Typical Chevrolet Side Mirror Replacement Costs

Is your one of your side mirrors broken? One of the first decisions you have to make is whether to fix it at home, or have a body shop or dealer fix for you. Cost is probably a big factor in your decision, so we’re going to help you determine how much it may cost to replace your Chevy’s side mirror.

Key Factors That Affect Side Mirror Replacement Cost

The most obvious factor is the cost of the OEM replacement mirror. The cost varies depending on availability and the complexity of the assembly.

For example, the side mirror pictured above for 2006-2007 Hummer models has a simpler assembly than the replacement side mirror for 2011-2015 Volt models. Yet it costs over $150 more. Why? Because Hummers are less common than Volts and their parts aren’t as widely available.

Here’s another example: The side mirror above is a replacement for several 2011-2014 GM/Chevy SUVs models that have a power folding feature. Due to the added complexity, it costs nearly $200 more than this side mirror for the exact same GM/Chevy SUV models.

Do a search on your vehicle's year and model here to see all the replacement side mirror assemblies available.

Another key factor that affects the cost of a side mirror replacement is the cost of labor. If you’re replacing the mirror yourself, you can calculate the cost of labor by determining the value of your time and the length of the project.

How to Estimate the Cost of Doing it at Home

The easiest part is finding the replacement mirror cost. The trickier part? Determining the labor costs. You can put together an estimation, though, and here’s how:

First, calculate the value of your time. It’s entirely up to you, and you can base that value on anything – your earnings, for example. The value of your time can be $20/hour or $900/hour, but you have to be realistic.

Image credit: Ronnie's online owners manual

Once you have the replacement mirror cost and the value of your time, it’s time to estimate the duration of the project. It depends on your experience and the complexity of the job. The complexity of the replacement mostly depends on whether or not you have to remove the interior door panel. This isn't difficult, but it takes a little time. A good rule of thumb is:

With experience:

• 30 minutes to 1 hour if you do not have to remove the inner door panel.
• 1 hour to 1.5 hours if you do have to remove the inner door panel.

Without experience:

• 1 to 1.5 hours if you do not have to remove the inner door panel.
• 1.5 to 2 hours if you do have to remove the inner door panel.

Once you have all three numbers, the following formula will produce the magic number:

Replacement mirror cost + (value of your time x estimated duration of the project)

How to Estimate What a Shop Will Charge You for a Replacement

An auto body shop or a GM dealer will charge for labor, which averages to $100/hour. They’ll also impose a markup on the replacement mirror cost, which averages about 30%. One upside to having a shop do the replacement is you know the project will take about an hour or so for an experienced technician.

This formula will help you get an accurate estimate of how much a shop will charge you:

(Replacement mirror cost + 30% markup) + $100

Please contact us with any questions about getting a replacement side mirror.