Fleet and Commercial Body
Service Body and Utility Body Installation on Chassis Cab Trucks
Typical range
$2,500 to $15,000
Shop hours
15 to 60
Labor rate
$210/hr
The short answer
Service and utility body installation mounts a new or transferred body to a chassis cab, including subframe, wiring, lighting, bumper, and compliance items. Work runs $2,500 to $15,000, or 15 to 60 hours at $210 per hour plus the body. In shop install only.
01
What this work actually involves
Getting a service body onto a chassis correctly starts with the cab to axle dimension. A 56 inch CA chassis takes a different body than an 84 inch CA chassis, and a body that is close but wrong produces either a rear overhang that scrubs on driveway transitions or a gap at the cab that collects road spray for the life of the truck. Municipal fleets and utility contractors across Anaheim, Riverside, Ontario, and the water and power districts in the Inland Empire buy chassis and bodies on separate cycles, so mismatched pairings are common and the fitting labor is what fleet managers underestimate.
The mounting itself is the part that determines whether the body lasts. A service body bolts to a subframe, and that subframe has to allow the chassis rails to flex without transferring twist into the body. Rigid mounting is the most common installation mistake we correct, and it shows up as cracked compartment corners and doors that stop latching after a year of loaded driving through Inland Empire distribution yards. We mount with the correct spacing, fasteners, and shear plate placement so the frame can work and the body stays square.
Then everything that goes with it. Tail lights, marker lights, license plate lamp, and reverse lights relocated and wired to the chassis harness with proper connectors rather than crimped taps that corrode. ICC rear bumper, mud flaps, and conspicuity marking to keep the finished unit compliant. Fuel fill relocation and exhaust clearance checked. In shop body, paint, structural, and equipment install only. Engine, drivetrain, and DOT inspection work are not performed here.
Systems and brands we work on: Knapheide, Reading, Weather Guard.
Location: All work is performed at our Yorba Linda facility. We do not offer mobile, roadside, or fleet route service.
02
What the job includes
- Cab to axle measurement and chassis to body fitment verification before purchase or mounting
- Existing bed or body removal and disposal or return to the fleet
- Subframe fabrication, spacer, and shear plate installation for correct frame flex
- Service, utility, contractor, and stake body mounting to OEM torque specification
- Body transfer from a retired chassis to a replacement chassis
- Tail, marker, reverse, and license lamp relocation and harness integration
- ICC rear bumper, receiver hitch, and mud flap installation
- Compartment door, latch, and shelving adjustment after mounting
- Fuel fill, exhaust clearance, and body wiring routing verification
- Refinish or touch-in of the body to fleet color and conspicuity marking
03
When you need this service
- A new chassis on the yard with no body and a truck still down
- A body worth transferring on a chassis that has reached the end of its life
- Cracked compartment corners or split welds from a rigidly mounted body
- Compartment doors that stopped latching after the body was installed elsewhere
- Visible gap or spray path between the cab and the front of the body
- Body mounting bolts that have loosened or worked their holes oval
- A body sitting off center or off level on the chassis rails
04
How we do it, step by step
- 01
Chassis and body measurement
Cab to axle, frame width, rail height, and available mounting length recorded and checked against the body before anything is lifted. Fitment problems are cheapest to find here.
- 02
Removal and chassis prep
Existing bed or body removed and set aside, chassis rails cleaned and inspected for cracks, and any wiring, air, or fuel lines rerouted clear of the new mounting locations.
- 03
Subframe and mount fabrication
Subframe, spacers, and shear plates fabricated and positioned so the chassis rails can flex without transferring twist into the body. Rigid mounting is what cracks compartment corners a year later.
- 04
Body set and torque
Body lifted, aligned centered and level to the rails, and fastened to specification. Torque values are recorded so they can be rechecked at your first service interval.
- 05
Electrical integration
Lighting relocated and wired into the chassis harness with sealed connectors instead of crimped taps, grounds landed on clean bare metal, and every circuit function tested before panels close.
- 06
Compliance and clearance items
ICC bumper, mud flaps, conspicuity tape, and lamp placement installed to specification, with exhaust, driveline, and fuel fill clearances all confirmed at full suspension travel rather than at ride height.
- 07
Finish and release
Compartment doors adjusted until they latch cleanly, body refinished or touched in to fleet color, and the completed unit photographed and released with mounting torque values documented.
05
Pricing and posted rates
| Item | Rate or range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical job range | $2,500 to $15,000 | Varies with extent of damage and parts availability |
| Shop hours | 15 to 60 | Quoted after teardown, not before |
| Body and paint labor | $210 per hour | 2026 posted rate |
| Paint supplies | $55 per paint hour | Calculated automatically on every estimate |
| Body supplies | $5 per body hour | Calculated automatically on every estimate |
| Parts | 100% markup under $100, 35% over | Special order parts require a non refundable deposit at order |
| Deposit | 50% at authorization over $2,000 | Additional 25% when parts arrive on jobs over $10,000 |
| Sales tax | 7.75% on parts and materials | Labor is not taxed |
Insurance billed jobs may be billed at carrier negotiated labor rates that differ from the posted retail rates above. See all posted rates.
07
Vehicles we do this work on
Vehicle
Utility Trucks
Utility trucks carry a compartmented service body loaded with tools, parts, and frequently a crane, and the compartments are where
Vehicle
Flatbed Trucks
Flatbed trucks carry unprotected loads on an open deck, so the deck, headboard, rub rails, and stake pockets take the damage rathe
Vehicle
Bucket Trucks
Bucket trucks carry an aerial device whose loads run through a torsion box and outrigger structure into the chassis frame. Outrigg
Vehicle
Dump Trucks
Dump bodies take abrasive load impact, hoist stress, and tailgate hardware abuse that no other truck body sees. Floor wear-through
Vehicle
Tow Trucks
Tow trucks take structural load from vehicles they carry and pull, so the deck, subframe, wheel lift mounting, and tie-down points
Vehicle
Mobile Workshops
Mobile workshops carry benches, vises, compressors, welders, and dense tool inventory, which makes weight and mounting the definin
08
Questions about service body and utility body installation
Frequently asked questions
What does service body installation cost?
Installation labor runs $2,500 to $15,000, or 15 to 60 hours at $210 per hour, plus the body and any fabricated subframe material. A straight bolt-on of a matched body to a matched chassis sits at the low end. A body transfer requiring subframe fabrication, full rewiring, bumper work, and refinish sits at the high end. Deposits are 50 percent at authorization over $2,000.
How long will the chassis be tied up?
A matched new body onto a new chassis is typically five to eight working days. A transfer from a retired chassis runs eight to fifteen days, because the old body has to come off, be inspected, and often be repaired before it goes back on. Add time if the body needs refinishing to fleet color. We set the date after measuring both units, not before.
Which service body brands do you install?
We install Knapheide, Reading, and Weather Guard bodies and equipment, along with other manufacturers your fleet already standardizes on. If you are still selecting, send us the chassis cab to axle dimension and GVWR and we will tell you what will actually fit before you place the order. That call saves more money than any other part of this job.
Can you move our existing body to a new chassis?
Yes, and it is often the better economic call on a body in good condition. We remove the body, inspect the floor, compartments, and mounting points, repair what needs it, fabricate a subframe to match the new chassis, and remount. Expect the inspection to find something, since bodies that have been on a truck ten years usually have at least one cracked mount.
Do you do the mechanical work on the chassis too?
No. In shop body, paint, structural, and equipment install only. Engine, drivetrain, or DOT inspection work is not performed at this facility. We mount the body, fabricate the subframe, integrate the wiring, handle the compliance hardware, and finish the paint. Chassis service, brake work, and federal inspections stay with your mechanical vendor, and we tell you that on the first call rather than after the truck arrives.
09
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Ready to move on service body and utility body installation? Bring it to Yorba Linda.