How Auto Body Repair Shops Estimate the cost of repairs. Part 2

In Part two, we will dive deeper into how Auto Body Repair Shops like Miracle Body and Paint are able to give an estimate on repairs that is consistent with the one given by the auto insurance company. We have broken the answer up into 3 segments to make it easier to understand. Because the State of Texas oversees how much Auto Body Paint and Repair labor can cost the consumer, pricing is consistent. Our goal is to make you an educated consumer so that you know what to look for when picking a collision repair shop and how each step determines the cost of your Auto collision repair.
Step 1: Determine how long the repair will take.
Once the body and paint damage to the vehicle is determined it is time to figure out the labor cost of the repairs. While seemingly straightforward, it gets a little tricky. The State of Texas and the insurance companies actually work together to determine how much a collision repair or paint job should take. They do this by dividing the cost into two segments.
First, they determine how much the hourly labor cost should be. So no matter the skill level of the auto body repair technician, or the Auto body paint specialist, the state determines what the maximum dollar amount an auto body shop can charge is. In reality, a shop can charge more per hour, but the insurance company only has to pay up to the state limit. This means that if the limit is $60 an hour and an auto body shop chooses to charge $100 an hour, the consumers that pick that shop would have to pay the difference on top of their deductible. Since that is an unlikely scenario, almost every shop in the state charges the limit.
Secondly, part of the repair cost was put in place as a way to keep shops from over charging on time. The State and Insurance companies’ also worked together to determine how long a repair should take. This means that every quarter panel repair in the state of Texas should take the same amount of hours to repair. No more, no less. This not only helps determine the exact amount of time a repair should take, it also allows the insurance company to determine the exact amount of time you will need a rental car for. If there is a delay in getting a part then the insurance company will need to make adjustments to the timeline.
We hope that at this point the Collision repair estimate process is becoming a bit clearer. Next week we will cover step three in the estimating process, discounting, and how it affects what you pay to the shop. If you have been in an auto accident and need to have your collision damage repaired, let Miracle Auto Body & Paint repair your vehicle. We will discount your deductible and may even give you a rebate if your auto body damage discount exceeds your deductible. We can give you a free estimate and we guarantee our work.