Equipping a repair shop is a planning exercise before it's a purchasing exercise. The shops that get it right start one step before the equipment list: they decide what services the business will sell, and let that answer drive every lift, machine and system that follows.
This guide lays out the framework — and how the whole equipment project becomes one structured financing request.
THE PLANNING FRAMEWORK — FIVE STEPS
DEFINE THE SERVICES
General repair? Tires? Alignment? ADAS? Collision? EV? Every service on the list calls specific equipment into the shop — and services you don't offer call nothing.
MATCH EQUIPMENT TO BAYS
Each bay gets its equipment — usually a lift, plus the specialty machines the bay's services need. A two-bay general-repair start looks very different from a four-bay full-service operation.
SIZE SHOP AIR & FACILITY SYSTEMS
Air capacity, exhaust extraction and facility equipment follow the bays — they're planned alongside the equipment, not after it.
GATHER ITEMIZED QUOTES
Ask your equipment dealers for complete, itemized quotes — equipment, pricing, installation and freight where applicable. These quotes anchor the financing request.
STRUCTURE ONE PROJECT
Equipment from multiple vendors and brands — new and used where eligible — can be one application with every quote uploaded together.
THE MAJOR EQUIPMENT CATEGORIES
VEHICLE HANDLING
DIAGNOSTICS & ELECTRICAL
TIRE & WHEEL
ALIGNMENT & ADAS
SHOP AIR
FLUID & VEHICLE SERVICE
FACILITY SYSTEMS
This is the map, not a mandatory list — every shop's equipment follows its services.
EQUIPPING A NEW SHOP?
One lift or a complete facility — describe the project in one application and upload the quotes you've gathered.
START YOUR APPLICATIONWHAT SHAPES THE EQUIPMENT LIST
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
POPULAR FIXFIN QUESTIONS
Can I finance used automotive equipment?
USED EQUIPMENT GUIDE
Can I finance a complete shop?
COMPLETE SHOP CHECKLIST
What equipment does an auto repair shop need?
COMPLETE SHOP GUIDE
Two-post or four-post lift?
LIFT COMPARISON GUIDE
Can installation and freight be included in financing?
INSTALLATION & FREIGHT GUIDE
Can an auto shop finance commercial HVAC?
SHOP HVAC GUIDE
Can my equipment dealer start the application?
CUSTOMER HANDOFF GUIDE
Can I finance a complete mobile service van?
MOBILE SERVICE GUIDE
Do I need a quote before applying?
QUOTE CHECKLIST