Before you get dollar signs in your eyes, note that bringing calibrations in-house is an important business decision
Ten years ago, subletting ADAS calibrations made business sense: low volume, expensive equipment, specialized expertise.
Today’s reality is different. Even smaller shops report 20-40 calibration opportunities monthly, each of which is worth $350-$500. What was once an occasional necessity could become a recurring profit center.
But before you get dollar signs in your eyes, please note that bringing calibrations in-house is an important business decision. If you’re considering bringing this capability in-house, here are the critical questions that will determine success or failure.
1. Does your facility meet the precision requirements that ADAS systems demand?
Static ADAS calibrations (i.e. those done indoors) can’t just be done anywhere. Your facility must be a controlled environment. Many OEM recommendations state that floorspace must be at a minimum 30×50 feet. That said, I’ve seen plenty of shops successfully perform certain calibrations in standard mechanical bays while subletting those that require more room.
Lighting requirements are also an important factor. You need 800-1000 lux with specific color temperature between 5000-6500K — think bright, consistent LED arrays that eliminate shadows and glare.
Environmental controls must maintain temperature between 60-80°F and humidity at 30-60%.
Many shops find that facility modifications typically cost $5,000-15,000 before even purchasing equipment.
2. How much should you invest, and what capabilities match your market reality?
Equipment decisions require honest assessment of your local vehicle population. A basic setup ($15,000-25,000) handles essential calibrations but limits capabilities to specific vehicle types. A more significant investment ($25,000-50,000) covers most major brands, while going all-in on ADAS ($50,000-100,000) provides complete capabilities including luxury and specialty vehicles.
In our experience, shops typically achieve break-even within 4-12 months with proper volume matching — which brings us to our next point.
3. What does your repair volume reveal about hidden calibration opportunities?
The math won’t lie. Before making any decision about bringing ADAS in-house, calculate your actual volume to determine if you’re leaving significant money on the table.
For starters, take a look at every windshield replacement, wheel alignment, and collision repair on vehicles manufactured after 2015. Each of these are very common triggers for multiple calibrations.
Each missed opportunity represents an average of $250-500 in revenue.
Run these numbers against your potential equipment investment ($25,000-75,000) and facility modifications ($5,000-15,000). If your annual opportunity cost exceeds $50,000, in-house calibration likely makes financial sense.
4. Do you have technicians ready or willing to learn this specialization?
ADAS calibration demands extraordinary accuracy. A single degree of camera misalignment creates a one-foot error at just 60 feet — the difference between a system that sees a car suddenly stop in front of you or the guardrail.
Your technicians must understand that traditional scan tools miss over 60% of required calibrations because they only detect electrical faults, not physical misalignments.
The precision demands and ongoing technology changes make this more specialized expertise than that required by a general technician.
Making the Decision That’s Right for Your Shop
Let’s break down exactly what this means for your decision.
Bring calibrations in-house if you have:
- Adequate facility space and budget for proper modifications
- Sufficient monthly volume (typically 20+ calibrations)
- Technicians committed to specialized training
- Capital for comprehensive equipment investment
Continue subletting if you face:
- Space constraints that can’t be economically resolved
- Limited volume that won’t support dedicated equipment
- Preference to focus resources on core competencies
- Insufficient capital for proper implementation
Half-measures in ADAS calibration create quality risks that can damage your reputation and expose you to liability. Your investment in ADAS capabilities can pay off in multiple ways: increased revenue, improved customer satisfaction, competitive differentiation, and positioning for future growth.
Joel Adcock is the Director of Partnerships & Business Development at Revv. Revv specializes in automating ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) research, enabling shops to identify and perform calibrations for safer vehicles on the road post-accident. Joel’s expertise includes strategic partnerships, business development, process improvement, marketing, estimation and insurance. He resides near Madison, Wisconsin.
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