Overview
Hydraulic repair is sold by the system, and the contamination is the cause the customer keeps fighting
Hydraulic systems run on oil under pressure: cylinders, pumps, valves, hoses, accumulators. They power presses, hoists, agricultural equipment, plant, construction machinery, and the moving parts on a thousand factory lines. The cause of most failures isn't catastrophic: it's contamination. Dirt particles, water, air, and the slow degradation of seals over millions of cycles. A flat 'hydraulic repair, $480' quote that just charges for the visible work (a torn hose, a leaking seal) misses the conversation about flushing the system, replacing the filter element, and the underlying contamination that caused the failure. Without that, the customer is back in three months with the same problem.
QuoteGenio gives hydraulic repair specialists a quoting shape that surfaces the systemic cause. System inspection and oil sample analysis as the first line, parts at supplier price with the spec named (hoses by burst pressure, seals by compound, pumps by displacement), system flush and filter replacement as a named line, labour by hour, and a contamination-control plan recommendation as part of the deliverable. Send via WhatsApp or email to the maintenance contact, take a deposit on bigger repairs, and the final invoice closes with the system running cleanly and an oil sample report filed against the asset record. The customer pays for a fix that holds.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for hydraulic repair shops working on cylinders, rams, pumps, and full hydraulic systems.
The problem
The quoting problems every hydraulic shop knows
Cylinder rebuilds, seal kits, honing, and pressure testing all need separate pricing. Bundled quotes get challenged, and verbal estimates lose work to the shop with cleaner paperwork.
Verbal estimates lose jobs
Plant managers need a written number to raise a PO. A phone-call estimate gets second-guessed and the cylinder goes to the shop that emailed a PDF in 30 minutes.
Strip-down findings change the scope
You quote a seal kit and discover a scored bore. Without a clean variation process, you end up doing extra honing for free or fighting at invoice stage.
Pressure testing gets given away free
Test pressure, certification, and the test-rig hour are real costs. If they're not on the quote, they come straight out of your margin every time.
The fix
QuoteGenio fixes that
A structured quoting workflow that prices per cylinder, per seal kit, and per pressure test as separate lines, exactly the way hydraulic procurement teams expect.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for hydraulic work
Line items for cylinder strip, seal kits, honing, chrome plating, pressure test, and certification. Structured the way hydraulic shops actually work.
Pressure test as a paid line
Test rig time and certification are billable. List them on every quote so they never bleed your margin.
Works from the workshop
Build and send a professional quote from your phone or laptop in under 5 minutes.
Track payments easily
Know which invoices are outstanding on rebuilt cylinders waiting for collection. Follow up with one tap.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how hydraulic repair actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Hydraulic Repair choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Hydraulic Repair build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Hydraulic Repair job pricing
A rough guide to what hydraulic repair shops charge for common scopes. Pricing varies by bore size, working pressure, and whether chrome or honing work is needed. Use these as a reference point when building your own rate card, not as fixed numbers.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Cylinder strip and inspection (per cylinder) | R2,975 - R7,933 |
| Seal kit replacement (small cylinder, up to 80mm bore) | R5,289 - R14,048 |
| Seal kit replacement (large ram, 200mm+ bore) | R15,701 - R46,276 |
| Cylinder honing (per metre of bore) | R3,966 - R10,247 |
| Chrome plating (per rod, per metre) | R7,933 - R19,832 |
| Pressure test and certification | R2,975 - R8,925 |
| Hose and fitting replacement (per hose, made-to-measure) | R1,240 - R2,479 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
Cylinder strip and inspection typically runs R2,975 to R7,933 and should be billable whether or not the rebuild goes ahead. State this on every quote so there is no expectation of free assessment. The strip is real workshop time and deserves a paid line.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use per-cylinder or per-ram fixed pricing for known seal kit and rebuild scopes. Use hourly pricing (R1,570 to R2,975) for unscoped diagnostic, system fault-finding, and on-site hydraulic work. Always quote pressure testing as its own fixed line, even if it's only R2,975.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean cylinder rebuild quote looks like. Strip, honing, chrome work, seals, reassembly, and the pressure test certificate are all separate lines. Procurement accepts it faster because every component of the rebuild is visible and priced individually.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Hydraulic cylinder rebuild, 150mm bore press cylinder
Strip and inspection
Bore honing (1.2m stroke)
Chrome rod re-plate and polish
Premium seal kit (with 25% mark-up)
Reassembly labour
Pressure test to 250 bar and certificate
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strip and inspection | 1 | R5,289 | R5,289 |
| Bore honing (1.2m stroke) | 1 | R8,925 | R8,925 |
| Chrome rod re-plate and polish | 1 | R14,544 | R14,544 |
| Premium seal kit (with 25% mark-up) | 1 | R6,941 | R6,941 |
| Reassembly labour | 4 | R2,231 / hr | R8,925 |
| Pressure test to 250 bar and certificate | 1 | R6,280 | R6,280 |
| Subtotal | R50,903 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R5,090 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R55,993 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Strip-down as a paid line, chrome plating sub-contract markup, the pressure test certificate, freight on inbound and outbound cylinders, exchange-unit deposits, and storage if collection is delayed. Add these to your cylinder template once and they will never fall off a quote again.
Peer snapshot
How Hydraulic Repair actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Hydraulic Repair on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
29
Quotes sent per month
43%
Average quote acceptance
3 min
Median time to send quote
R55,993
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Hydraulic Repair jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of hydraulic repair shops. The same strip-down and pressure-test mistakes come up again and again. Fix these and you'll protect your margin on every cylinder that hits the bench.
Mistake: Giving away strip-down for free
Better: Quote strip and inspection as a paid line, billable whether or not the rebuild proceeds. State this clearly on the quote so there is no expectation of free assessment.
Mistake: Not pricing pressure test separately
Better: List the test-rig hour and certificate as their own line. Pressure testing is real workshop time and deserves a paid line on every cylinder quote.
Mistake: Bundling chrome work into labour
Better: Chrome plating is usually sub-contracted and carries a real cost. Quote it as a separate line with mark-up so the client sees the value of the work and you don't absorb the freight.
Mistake: No exchange-unit deposit on quote
Better: If you're offering an exchange unit, state the deposit and the return policy on the quote. Without it, you'll chase old cores that never come back.
Mistake: Verbal scope changes after strip
Better: If a strip reveals chrome damage or a scored bore, issue a variation quote on the spot. Get it accepted via the online link before doing the extra work.
Mistake: Same rate for all bore sizes
Better: Build a per-metre honing rate and per-bore-size seal kit rate into your template. A 200mm ram is a different product to an 80mm cylinder, and the quote should reflect that.
Mistake: No expiry on rebuild quotes
Better: Set a 14 day validity. Seal kits and chrome work move in price often, and an open-ended quote can lock you into last month's costs when the cylinder finally arrives.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote hydraulic repair jobs
Strip and inspect every cylinder on the bench before you quote the rebuild, because a visual inspection of a closed ram tells you almost nothing about what is actually required. Measure bore internal diameter for scoring and wear, check the chrome rod for pitting and ovality with a micrometer, examine the gland housing for damage, and record the working pressure and stroke length from the nameplate. On larger rams (200mm+ bore) log the weight because freight and handling are real costs that need to be on the quote. Ask the client for the working fluid type and the contamination history, because an NAS 10 hydraulic system has damaged every cylinder in its loop and the ones coming in next week will need the same chrome and honing work as the one on your bench now.
Itemise cylinder rebuild quotes per component rather than as a single 'rebuild' figure. Show strip and inspection at $ 180 to $ 480 per cylinder as a paid line billable whether or not the rebuild proceeds, with the policy stated on the quote. Split bore honing per metre of bore ($ 240 to $ 620), chrome rod re-plating as a sub-contract line with 15 to 30 percent mark-up to cover sourcing and plating-defect risk, the seal kit as a priced component with mark-up, and reassembly labour per hour. Always quote the pressure test and certificate as a separate line ($ 180 to $ 540) with the test pressure stated on the certificate line, because many clients require the certificate for compliance and the test-rig hour is billable. For high-pressure cylinders (350 bar+) add third-party witness time and any documentation overhead.
Set a 14 day validity on every rebuild quote because seal kits, chrome work sub-contract prices, and imported components move on price often, and an open-ended quote can lock you into last month's costs when the cylinder finally arrives on your bench. State exchange-unit deposit and return policy in writing on the quote (for example '$ 450 deposit against old core, refunded on return within 14 days') because without it you will chase cores that never come back. Take a 30 to 50 percent deposit at acceptance on rebuilds involving chrome work or OEM parts, because chrome sub-contract suppliers demand payment on delivery and you should not be funding the client's project from your working capital. Offer a 6 to 12 month workshop warranty on the rebuild conditional on contamination control at the client end.
Send the quote the same day the cylinder arrives and the strip reveals the real scope, because hydraulic downtime stops production and the shop that emails a written number first usually gets the PO. Build the quote on the bench using a phone or workshop laptop and email it as a branded PDF to the plant engineer and procurement contact. On scope changes after strip (a scored bore needing honing, chrome pitting requiring re-plating), issue a variation quote on the spot and get it accepted through the online link before sending the rod out for chrome or ordering seals, because the invoice is easier to defend when every scope change has written acceptance against it. Convert the accepted quote to an invoice the moment the unit ships back to the plant.
FAQ
Common questions from hydraulic repair shops
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Build a quote per cylinder with separate lines for strip, seals, honing, chrome work, reassembly, and pressure test. The structure makes each rebuild easy to read and easy to compare for procurement teams.
Yes. Add the test-rig hour and the certificate as their own lines. Many clients require the certificate for compliance, and it should always be visible and priced on the quote.
Yes. QuoteGenio works on your phone or workshop laptop. Build and send a professional cylinder quote in under 5 minutes without leaving the bench.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. The client accepts it on their phone, which gives you written approval before you order seals or send the rod for chrome.
Yes. Convert any accepted quote to an invoice with one click. All line items carry across, which keeps the billing clean even on multi-week rebuilds.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Yes. Strip-down is real workshop time. Even if a rebuild quote is later declined, you've spent hours opening the cylinder, inspecting the bore, and assessing the chrome. State on every quote that strip and inspection is billable regardless of whether the rebuild proceeds, and the client will accept it because it's standard industry practice.
The test-rig hour, the certificate, and any third-party witness time should each be quoted as separate lines. For test pressures above 350 bar or where third-party certification is required, expect to charge more because of the rig setup time and the documentation overhead. Always include the test pressure on the certificate line so there's no ambiguity at invoice stage.
Most workshops sub-contract chrome plating to a specialist. Quote it as a separate sub-contract line with a mark-up (typically 15 to 30 percent) to cover sourcing, freight, and the risk of plating defects. Burying chrome work into labour absorbs the sub-contract cost and damages your margin on every rebuild.
Issue a variation quote the moment the strip reveals additional damage. A scored bore, chrome pitting, or a damaged piston rod are all common findings that change the rebuild scope. Use QuoteGenio to send the variation in minutes and get it accepted via the online link before ordering parts. This protects you when the invoice goes back to procurement.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Guides
Guides for Hydraulic Repair
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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