Mobile mechanic websites: what you fix on the driveway

The most useful page on a mobile mechanic's site is a clear list of what you can fix where the car sits and what needs a shop. It stops wasted calls, sets honest expectations and shows you know your limits. Add how parts are handled, where you work and what details you need before you come, and customers can book you with confidence.

Why the on-site list matters

Customers do not know which repairs are possible in a driveway. Some assume a mobile mechanic can do anything; others assume you only change oil. Both cost you: the first group books jobs you cannot do, the second never calls for the brake job you could have done in an hour.

A clear "What I fix on site" page solves both. Write it the way you would answer on the phone.

Jobs usually done on site

Group them, with a plain line about each:

Brakes

Pads, rotors, calipers, brake hoses and bleeding the brakes. Most cars, most driveways. You need a flat, firm surface to jack the car safely.

Starting and charging

Battery testing and replacement, battery terminals, starters and alternators on most vehicles. A car that will not start is the classic mobile mechanic job.

Diagnostics

Check engine and warning lights, using a scan tool and testing. Say what the diagnosis includes and that some problems need a longer test drive or a shop.

Maintenance

Oil and filter changes, air and cabin filters, spark plugs, wiper blades, belts, coolant and other fluids. Some apartment complexes and homeowner associations do not allow oil changes on their property, and you need a way to take the old oil away.

Cooling and heating

Radiator hoses, thermostats, radiators and water pumps on many vehicles.

Suspension and steering

Shocks, struts, sway bar links, tie rod ends and some control arms. Wheel alignment usually needs a shop afterwards; say so.

Other common jobs

Headlight and taillight bulbs, serpentine belts, ignition coils, sensors, pre-purchase inspections at the seller's place.

Jobs that usually need a shop

Be just as clear here. A customer appreciates honesty, and it protects your time:

• Transmission rebuilds and clutch jobs on many vehicles
• Major engine work: head gaskets, timing chains on many engines, engine replacement
• Wheel alignment
• Tire mounting and balancing, unless you carry the equipment
• Exhaust welding
• Air conditioning recharging, unless you have the certification and recovery equipment
• Anything that needs a lift on a low or heavy vehicle

For each, say what you do instead: "I can diagnose it on site and recommend a shop I trust" or "I partner with a local shop for these jobs."

Where the car needs to be

Customers rarely think about where you will work. A short section helps:

• Driveways and private lots work for most jobs.
• Apartment complexes and office parking lots may have rules; ask the customer to check with management.
• Street parking is fine for small jobs like batteries but not for brakes or anything needing the car on stands.
• Surface: flat and firm. Gravel, grass and slopes limit what you can safely do.
• Weather: heavy rain or extreme cold can mean rescheduling, and say how you handle that.

How parts are handled

Parts questions cause most disputes for mobile mechanics. Write your policy plainly:

• Who buys the parts. Usually you, from local suppliers, so you can stand behind them. If you allow customer-supplied parts, say so, and say that you cannot warranty those parts and that labor to replace them again is charged.
• Quality. Whether you use original-equipment or quality aftermarket parts, and whether customers can choose.
• Ordering time. Common parts are often same day; less common ones can take a day or two.
• Old parts. You can show or leave them, and you take away fluids and batteries for proper recycling.
• Warranty. How long your labor and parts are covered, in plain words.

Your service area

Write the towns or neighborhoods you cover in text, with any trip fee for distance. If you work mostly at offices during the day, say so: "Many customers book me to work on their car in the office parking lot while they work." It is a real convenience and worth mentioning.

What to ask before you come

The difference between a good mobile booking and a wasted trip is information. Your booking form or phone script should collect:

1. Year, make, model and engine size, or the VIN
2. What is wrong, in the customer's words, and any warning lights
3. Whether the car starts and can be moved
4. Where the car is and what the surface is like
5. Any rules at the location (HOA, apartment, office)
6. Preferred day and time

Explain why you ask: "I bring the right parts so I can finish in one visit." People fill in forms more fully when they know the reason. Contact forms that people actually fill in has more on keeping forms short without losing what you need.

If you want to show prices for common driveway jobs, should you list prices on your website explains ways to do it without boxing yourself in.

Your short to-do list

• Write a list of jobs you do on site and tag each one.
• Add a "needs a shop" list with what you offer instead.
• Write a parts policy in five plain lines.
• Add VIN, location and surface questions to your booking form.

If your current site does not say any of this yet and you would rather see it laid out before writing it all, you can see your site rebuilt and adjust from there.