Fold for Repair Shops: Quotes Without Digging
A repair shop runs on giving quotes fast and getting them right, and that depends on finding the price of a part or an hour of labor in the same spreadsheet as always. This article explains how Fold answers those questions with the exact row a price comes from, which modules are already built for a repair shop, and what happens when something isn't in your rates.
27 September 2026 · David Burnao
When a quote depends on finding the right file
A customer asks how much it costs to replace a part, or how long a repair will take, and the answer is sitting somewhere: a rate sheet, a history of past quotes, a supplier list with its own prices. The data exists, but finding it depends on knowing which file to check and on the person who knows being free at that moment. If that person is under a car on the lift, the customer waits.
What every repeated search costs you
The same part gets looked up several times a month, and each lookup pulls someone away from what they were doing. As the shop grows, or a new supplier gets added, the problem doesn't go away — there are just more spreadsheets to check. And a quote that takes a while to come back is a customer who might be comparing you with another shop while they wait.
How Fold answers, step by step
Here's how Fold works:
- It reads your files. The parts and labor rates you point it to, in whatever format you already keep them in.
- It learns what each column means. The first time it sees a new file, it suggests what each piece of data means, and you confirm it before it's used.
- It answers with the exact source. The price, plus which file and which row it came from, so anyone at the shop can check it.
The rates module, one example among several
Rates and pricing is one of the modules Fold already has built: you ask the price of any part or service and it answers with the exact row it comes from. That's not the only thing a repair shop can use it for — if what's needed instead is a repair history, a supplier list, or the status of a part on order, that gets built as a custom automation on the same foundation. A starter template for repair shops is already built into Fold, with example questions and the typical columns of a repair shop recognized from the start.
When the data isn't there, it says so
If a part doesn't show up in the rate sheet you've uploaded, Fold doesn't guess at a similar price — it says the part isn't there. And if two rows could both be the answer (two versions of the same part, say), it shows you both instead of picking one. That's the difference between a quote you can hand over as-is and one you have to double-check before telling a customer.
What files and programs it connects to today
Fold reads your Excel and CSV files from day one, exactly as you already keep them. Once you sign up, it also connects to Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox, always with read-only access: you choose which folders it can see, and you can revoke access at any time from inside the app. SharePoint and a generic connector for any other shop software are being built and are coming soon.
What happens the first time you upload a file
The first time you upload your parts or labor rate sheet, Fold doesn't just start answering — it detects the sheets, the header row, and the type of each column, and suggests what each one means, drawing on the terms typical of a repair shop. You confirm that mapping before anything gets used, and if something isn't clear, it asks instead of assuming. It's a step that takes a few minutes, and only needs repeating when the file's structure changes, not every time you upload a new one in the same format as always.
Start free, upgrade when it makes sense
The free plan needs no card: up to 2 questions a day and 10 a week, enough to try it with your own rates before deciding anything. Paid plans start at €49.99 a month, with more questions and an AI that can chain several steps together from the Standard plan up. Prices are shown before tax: tax is added depending on the country your shop is registered in.
If something's missing, you request it from inside the app
You describe what you need, with what data, and you're told the price and timeline before accepting anything: a small tweak starts at €59.99 and 3 business days, a new feature at €399.99 and 10 business days, and for something large — connecting to an appointment-management system, say — a free 30-minute call, with a quote afterwards.
If Fold works for you, you can recommend it
Every company using Fold gets its own referral code. If you recommend Fold to another shop and it stays a paying customer, you get a discount on the custom automations you request afterwards — up to 50% during the launch (the first 100 companies), and up to 20% after that. Your own monthly fee is always charged in full, and the shop you refer gets 100 free questions in its first paid month.
Which repair shops this works for
Fold works for any repair shop that keeps its rates, parts, or history in some kind of file: mechanics, bodywork and paint, motorcycles, heavy equipment. No new management software required — what's needed is for that data to live in an Excel file, a CSV, or a folder you can connect.
How to get started
Sign-up and payment inside the app are opening very soon. In the meantime, you can leave your email to be notified the day you can create an account, and try Fold with your own rates on the free plan as soon as it's available.
Frequently asked questions
Does Fold replace the shop management software I already use?
No. Fold reads your files from the outside, with read-only access — it doesn't touch or replace your appointment or billing software.
What happens when a part's price changes?
You upload the updated file and Fold answers with the new price. There's nothing else to tell it.
Can it look up a customer's repair history?
If that history lives in a file you can upload, yes. Anything more specific to your shop gets requested as a custom automation.
How much does Fold cost for a small repair shop?
It starts free, no card required, with 2 questions a day. Paid plans start at €49.99 a month, plus tax depending on your country.
Keep reading
Want to see it with your own business?
Try Fold with your own rates: the free plan needs no card.
Download Fold