Industry snapshot
Key public data points
Historical & forecast
Base year 2025. Each series is official through its own latest government-data year (shown in the legend on each chart), and years beyond that are Claight estimates. As of July 2026 the current year is still in progress (2026 annual data is not yet published), so the forecast runs to 2030.
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What does the Automotive Repair & Maintenance in Canada industry cover?
The automotive repair and maintenance industry group consists of businesses providing physical restoration, structural repairs, and diagnostic maintenance for road transit vehicles. Under the official national system, this includes passenger vehicles, trucks, commercial trailers, and vans.
- •Classified entirely under the NAICS group code 8111.
- •Sub-sectors isolate specialized electrical/mechanical shops from body work or detailing.
- •Excludes industrial factory rebuilds or direct consumer retail outlets that lack a dedicated service arm.
Market Structure and Operators
Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?
The Canadian industry consists of tens of thousands of active operators spread widely across commercial centers. Small, regional independently-owned garages make up the clear majority of local businesses, though multi-location chains hold high visibility.
- •Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada counted over 22,272 active businesses within NAICS 81111 in 2024.
- •Ontario captured the largest regional operating revenue share in the subsector at 35.1% in 2023.
- •Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia follow as the other top regional operating hubs.
Demand Drivers
What drives demand in the industry?
Total operational performance is heavily anchored to passenger vehicle utilization, general consumer mobility patterns, and macroeconomic conditions. Higher cost of living structures encourage motorists to invest in repairs over purchasing replacement assets.
- •Sales to individuals and households accounted for 61.7% of total sales by client type in 2024.
- •Commercial and business vehicle fleet service contracts comprised 34.1% of sales in 2024.
- •Rising passenger vehicle parts prices significantly inflated top-line industry revenues between 2022 and 2024.
Competitive Landscape and Notable Public Companies
Who are the notable companies in the industry?
Competition in Canada's market is intense and heavily fragmented due to low localized entry barriers for standalone shops. Major corporate networks expand corporate market share through franchise networks, corporate-owned banners, and broad regional consolidation.
- •Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited operates an extensive network of automotive service bays across Canada.
- •Boyd Group Services Inc. operates as one of the largest multi-site operators of automotive collision repair shops in North America.
- •Driven Brands Holdings Inc. operates major local banners within Canada including Meineke, Carstar, and Jiffy Lube.
- •Uni-Select Inc., historically a major Canadian parts distributor, maintains robust network banners supporting independent mechanical shops.
Recent Trends and Outlook
What are the recent trends and outlook?
The sector has posted consecutive annual revenue growth coming out of the early 2020s. Operating profit margins have ticked slightly upward as operators optimized operational efficiencies against scaling labor costs.
- •Operating revenue expanded explicitly by 11.3% from 2022 to reach 26.4 billion Canadian Dollars in 2023.
- •The overall automotive group industry profit margin was recorded at 9.3% in 2024.
- •Salaries, wages, and employee benefits rose to hit 7,993.7 million Canadian Dollars by 2024.
Regulation and Compliance
How is the industry regulated?
Establishments are subjected to localized occupational health requirements, federal environmental protections regarding waste fluids, and safety standards. Provincial licensing boards determine specific mechanic certification requirements.
- •Operators comply with strict provincial environmental disposal policies regarding tires, oil, and batteries.
- •The industry is bound by regional consumer protection legislation governing mandatory written repair estimates.
- •Workplace safety is regulated via provincial Occupational Health and Safety Acts across Canada.
Sources
Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.
- Statistics Canada annual economic survey: Repair and Maintenance Services 2024 ·
- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Canadian Industry Statistics 2024 ·
- North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Canada 2022 Version 1.0
Claight analysis of public industry data.