Labour charges and parts on one estimate

11 March 2025, a school teacher from Sojat Road, Pali, put a cracked Redmi on my mat.

I said screen 1,800, fitting 300, total 2,100. If battery also, extra 950.

She said give estimate. I will ask husband.

I used to write one line. Display assembly 2,100. Hide labour inside parts.

Husband is a transport man. He know parts rate from some nephew in Ahmedabad.

He saw 2,100 for screen, he said shop is looting. Screen is 1,700 online.

Fight on WhatsApp before I even opened the phone.

The 400 was labour plus my small margin. But it was hiding.

Labour charges and parts on one estimate, what actually happened

I sat and made a proper estimate sheet on BillOnDesk.

Line 1, display assembly, 1,800.

Line 2, labour fitting, 300.

Optional line 3, battery, 950, I marked optional.

Total if only screen 2,100. If battery also, 3,050.

I sent PDF. I wrote valid till 5 days. Glue and screen price jump.

Husband replied, labour 300 okay. Screen okay. Battery wait.

She came. I did screen. I did not open battery. Estimate matched the work.

No loot talk.

I felt little stupid I hid labour for years.

Customers in Pali are not fools. They have nephews. They have Amazon. They have eyes.

Show parts. Show labour. Let them say no to labour, then I don't do the job. Simple.

Estimate is not invoice. I say this every time.

If I fix, then I make invoice or cash memo. Estimate can die if they go to another shop.

BillOnDesk is not GSTN. Estimate sheet is DRAFT / ESTIMATE. I keep it. I don't call it tax invoice.

Teacher lady didn't want GST. She wanted a paper for husband.

That is the job of estimate.

What I put on labour line.

Not "service 300" only. I write labour fitting display, so later nobody say labour was for battery.

If I do software, labour software flash, 200.

If I do both, two labour lines. Don't mix.

Parts I write brand if I know. Copy display. Original not available. I write copy. Honest.

If I write original and put copy, that is a different sin. I don't.

January 2026 I updated after a water damage job.

A boy from industrial area dropped phone in tank. I made estimate.

Labour opening and drying 400.

Parts, charging board 1,200.

Parts, battery maybe 900, optional, because water battery is lottery.

I wrote no guarantee on water job, in the note.

He approved board and labour. Not battery.

Phone lived two weeks, then died. He came. I showed estimate. Battery was optional, not done. He paid battery later. Less shouting than old days.

Note field is a gift. Write the ugly truth there.

No warranty on water. Copy parts. Data may go.

If I don't write, they hear only "it will be fine".

How I split labour and material

I am a small shop. I am not Samsung service. Estimate should not talk like Samsung.

Print two. One they take to husband. One I keep, so when they return I don't remember 300 as 200.

I used to remember labour as 200 because I like 200. Then I do the work at 300 talk. Mess.

Paper remember for me.

Some jobs I give only verbal. 80 rupee temper glass. No estimate.

When labour plus parts cross 1,000, I make estimate.

When two options, I make estimate. Always.

A garage friend in Pali does bikes. He asked how I write labour and parts.

I showed the tool. He said he will use for a Activa job. Not my business. I don't repair Activa. I repair phones. Same idea.

Don't put GST on estimate if you don't know. I put a note, tax extra if bill needed.

If they need GST bill after repair, I use GST draft later, same numbers as estimate if I can.

If parts price change, new estimate. Don't silently change.

Teacher husband would think I am looting again.

I show wholesale photo only if I want. I don't have to. Estimate is my offer.

They can go. Many go. Some come back because other shop estimated 2,800 hiding everything in one line.

My two lines look higher labour, lower part. Total same or less. Trust more.

I don't know why I hid labour. Maybe I thought labour is shame. Like I am taking money for fingers.

Fingers have value. Opening a phone is value. I write it.

Helper in shop used to say "fitting free" to close the sale, then we lose 300.

I banned free fitting on paid screens. Glass on new sale, fitting free is okay. Repair screen, labour is a line.

Helper now fill estimate, I check, then send.

If he hide labour, I make him redo.

Amount in words on estimate also. I check with rupees in words when total is ugly like 3,050.

Three thousand fifty. Not three thousand five hundred. Eyes skip.

Customer paid 2,100. I made simple invoice after work. Two lines again. Screen. Labour. Same as estimate.

If invoice mix to one line, husband will say estimate was lie.

Match the shape.

I don't take full money on estimate. If I take advance for parts order, I use proforma or payment receipt, and I still keep estimate.

Too many papers? For a 2,100 job, estimate plus invoice is enough. Advance only if I order a rare part.

Pali wholesale not always have copy screens. Sometimes wait. Then 500 advance, write it.

I tell them BillOnDesk paper is draft. Not a court stamp. Still we both look at same numbers. That is enough for a school teacher and a shop uncle.

Don't draw official hologram on estimate. Nobody asked. One man asked, make it look like company estimate.

I said my shop name is enough. I am not a company in Gurgaon.

He went. Okay.

I would rather lose a job than wear a fake company costume.

The teacher came in winter for a charging port. Estimate again. Labour 250. Port 450. She didn't call husband. She trusted the format.

That is the whole win. Not extra profit. Less explanation.

If you repair in a town shop, don't hide labour in the part.

Write both. Let them choose battery or not.

Then do only what is ticked.

Then bill the same way.

Estimate sheet. Two kinds of money. One paper. Husband on WhatsApp. Peace.