Garage workshop for one-off and repair parts

Hobbyists, classic car and motorbike owners, model engineers, small repair businesses and local inventors.

Charge an hourly machine rate plus materials, or quote a fixed price per part. Repeat work from a few regular customers matters most.

• Manual lathe and mill operation
• Reading engineering drawings
• Accurate measuring
• Patience and attention to detail

• Planning permission or council rules on noise and business use at home, plus landlord or mortgage lender permission
• Public liability insurance, and product liability cover if parts could cause harm if they fail
• Machine safety: guarding, eye protection and swarf handling under health and safety rules
• Check with your home insurer and the electricity supply for heavy machinery
• Avoid taking safety-critical work (for example aerospace or lifting) without the right quality approvals

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £4,000 to £20,000, depending on the lathe and mill you buy, tooling, measuring equipment and workshop setup. Buying used machines may help keep costs towards the lower end.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £400 to £2,500, depending on the work you take on, your turnaround times and how many hobbyists and local firms you serve. Many people start part-time, at around 8 hours a week.

Check planning permission or council rules on noise and business use at home, plus landlord or mortgage lender permission. Look at public and product liability insurance, machine safety rules, your home insurer and electricity supply, and approvals for safety-critical work.