Brakes
Front brake pads and discs
Checked on 30 July 2026.ClickMechanic, Brake disc replacement cost guide (as of 30 July 2026)
What does front brake pads and discs cost in the UK?
£130 to £375 fitted at an independent garage, VAT included, on a mainstream car. The midpoint of that range is about £253, and where you land inside it is decided by access, parts and wheel size rather than by the garage's postcode.
The caliper comes off, the old pads and disc come away, the new disc goes on the hub and the pads go back in with the caliper wound or pushed back. Three things move the price. Which axle, because front discs are larger and carry most of the braking; the disc itself, since a coated or vented disc for a heavier car costs more than a plain solid one; and whether the car has an electric parking brake, because the rear caliper motors have to be wound back with a diagnostic tool rather than by hand, which adds time. ClickMechanic puts a front axle at £185 on average within a £130 to £375 range, and the same job on the rear at £175 within £125 to £350. The RAC's quoted averages for brake work run from £259 for a MINI to £415 for a Mercedes-Benz, which is the marque effect rather than a different job.
How this job compares
| Job | Area | Fitted price |
|---|---|---|
| Front wiper blades | Visibility | £19 to £45 |
| Front brake pads and discs | Brakes | £130 to £375 |
| Exhaust section or full system | Noise, emissions and leaks | £100 to £1,200 |
Other brakes work
| Job | Fitted price | Labour |
|---|---|---|
| Brake discs without new pads | £125 to £375 | 1.5h |
| Corroded brake pipe | £75 to £215 | 1.5h |
| Handbrake adjustment or cable | £75 to £150 | 1.5h |
| ABS wheel speed sensor | £70 to £350 | 1.5h |
Common questions
- How much does front brake pads and discs cost?
- £130 to £375 fitted at an independent garage, including VAT, for a mainstream car. A franchised dealer publishes £369 to £589 for the same work.
- How urgent is it?
- Do this before anything else. A pad worn below 1.5mm is a dangerous defect, which means the car must not be driven until it is fixed. Discs that are significantly and obviously worn are a major defect.
- What moves the price within that range?
- Access, parts and wheel size, mostly. A job that needs the bumper or an arch liner off costs an hour more than the same job on a car where it does not, and a genuine part can be several times an aftermarket one.
- Is this price for one side or both?
- Treat the range as the job as the source published it. Where a part is replaced in pairs the detail below says so, and the second side adds less than double because the labour overlaps.
Sources
Every figure on this page was read off the publisher's own page on the date shown.