Before you start your auto repair business, you need to do your homework and work on the shop layout. While there are many things that determine the profitability of your auto repair shop like auto repair software, the layout can affect many key business functions.
To come up with a fantastic array of layouts, the best strategy is to get your hands on auto shop layout ideas. These ideas will pave the way for your eventual auto repair shop layout and carry you to success.
So without wasting any more time, let’s look at the top four auto repair shop layouts that we have hand-picked for you. It’s also worthwhile to explore some of the reasons why coming up with well-thought-out layouts is the need of the hour for your auto shop.
Reasons Why You Need An Auto Repair Shop Layout
Running an auto shop demands a lot of attention to detail to remain viable. This actually makes the layout of your automotive repair businesses quite important. The floor plan should be designed to provide the fastest turnover while still ensuring top-notch safety.
Additionally, your shop layout must provide for safe working conditions as well as optimal productivity and usefulness. With this in mind, it is evident that car repair shop design is a critical component in the success of the firm. After all, someone is entrusting their car to you, thus the arrangement of your room should reflect your abilities.
Auto repair shops also have heavy machinery and equipment lying around, which can cause injury to your auto mechanics. This is also one of the reasons why your auto shop needs a well-designed layout.
While you may be tempted to stick to a basic automotive shop layout, it won’t yield high returns. And who doesn’t want explosive returns on their investment?
However, you should also know that modern vehicle repair shop layouts can be fairly complicated. But terrifying as it may seem initially, it’s actually not that difficult if you know how to navigate the shop’s structure.
Top 4 Layout Ideas For Your Auto Shop
It’s time to dive into the top four auto business layout ideas for you. If you keep this in mind, you’re sure to come up with an effective layout that helps you hit all your business goals. Just like you built your auto repair shop business plan, you will have to come up with a layout.
1. Space Requirements
How you utilize your shop’s space is significantly influenced by the services you offer. With that in mind, there are a few things you should consider as a repair business when suggesting a plan.
Administrative Area: Management’s office space for administrative activities of your auto shop.
Loading Bays: Appropriate area for loading cars with enough clearances and extra room for guiding them in and out of the shop.
Storage: Repair businesses require heavy-duty machinery, tons of tools, and a vast inventory, all of which must be kept in designated areas. Proper storage rooms will be a need.
Waiting Room/Front Counter(s): A dedicated waiting area for customers is ideal during repairs. This place will function as your front counter(s) where consumers will check in and out for their service. The waiting room is also important for scheduling appointments, so make sure it is well-designed and welcoming. Ideally, your waiting room should also have internet access so your customers can stay engaged while waiting.
Your car repair shop floor design must account for the size of the equipment and the various sorts of spaces required.
With the right space allocation, you can even perform repairs on many vehicles in what might initially appear to be a small area. So if you’re beginning from scratch, it’s a good idea to figure out how much space you’ll need.
However, the usage of space isn’t the only component of your physical space to consider.
2. Necessary Professional and Safety Precautions
There are several blunders that people make while setting up their auto shop. Many of these errors can be costly to correct or result in decreased production. When drawing up your car repair business floor plan, here are some things to look out for:
- Overhead Space: Ductwork, ceiling height, and cranes can all impede a shop’s productivity. If feasible, search for areas with a double lofted ceiling.
- Door Width: Just because a car can fit through the door doesn’t imply it’s a good working area. Look for areas with the biggest door frame feasible.
- Fixtures for lighting: Low-hanging fixtures or insufficient illumination might make it difficult for a technician to work. Bright, out-of-the-way lighting is ideal for productivity.
Simple things might hamper your capacity to perform service on your clients’ automobiles if you do not have the proper shop layout.
Similarly, you also need to take safety precautions for your auto shop.
Everyone in the facility is kept secure by a well-designed layout. There is heavy equipment laying around, automobiles on lifts, the possibility of fires due to electrical and mechanical defects in vehicles, and many other possible concerns at a repair shop. Keeping this in mind, here are a few ideas for organizing your shop layout to improve safety:
- Precautions against fires: Fires can start when dealing with combustible chemicals, therefore keep them as far away from sparks and heat sources as possible, such as electrical outlets and heavy machinery. In addition, to meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, your company should have an adequate supply of well-maintained B fire extinguishers.
- Keep safety equipment nearby: To prevent accidents caused by laziness, establish areas for protective equipment near where technicians operate. Hangers near service bays can be used to store technicians’ overalls, gloves, and safety eyewear. Also, ensure that there is sufficient counter space for mechanics to perform their work safely.
- Consider an escape route: OSHA mandates that all workplaces have at least two unobstructed fire exits. Additionally, you should have an evacuation plan that your customers and workers are aware of.
- Reduce hazards: It is critical to restrict customer access to areas with heavy gear and to guarantee that all employees who work with such equipment are properly protected. This can assist in lowering vehicle repair business insurance liabilities and worker’s compensation claims.
3. Positioning Equipment For Productivity
In addition to enhancing the customer experience, most shops are smart enough to pay special attention to the place of equipment in their bays and storage area. Your auto shop will have a plethora of different equipment including transmission lifts, air compressors, fluid drain buckets and other tools.
All the right tools need to be easily accessible to your mechanics. Quick access to tools will create a seamless workflow.
Toyota’s Express Maintenance program is a great example for repair facilities to follow. This means parking automobiles near the service bay to decrease driving time. The program employs a “pit crew” method, in which teams of technicians examine and service parts on each car. Each mechanic is assigned a specific task, so while some work beneath the hood, others examine the wheels and brakes.
Following are some of the tasks that happen:
- Oil and filters, as well as other fluids, are changed.
- Tire rotation and inspection.
- Vehicle examination.
Because the necessary tools are located on three sides of the service bay, any issues that arise during maintenance are addressed swiftly. These bays are also located near each other to save time since industry experts recommend that each technician cover 1.5 of them.
This means that putting the tools close together (just like we do in our home garage) or in the right places in an auto shop can save a lot of time.
4. Business Aesthetics
Design aspects are less important in the overall performance of your car repair company, but the division of space and simple design elements like branded repair shop signage and flyers can assist in drawing in customers. You’ll also want to build a separate working area for employees and management in your auto shop.
A good area for management and workers is an important aspect of running an auto repair shop. Employees will require a location to store personal things throughout the workday, while management will require a location to conduct administrative activities such as payroll, ordering parts, arranging appointments, and marketing initiatives.
Almost every building you will find for your auto shop will have an awkward place that you can’t use without sacrificing the appearance of your shop. However, by putting doors to these locations, you can store repair equipment.
Similarly, a DIY hidden tool storage desk allows for easy access to tools. This helps to tidy and organize your shop while also saving time during repair operations because your personnel will not have to waste time looking for the proper tools.
The design and improved aesthetics will end up making your team feel more motivated and will also keep your customers engaged.
Closing Thoughts
While an efficient auto repair business floor layout might assist expedite operations once customers arrive, getting them to your shop is a different story. If you don’t have the correct staff on your side, managing marketing initiatives can be a time-consuming task.
Hence, it’s important to ensure that you have the right marketing strategy and resources to kick off your shop.
