Statistically speaking, it has probably been years since your last auto body repair need. As someone seeking car repair, this can be an incredibly stressful process, especially since cars have never been more complex than they are today. The advancements in car safety technologies have required technicians to have extensive training in order to accurately perform a repair. Because of this, repair estimates are more complex than they’ve ever been.
Getting a repair estimate for your car is also incredibly stressful and confusing, especially when you don’t know what the difference in repair costs mean for your car repair. Not to mention, your insurance company is pressuring you to go to one shop but it isn’t where you want to go. With all the different repair estimates different shops are giving you, it can turn into a real struggle of finding the best shop for you versus where your insurance company wants you to go. If a different shop comes in out of nowhere, giving you a significantly higher than the others, it seems like that shop only wants your money, right? Not necessarily, and we’re here to explain why. Keep reading to find out the real difference between a $2,500 and a $6,000 repair estimate.
The fastest way to tell who has the accurate estimate
You want to know who has the best estimate? Its not the price tag. The body shop who has the most lines (and will typically be the more expensive one) is the body shop who knows how to properly return your vehicle to pre loss condition which is what you are entitled to in a repair.
If the roof to your home was damaged in a storm, and you had three roofers giving you a preliminary guess of what it would cost, wouldn’t you choose the one who had the most detailed explanation of what you needed to fix the roof properly? The same goes for auto body repair. The shop with the most detailed estimate and repair plan is the shop that “gets it”.
Not only that, but your repair will go faster and smoother that the shop that needs to continually stop work and wait for supplement approval which could take days especially in a post cover world where travel is encumbered.
What Is A Repair Estimate?
So, what exactly is a repair estimate? In the auto repair industry, an estimate is just the starting point for what needs to be done to your car. Some body shops wont even give you a written estimate until the car has been torn down and fully inspected. Years ago, an estimate was a firm price quote to fix the vehicle, no it’s merely a starting point designed just get the claims and repair process initiated. Once the car is torn down to expose all the dame, a supplement will be written and that is where the real cost of the repair is uncovered.
This is different than a repair plan, which details exactly what needs to be done in the repair process. A technician will not be able to give an accurate assessment or estimate until your car is taken apart. You can compare this to a doctor needing to perform surgery on his patient. He wouldn’t be able to give you an accurate diagnosis unless he read your X-Rays, MRI, etc. Symptoms are only part of it, just like the exterior damage is only part of your car repair.
Difference In Repair Costs
Remember how we talked about the difference between a $2,500 and $6000 repair estimate? The cheaper estimate is probably done by a guy walking around your car, checking off different boxes, and coming up with an estimation of what needs to be done. Because it’s a guess, that shop will call you back after they’ve taken apart the car and say, “We tore the car down and discovered that the collision also caused this damage, and you’re going to need X replaced.”
Sound familiar? This is why there is something known as a supplement.
What Is A Supplement?
If your car repair requires a supplement, the body shop will send the request to your insurance company. When this happens, your car repair will be put on hold until the supplement is approved. This can be rather time-consuming, as it can take a couple of days to a week, depending on whether or not an insurance adjuster needs to approve the repair in person.
The biggest difference between repair estimates comes down to one that was after a technician had a thorough look inside your car and someone just walking around the damaged vehicle. Prices will always change in the repair process, especially since things do appear and the complexity of car repair has increased the requirements of proper car repair. No matter what, you want is to make sure you take your car to a repair shop that knows what they are doing and provides you with a thorough, accurate estimate.
Photo Estimates
In a post-coved world, photo estimates are going to be the new normal. Insurance companies have been trying to move towards this for years as a major cost cutting initiative, now in a post Covid world, insurance companies have an excuse to not send adjusters into the field. There are two problems with a photo estimate:
– You cant see all the damage without removing damaged parts
– Photo estimates are typically written by a computer algorithm, not a human being.
So photo estimates are inherently inaccurate.
Photo estimates will usher in a new era of variance between shop’s estimates. Ultimately to get a true price, you will need to bring that car to the shop you trust the most and have them do a teardown and get you (and your insurer) a real number.
We look forward to hearing from you and helping you with any of your auto repair needs!
