Brake pad replacement cost: front pads, labor time and the bill in your state
Select your vehicle type and state: the estimator applies the automaker's time for front pads to your state's shop rate and adds a pad set.
Brake pads, sedan, national: typical cost
$112
Range $60 to $209 · front axle · before sales tax
| Labor time, sedan | 0.4 h to 0.8 h |
| Shop rate, national | $114 to $159 per hour |
| Labor, typical | $81 |
| Parts, typical listing | $31 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How costs are estimated · automaker labor times, BLS technician wages, parts read October 20, 2026 · not a quote
A set of front brake pads on a sedan costs about $112 fitted, at the national median posted rate of $134 an hour, and the realistic band runs from $60 to $209 before sales tax. For an SUV the typical figure is $159, for a pickup $191 and for a luxury car $224. Labor is the larger share: the 7 warranty times read in automaker bulletins put the job at 0.4 h to 0.8 h on a sedan and up to 1.6 h on the longest luxury model. The pads themselves are cheap, with a median sedan set at $31 in the catalog read on October 20, 2026. The state changes the labor line only, so a sedan comes to about $94 in West Virginia, the cheapest state, and $128 in the District of Columbia, the dearest. New rotors are a separate and larger job.
What the shop does for a front pad job
Disc brakes slow the car by clamping two friction pads against a metal disc, the rotor, which turns with the wheel. The friction material wears away a little at every stop, and since the front axle does most of the braking, front pads are the set replaced most often. The work is routine. The car is lifted, both front wheels come off, each caliper is unbolted and moved aside, the worn pads slide out of their bracket and the caliper piston is pressed back to make room for thicker pads. New pads go in with their clips, the caliper is refitted and torqued, the pedal is pumped until it feels firm, and a short drive beds the pads in.
That is the job this page prices: pads on both front wheels, which is how shops quote it. When the rotors are scored or worn below their minimum thickness, they are replaced or machined during the same visit and the total climbs; the pads and rotors page covers that bigger brake job, about $217 on a sedan at the national rate. Only a mechanic who measures the rotors can tell you which of the two jobs your car needs.
The labor times behind the estimate
Automakers print the time they pay dealers for each warranty operation in the service bulletins they file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 7 front pad times read for this page are listed below with their documents. Pad work is quick, from 0.4 h on the shortest sedan to 1.6 h on the longest luxury model. Of these times, 4 come from one General Motors bulletin whose operation also scuffs both front rotors, a light surface treatment that leaves the rotors on the car. That extra step is part of why the SUV, pickup and luxury figures sit above the sedan ones. One SUV entry is a compact van, the only van read, filed with the SUVs.
| Type | Vehicle and engine | Bulletin filed with NHTSA | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury | 2021-2023 Cadillac XT5, all | GM Service Bulletin 21-NA-142 (version 9), February 2023 | 1.1 h |
| Luxury | 2021-2023 Cadillac XT6, all | GM Service Bulletin 21-NA-142 (version 9), February 2023 | 1.6 h |
| Pickup | 2021-2022 Chevrolet Colorado / GMC Canyon, all | GM Service Bulletin 21-NA-142 (version 8), December 2022 | 1.1 h |
| Sedan | 2013 Dodge Dart (PF), all (built before Aug 1, 2013) | Chrysler TSB 05-002-14, April 16, 2014 | 0.4 h |
| Sedan | 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla / Matrix, 1.8L I4 | Toyota T-SB-0150-13, October 1, 2013 | 0.8 h |
| SUV | 2015 Ram ProMaster City (VM), all (4-wheel ABS, built before Dec 25, 2014) | FCA TSB 05-009-15, October 3, 2015 | 0.7 h |
| SUV | 2020-2023 Chevrolet Traverse (also Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Blazer), all | GM Service Bulletin 21-NA-142 (version 9), February 2023 | 1.1 h |
The estimator takes the shortest and longest time of each vehicle type as the ends of its range and their midpoint as the typical case. The vehicles read are not the only ones of their type, so a given car can take a little more or less than the times shown.
Pad prices by vehicle type
Pads are one of the least expensive parts a shop fits. For the Camry and the Accord used as reference sedans, front sets listed from $14 to $82, with a median near $31. The listings span several friction compounds and quality grades, from basic sets to ceramic sets sold with new clips and shims. Pickup sets show the widest spread, up to $251, although their median of $44 stays modest. The two reference luxury cars have a median of $43.
| Type | Reference vehicle | Lowest | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | 2016 Honda Accord 2.4L L4 | $14 | $31 | $82 |
| Sedan | 2017 Toyota Camry 2.5L L4 | $16 | $31 | $62 |
| SUV | 2016 Ford Explorer 3.5L V6 | $19 | $38 | $114 |
| SUV | 2017 Honda CR-V 2.4L L4 | $15 | $37 | $56 |
| Pickup | 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3L V8 | $15 | $41 | $251 |
| Pickup | 2017 Ford F-150 5.0L V8 | $21 | $46 | $85 |
| Luxury | 2016 BMW 328i 2.0L L4 Turbo | $20 | $41 | $84 |
| Luxury | 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300 2.0L L4 Turbo | $15 | $45 | $76 |
Shops buy from their own suppliers, add their own margin and often choose a pad grade they trust rather than the cheapest one. Some also bill brake hardware, caliper grease or a disposal fee as separate lines. When your quote shows a pad price, enter it under More options; the estimator keeps your figure and reprices the labor for your state.
Front brake pads in every state
Brake pads, sedan: national typical cost
$112
| Labor time | 0.4 h to 0.8 h |
| Lowest state | West Virginia, $94 |
| Highest state | District of Columbia, $128 |
How much the state matters on a short job
With less than an hour of labor on a sedan, the hourly rate has little room to move the bill. In the District of Columbia, where the typical rate is $162 an hour, front pads come to about $128; in West Virginia, at $105 an hour, about $94. Each state rate is the national band from a survey of independent shops scaled by the mean technician wage that the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes for that state. The state ranking applies the same method to every repair on the site.
Extra lines on a brake quote
A brake quote often grows beyond the pads. A shop that finds thin rotors will offer new ones, a sticking caliper may be flagged for replacement, and a brake fluid exchange is a frequent suggestion. Any of these can be justified. Each one should still appear as its own line with its own price, so that you can approve it or leave it for later, and it is fair to ask to see the worn part or the measurement behind it. Enter the hours, the hourly rate and the pad price of your quote in the quote checker to see which line falls outside the usual band for your state.
Brakes are a safety system, so a soft pedal, a pull to one side or a grinding noise calls for an inspection before the car is driven far. This page does not judge what your brakes need; it gives the cost of front pads once a mechanic has said they are due.