How Much Small Engine Repair Owners Can Make With an $80k Pay Target
A small engine repair business owner can plan around an $80,000 annual owner-pay target only if the shop produces enough gross profit after parts, vehicle costs, payroll, rent, and marketing In the researched first-year assumptions, variable costs equal 25% of revenue, fixed overhead is $4,925 per month, marketing is $12,000 per year, and non-owner payroll is $72,500 Here’s the quick math: covering non-owner costs plus $80,000 owner pay needs about $298,000 in annual revenue before taxes, reserves, debt, or extra profit That is a planning threshold, not guaranteed take-home
Owner income$80kNet margin75%Revenue for target pay$298kBusiness difficultyHard
Want to see the main income drivers?
1
Billable Volume
9 mo
More repair jobs are the fastest path to breakeven, since the model reaches breakeven in Month 9 and fixed payroll keeps running.
2
Labor Rate
$238/$102/$400
Year 1 labor tickets are about $238 for diagnostic, $102 for maintenance, and $400 for fleet, so small price changes move income fast.
3
Parts Margin
75%
Year 1 contribution margin is about 75%, so parts control and job-ready inventory decide how much cash stays after variable costs.
4
Service Mix
80/30/5
The service allocation percentages overlap, not sum, so the mix between repair, maintenance, and fleet work changes utilization and margin.
5
Overhead Load
$4,925
Monthly fixed overhead is $4,925, so every dollar of extra gross profit helps cover the shop before owner pay.
6
Tech Output
$152.5K
Year 1 payroll is $152,500, and getting each technician productive faster raises take-home more than adding admin burden.
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Owner income calculator
Estimate owner take-home and the target-pay gap from revenue, margin, costs, reserves, and target pay.
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Planning note: Research-based planning estimate only. It is not guaranteed salary, tax advice, or owner distribution advice.
Want to check owner income in Small Engine Repair?
Yes, Small Engine Repair can be profitable if repair volume covers payroll, parts, vehicle costs, marketing, and fixed overhead before owner draws; see What Is The Most Important Indicator Of Success For Small-Engine-Repair?. Here’s the quick math: Year 1 break-even before owner pay is about $191,000 in revenue, while adding an $80,000 owner-pay target raises the hurdle to about $298,000.
Profit math
$72,500 non-owner payroll
$59,100 fixed overhead
$12,000 marketing spend
75% contribution margin
Operating tradeoffs
Owner-operated keeps more labor margin
Owner capacity caps revenue growth
Staffed shops can scale faster
Payroll risk rises with slower volume
What costs reduce small engine repair profit margin the most?
Payroll is the biggest margin killer in Small Engine Repair, with Year 1 payroll at $152,500 and Year 5 at $310,500. If you’re sizing startup spend, see How Much Does It Cost To Open And Launch Your Small-Engine-Repair Business? Parts and consumables take 18% of Year 1 revenue, vehicle and processing costs add 7%, and fixed overhead runs $4,925 a month. Here’s the quick math: every extra $10,000 of fixed cost needs about $13,333 of revenue at a 75% contribution margin.
Biggest cost drains
Payroll drives the biggest fixed risk.
Year 1 payroll: $152,500.
Year 5 payroll: $310,500.
Fixed overhead: $4,925 per month.
Margin pressure points
Parts and consumables use 18% of revenue.
Vehicle and processing add 7%.
Marketing starts at $12,000.
Customer acquisition cost is $60.
How do solo, mobile, and staffed small engine repair models change owner income?
A solo owner-technician keeps the most labor margin, but income is capped by billable hours and admin time. In the Year 1 case, the staffing mix is $80,000 for the owner/lead technician, $55,000 for one technician, and $17,500 for a half-time admin. A mobile model can reduce storefront needs only if local rules allow it, but it still carries a $55,000 van, 5% vehicle operating costs, and $500 monthly fleet insurance.
Solo income
More labor margin stays with owner
Billable hours cap earnings
Admin time cuts service time
Half-time admin costs $17,500
Mobile and staffed
Mobile work may skip storefront costs
Only if local rules allow it
Adds a $55,000 service van
Underused technicians cut take-home fast
Key Takeaways
Billable jobs and hours drive revenue before costs.
Pricing gains add up fast across billable hours.
Parts margin and inventory speed shape cash flow.
Fixed overhead and payroll decide owner take-home.
Compare lean, base, and high-volume owner-income scenarios without guessing demand
Owner income scenarios
Income shifts fast here because repair volume is not given, staffing steps up over time, and margins depend on the mix of diagnostic, maintenance, fleet, and parts work.
Compare lean, base, and expanded owner income paths.
Scenario
Low CaseLow case
Base CaseBase case
High CaseUpside case
Launch model
This is the lower earnings path, with thin volume and a mostly owner-operated setup.
This is the modeled path, with enough volume to support the Year 1 staffing plan.
This is the stronger earnings path, where added volume supports a bigger crew and higher owner income.
Typical setup
The shop relies on the owner and light help, with lower payroll, slower job flow, and no added technicians.
The shop carries Year 1 payroll of $152,500, $4,925 monthly fixed overhead, and a starter mix with $102 maintenance, $23,750 diagnostic, and $400 fleet labor tickets.
The shop scales to Year 5 payroll of $310,500, adds Technician 2, a marketing coordinator, and Technician 3, and sells more fleet work.
Cost drivers
owner-led labor
lighter payroll
slower job volume
fixed shop overhead
$12,000 marketing budget
Year 1 payroll of $152,500
75% Year 1 contribution margin
$4,925 monthly fixed overhead
$12,000 marketing budget
$80,000 target owner pay
Year 5 payroll of $310,500
more technicians
fleet contract growth
$45,000 marketing budget
lower CAC
Owner income rangeBefore owner reserves
-$31,000Lean case
$187,000 - $354,000Base case
$692,000 - $1,106,000Upside case
Best fit
Use this to test cash stress if repair volume stays soft and staffing stays lean.
Use this as the core planning case for budgeting, hiring, and owner pay.
Use this to test the upside if demand, hiring, and fleet contracts all scale well.
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Planning note: These scenario ranges are researched planning assumptions, not guaranteed earnings, salary promises, tax advice, or distributions.
Small Engine Repair Core Six Income Drivers
Billable Repair Volume
Billable Repair Volume
Completed jobs and billable hours set revenue before costs. In Year 1, the model shows diagnostic work at $23,750 in labor revenue per job, preventative maintenance at $102, and fleet work at $400 based on hours and rates. More volume lifts cash and owner pay, but only if the shop can finish work fast enough to avoid idle bays and lost approvals.
One slow job can cost two sales. If turnaround slips, the shop still has to handle parts ordering, pickup, calls, and warranty comebacks while the bay is tied up. Spring and summer mower demand can fill capacity, but delays can push customers toward replacement instead of repair, which cuts labor revenue and weakens gross margin.
Track Billable Hours per Bay
Measure completed jobs, billable hours, and turnaround time together. A full schedule only helps if work closes cleanly and the next job starts on time. Watch how many hours get lost to callbacks, parts waits, and pickup delays, because those hours do not pay the owner.
Use a simple weekly check: jobs opened, jobs closed, average days in shop, and callback count. More volume is good only when capacity matches demand. If summer demand spikes, add same-day triage, faster parts ordering, and clear customer updates so repair jobs keep moving instead of turning into replacements.
Track billable hours by job type.
Watch days from drop-off to pickup.
Flag warranty comebacks fast.
Test capacity before peak season.
Overhead Structure
Overhead Structure
Overhead is the cost wall between gross profit and owner pay. This shop’s fixed overhead is $4,925/month, made up of $3,000 rent, $400 insurance, $300 utilities, $200 software, $150 admin supplies, $500 fleet insurance, $300 professional services, and $75 marketing tools.
Vehicle operating costs add 5% of Year 1 revenue, so travel and shop costs can move owner draw fast. If monthly gross profit does not clear this base load, the owner gets paid last, and slow months or job delays hit cash flow right away.
Control Fixed Costs
Track overhead as a percent of gross profit, not just sales. The quick test is gross profit minus $4,925 fixed overhead, then subtract the 5% vehicle cost slice. That tells you what is left for taxes, debt service, and owner pay.
Review rent, fleet insurance, software, and professional fees before adding headcount or more space. Don’t count home-based savings unless zoning and insurance really allow it. If a cost does not cut jobs, lift throughput, or reduce callbacks, it needs a hard cap.
Parts Markup and Availability
Parts Margin and Stock
Parts revenue helps, but it is not the same as parts profit. Here’s the quick math: on $10,000 of replacement parts sales, inventory cost is $1,500 in Year 1 and $1,200 by Year 5, so gross profit improves from $8,500 to $8,800. Consumables are tighter still, with cost falling from 3% to 2%.
Common items are carburetors, belts, blades, filters, spark plugs, and pull cords. Better availability shortens turnaround and helps close repairs, but slow special orders can stall labor revenue and trap cash in stock. The owner’s income rises when parts move fast enough to keep jobs flowing and warranty rework low.
Track Margin by Part
Measure parts by category, not as one blended line. Track the parts attach rate (the share of jobs that need parts), gross margin by part type, stockouts, and special-order delays. If a part is always available, the repair finishes faster; if it sits on the shelf, it only lowers cash and can drag down owner pay.
Job count.
Average parts per job.
Parts mix by category.
Special-order lead time.
Inventory cost rate.
Use job count, average parts per job, and category mix to forecast cash needs. Price stocked items so the markup covers shrink, ordering time, and stale inventory risk. When the mix shifts toward faster-moving filters and spark plugs, cash turns faster; when it shifts to slow carburetors, the margin may look fine while working capital gets stuck.
Average Ticket and Labor Rate
Average Ticket and Labor Rate
This driver is the price per job and per hour, including diagnostic fees, hourly labor, minimum charges, and package pricing. In this model, diagnostic repair rises from $95 to $110, preventative maintenance from $85 to $95, and fleet contracts from $80 to $90. A $5 rate increase on 100 billable hours adds $500 of revenue before variable costs.
It matters because higher ticket value lifts gross profit without adding new jobs, but pricing still has to match the equipment value. A low-cost mower may get replaced instead of repaired if the quote feels too high, so the owner needs prices that cover labor and still close the sale. The key inputs are job mix, billable hours, diagnostic fees, and approval rate.
Track Price by Job Type
Measure average invoice by repair, maintenance, and fleet work, then compare it to close rate. If quotes rise but approvals drop, the higher ticket may be hurting revenue, not helping it. Watch whether the $110 diagnostic repair price still converts on equipment worth fixing.
Track billable hours weekly.
Test price by service type.
Set minimum charges first.
Price by equipment value.
Watch quote-to-close rate.
Use package pricing to lift the average ticket on routine service, while keeping one-line diagnostics clear and easy to approve. The owner’s take-home pay improves when each billed hour brings in more cash, because fixed overhead stays the same. That extra margin helps cover shop costs and leaves more profit for owner draw.
Service Mix and Seasonality
Service Mix and Seasonality
Seasonality changes when cash comes in, not just how much. In the model, diagnostic and repair falls from 80% to 60%, preventative maintenance rises from 30% to 60%, and fleet contracts climb from 5% to 30%. Parts attach stays at 90%, so labor mix and parts pull-through both shape owner income.
Warm months can lift mower work, but slow months can squeeze draws if the shop relies on one peak. Snowblower service, chainsaws, generators, and commercial fleets can smooth that gap. The key input is monthly utilization: more steady billable hours mean steadier gross profit and a more reliable owner pay schedule.
Track monthly mix, not just total sales
Forecast by month with job count, service mix, parts attach, and billable hours. If mower jobs dominate spring and summer, line up maintenance plans and fleet work before the slow season starts. That lowers cash swings and makes owner draw less dependent on one busy stretch.
Job count by month
Parts attach at 90%
Fleet hours in slow months
Measure each service line on its own: labor revenue, parts revenue, and monthly utilization. Keep common parts available on belts, blades, filters, spark plugs, carburetors, and pull cords so jobs finish faster. Faster turnaround helps protect cash timing, which is what keeps owner pay stable.
Technician Productivity and Owner Role
Technician Productivity
The owner-as-technician drives revenue and quality, but only when time stays billable. In Year 1, payroll is $152,500 for the owner, one technician, and half-time admin, so every hour lost to calls, scheduling, or rework cuts the cash left for owner pay.
By Year 5, payroll rises to $310,500, or about $25,875 a month, up $158,000 from Year 1. Hiring only helps if demand, parts, and supervision are ready; otherwise underused labor, training time, and comeback work raise sales but shrink profit.
Protect Billable Hours
Track billable hours per paid hour, rework rate, and admin time by role. That tells you whether payroll is buying repairs or just busy work. One clean rule: if new hires don’t add more billable work than they cost, owner income drops.
Log billable vs. non-billable time.
Track comeback jobs by technician.
Match hires to booked demand.
Keep parts on hand before dispatch.
Watch the gap between scheduled work and completed work. If parts delays or weak supervision slow jobs, the owner ends up paying wages for idle time. The fix is simple: staff to demand, not hope, and keep the owner on the highest-value repair work.
