A phased checklist in the order the decisions actually depend on each other, material
quantities worked out from your bus's real dimensions, and a budget that counts the mechanical work
most build costs quietly leave out.
Bus is set by the project's vehicle — change the vehicle from My Projects, not from this tool.
What it will cost
Line
Low
High
Mechanical — the part that gets left out
Tick what your bus needs. Documented builds put mechanical remediation at
25–100% of the purchase price, and it is the single most common reason a build
stalls. Leaving it at zero is a choice, not a saving.
Item
Typical range
Include
Pre-purchase mechanical inspection
$150–400 estimate
Tyres (6 on a full-size bus) Age matters as much as tread. Commercial 22.5in tyres are not car prices.
$1,800–4,200 estimate
Brake service or overhaul Air brake systems cost more than hydraulic.
$600–2,500 estimate
Full fluid and filter service
$300–900 estimate
Transmission service Allison service intervals are worth checking before purchase.
$300–1,200 estimate
Cooling system (hoses, radiator, thermostat)
$300–2,000 estimate
Suspension, bushings, airbags
$400–2,500 estimate
Exhaust repair
$200–1,500 estimate
Starting batteries
$250–600 estimate
Major engine work or rebuild The one that ends builds. Budget nothing and hope, or inspect properly before buying.
$3,000–15,000 estimate
Shop labour, if not doing it yourself Commercial truck shop rate, not a car garage rate.
$110–190 per hourestimate
Materials to order
Quantities computed from your bus's floor, wall and ceiling areas, with the waste factor
each material actually needs.
Material
Area covered
Order
The build, phase by phase
Tick as you go. A phase turns amber when something it depends on is still open —
that is the ordering failure this planner exists to prevent.
How long
Every figure here is a planning band, not a quote. Cost data comes from documented itemised builds and
trade sources — see the budget guide
and the sources page. Items marked
estimate are not from a sourced figure; replace them with a real quote
before you rely on them.