Most installers learn pricing the hard way: a job that looked good on paper turns into a full day, two hours of driving and a number that barely covers fuel. Pricing well isn't about charging the most. It's about knowing what your time costs before you say yes, so you can take the right jobs and turn down the wrong ones without guessing.
We have been installing in the twelve-volt world for more than 35 years and in telematics for more than 20, across more than 11,000 vehicles. This page lays out the way we look at a job before we quote it. Use the parts that fit how you work.
The device in the box doesn't set the price. Your time on the vehicle does. Most of our installs today are Y-split connections on the diagnostic port: OBD2 on light duty vehicles, 9-pin on heavy duty vehicles and 6-pin on older heavy duty vehicles. On our jobs, a Y-split GPS and a forward-facing camera on the same vehicle together usually take about 25 to 30 minutes. Pulling a camera and a device off a vehicle usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Hardwire installs are different. Constant, ignition and ground all have to be found and proven, and that means putting a meter on a true ignition source rather than trusting a wire color. We see false idling and bad trip data all the time from installs where nobody metered the ignition. That extra care takes time, and the price should show it. If you need wire colors before you go, our Vehicle Wiring Database is free.
Time yourself for a few weeks. Write down drive time, wait time and time on each vehicle. Those three numbers will tell you more about your pricing than any rate sheet.
Rates move with the region and the customer, so treat these as a starting point, not a rule. On the provider and dispatch work we see in the Southeast, a GPS install commonly pays around $70, a camera install around $95, and a camera and device removal around $85. On our own direct fleet jobs we charge $65 and up per vehicle, and most of our installs land between $75 and $150 depending on what is involved.
The gap between those numbers is the point. Dispatch work brings volume without you having to find it. Direct work pays more per vehicle, but you carry the selling, scheduling and collecting. Most installers who do well run a mix of both.
A five-vehicle job across town and a five-vehicle job two hours away are not the same job. Some days we drive two to three hours each way. On most of the work we do, a trip fee is paid on top of the install, and the rate we commonly see is 71 cents a mile, round trip.
Here is the math on a small job. Five GPS installs at $70 is $350. If the yard is 60 miles away, that is 120 miles round trip, and 120 miles at 71 cents is $85.20. The job is worth $435.20, not $350. Leave the trip fee off and you have paid for the drive out of your own pocket.
When a customer pushes back on the trip fee, don't drop it. Offer to group their vehicles into one visit, or schedule them on a day you're already in that area. That lowers their cost without lowering your rate.
We aim for at least $500 a day when we're installing. The work isn't steady every day, which is exactly why a target matters: it tells you which jobs to chase and which ones to pass along. At $70 a vehicle, $500 is about seven or eight GPS installs. A single vehicle two hours away doesn't reach it unless the trip fee and a minimum charge carry the day.
Pick your own number from your real costs: fuel, insurance, tools, parts, the vehicle and what you need to take home. Then look at every job and ask one question before you say yes. Does this day get me to my number?
Send a short written quote before the day: price per vehicle by type of install, the trip fee, wait time and what happens if a vehicle isn't there. It protects you and the customer, and it ends most pricing arguments before they start. If a customer still says the price is too high, our lesson on handling price pushback covers what to say without cutting corners.
When we have more fleet work than we can cover, we pass it to experienced installers in the Southeast for a flat referral fee per job: $75 for jobs of 10 vehicles or less and $150 for jobs over 10 vehicles. It is never a percentage of your work, and never a cut per vehicle, so a bigger job keeps more money in your pocket. If you want steady fleet work in your area, join the installer network.
On the provider and dispatch work we see in the Southeast, a GPS install commonly pays around $70 per vehicle. Our own direct fleet jobs start at $65 per vehicle and usually land between $75 and $150 depending on the install type and the vehicle. Add a trip fee when the drive is long.
Yes, when the drive is real. On most of the work we do, a trip fee is paid on top of the install, commonly at 71 cents a mile, round trip. Without it, a small job far away can cost you money.
On our jobs, a Y-split GPS and a forward-facing camera on the same vehicle together usually take about 25 to 30 minutes. Hardwire installs, rear and side camera runs and upfitted vehicles take longer.
Join the API Signal installer network and find install work near you. We install GPS, dash cams and telematics across GA, SC, NC, TN, VA, AL, FL and MS.