some states, such as California and Florida, require repair shop registration.

How much does it cost to start?

It depends mostly on the van and tools you already own. Many mechanics start with their own tools and a used van, and add equipment as jobs grow.

Should I charge a trip fee?

Many mobile mechanics do, or set a minimum job charge. Put it on the estimate so it's agreed before you drive out.

Checked October 31, 2026. General information; registration and local rules vary by state and city.

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Pro keeps every job, customer and vehicle (with VIN history), sends approval links your customers sign on their phone, and puts your logo on every estimate and invoice. $15 a month. Leave your email and we'll tell you when it opens.