What is wrench time?
Wrench time is the proportion of a tradesperson's paid shift spent actually doing hands-on maintenance work, as opposed to waiting, travelling, finding parts, getting permits, or attending meetings. Many plants sit around 25 to 35 percent wrench time; well-planned operations reach 50 percent or more.
Benchmark
| Benchmark | |
|---|---|
| Good | 50 percent or above is strong. Best practice planning and scheduling can push it higher. |
| Warning sign | Below 30 percent means most of the maintenance wage bill is being spent on waiting, not working. |
Why it matters
Wrench time is the clearest measure of labour leak. Lifting it from, say, 30 to 45 percent is the equivalent of adding half your crew again without hiring anyone. The causes, waiting for parts, permits, access, and decisions, are almost all fixable with planning and scheduling discipline.
How to improve it
Plan and kit jobs before they reach the schedule, hold a ready backlog of fully prepared work, coordinate access and permits ahead of time, and measure the top causes of waiting so they can be removed.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good wrench time percentage?
How do you measure wrench time?
See where your plant is leaking profit.
Score your operation across five leak zones in 3 minutes, or book a free 30-minute Fit Call to confirm whether a Diagnostic is the right next step.
15 questions. 3 minutes. Instant grade. No email required.