Auto Body Repair Estimates Demystified - The 5 Most Common Items on a Repair Estimate

So you've decided to get estimates from local body shop. These days, most body shops will use computer software to assess the written estimate. If the store you've chosen does not use a computer to write estimates that should be cause for concern. This is not meant as a blow to those long-owners and technicians, and I am not implying that the "back" or "luddites" or ignorant. Its more of the responsibility. Computerized software is now standard in our industry and provides a more uniform, impartial and accurate assessment of how long things take to repair. For example, I was talking to the shop owner a few days ago, which is remembering the love of the good old days when he would routinely get 15 + hours to repair the frames on cars that now he only gets 4-5 hours a na.Istina However, that is 4-5 more accurate and fair rates (depending on the job, of course, it could be more or less). And since consumers and insurance companies charge per hour on an assessment of the old days of falsely inflating the hours are gone.

When it comes to auto body repair most items on the assessment will be one of five things:

1 R & I This is shorthand for "remove and install" and it means that something from your car, and then reinstall it later. Parts that are damaged will have to be temporarily removed to access the second part that was damaged, or more frequently, so the panel can be removed from painted properly. For example, say your electric window stops raditi.Unutarnja trim panel will need to be temporarily removed for access to the engine if you can fix it (vjerojatno!) or replaced. Or perhaps the molding should be removed from your neck before he painted only to be put back on later when the paint dries. One caution here is that if the panels are not painted and are charged to research and shop I can take them to what actually can cause peeling or flaking of months or years later. So do not be surprised if such lights must be removed to the proper color Fender. You really should be more worried if it is not. FYI: I & R time is usually placed on industry standards to evaluate software and not discretionary

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2 Repair. repair (the "RPR") is the most discretionary item on the assessment and usually in the amount of time it takes to fix something to be underlined or ED-asterisk (*) to indicate this. This is where the insurance adjuster could be said to mark the 3-hour repair technician can tell you that the fourth There is no hard and fast rules here and to be agreed between the insurance adjusters, appraisers, trade, and maybe even technicians doing the work. My dad, who was in the industry for almost 40 years taught me long ago that the track is about the size of a human hand should take about 3 hours to repair. From there you can set up or done for various things like the body line that passes through the trail (add one hour) or dent no pleats and is available internally and are therefore mostly be popped out (subtract time). The reason this time so it is important that insurance companies pay for the shop based on the number of hours of the estimates.

3 Replace. replacement parts, sometimes enough for the workers 'repl' discretion is not subject to the assessment and management industry standards, or what people call a shop "book time." If the book / software says it takes 3.5 hours to replace the bumper, then this is what the insurance company will pay. No more, no less. It is fairly well standardized, only small variations depending on which software to use, and then only differ by very little.

4 Sublease. Sometimes there are things auto body shop will send someone else (usually a mechanic who takes care of several items under the hood) to perform and it is categorized as a sublease. Popular items for the shop to sublease from the air conditioning load and 4-wheel alignment when the suspension is damaged. The reason it is usually sent to the equipment and space required for these operations are not profitable for the Body Shop. And when it comes to deeper engine repair, oil and paint do not mix! Oils and fats can quickly destroy the paint job. Thus, the store that say they can do "everything" usually can not do everything well.

5 Miscellaneous. in this category will be small costs such as "hazardous waste removal" (about once a month we pay someone to pick up and dispose of our hazardous waste in the safest possible way) and "car cover for spraying," which is paid paper, tape and plastic to cover the vehicle during the process of painting and paint over spray goes all over the window or adjacent panels.