Overview

• Industry group GDV, using Dekra data, reports average workshop labor at €202 per hour in 2024 and paint work at €220, breaching the €200 mark for the first time.
• Both labor and paint rates rose by nearly 8% compared with 2023, extending a multi-year climb.
• Since 2017, workshop and paint-shop rates have increased about 50%, far outpacing roughly 24% general inflation, with official statistics showing nearly 48% inflation for vehicle maintenance and repair over 2017–2024.
• The average motor-vehicle property-damage claim reached about €4,250 in 2024, up 7% year over year and nearly 60% higher than in 2017.
• Insurers attribute higher claim costs to pricier labor and replacement parts, contributing to higher premiums for drivers.