Auto Body Repair Estimates And Auto Body Repair Prices

Worrying whether or not you were overcharged for your auto body shop repair is an awful feeling. There's tons of advice on how to avoid getting ripped off, but few discuss the actual auto body repair estimates costs. We really need to look at the charges on auto body repair estimates or auto body repair invoices to determine if we're paying too much.

The focus needs to shift from giving outdated and ineffective advice to addressing the "actual" and "specific" charges. Are they legitimate charges? Can they be justified by industry guidelines?

Now auto body repair estimates can be confusing. So let's break it down to get a better idea if your auto body repair shop is billing you appropriately.

First, a glossary of terms is in order, as the auto industry has a language of its own.

Aftermarket Parts: parts not made by the manufacturer.

MSRP: Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price

OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer. Manufacturer-approved parts designed specifically for your vehicle.

TSBs: Technical Service Bulletins. Notes and instructions provided by the manufacturer for known and specific concerns (they are not recalls).

Flat Fees: services such as alignments that don't get broken down into parts, tax, labor

Miscellaneous Charges: these can include, but are not limited to shop supplies - rags, chemicals, hazardous waste disposal fees, waste oil ...etc.

Labor Rate: Auto Body Repair Estimates include hourly charge to repair your vehicle

Labor Time: Auto Body Repair Estimates, estimate the amount of time or hours determined that it will take to repair your vehicle

Labor Description: Auto Body Repair Estimates include the step-by-step written details of repairs and/or services

Ok, let's look at the Anatomy of Auto Repair Estimates:

There are six basic components to an auto body repair estimate

1) Customer/Vehicle Information
2) Parts
3) Labor
4) Miscellaneous Charges
5) Flat Fees
6) Summary of Charges

Customer and Vehicle Information

Using a generic top-down style estimate, the top portion simply contains your personal information and your vehicle's specifics: year, make, model, mileage...etc,

as well as your request or concern.

We also want to find the shop's labor rate. The labor rate is critical in determining if you paid too much. Most repair centers don't list the labor rate. We'll discuss why shortly.

Auto Parts

Parts are listed usually with a brief description, as well as the quantity, and the price. There are three types of parts: OEM (parts made by or for a manufacturer). These are the parts installed by a dealer, although many local shops use OEM parts too.

Aftermarket parts are non-OEM parts, and there are various degrees of quality, depending on the brand and where they're made in China versus the USA, for example.

Then there are Used parts purchased from a salvage yard.

To determine if you paid too much for parts, first find out what type of parts are being used.

With OEM parts, you don't want to pay more than MSRP, although most people do without realizing it. Premium aftermarket parts are similarly priced across brands, although beware not to pay more than MSRP, which again, many folks do. Used part prices are all over the place, so pick the price in the middle.

Auto Body Repair Estimates Labor

Labor is billed in tenths. So 1.0 equals 1 hour. 1.5 equals an hour and a half.

Labor rates range from $60 to $100 per hour at local auto body repair shops and $80 to $140 per hour at the dealer level. Labor times are based on established industry guidelines, which are frequently used.

If you don't see the shop's labor rate posted on the auto body repair estimates or invoices, ask your service center for the rate. Auto body repair shops can manipulate the labor rate (among other things) with a labor matrix.

Matrix pricing is a complicated and ethically questionable practice discussed at length in RepairTrust literature. What you need to know is that you can pay as high as $150 per hour rather than the posted labor rate of $105 per hour.

To ensure that you're being charged properly, you'll want to multiply the number of hours billed (which is also often not posted) by the auto body repair shop's labor rate.

Most labor descriptions are poorly written and difficult to understand. So ask questions.

Here's a "clear" labor description for a 30,000 mile service on a Toyota Camry.

Performed 30,000 mile service per customer request, and in accordance with manufacturer guidelines. Changed oil and filter, installed new air filter, cabin filter and performed all necessary tests, checks, and procedures, including road test (miles 30,123 to 30,125). Performed lubrication services and confirmed proper vehicle operation. Set tire pressures, and checked fluids, belts, and hoses.

Note: the vehicle is pulling slightly left. Needs alignment

Miscellaneous Charges

The bulk of your car repair invoice will be parts and labor, but we can't forget about Miscellaneous Charges. These charges can include but are not limited to, shop supplies - rags, chemicals, hazardous waste, disposal fees, waste oil ...etc. The latter of these may be billed out separately in a summary at the bottom of your repair invoice.

Very few of these "extras" are actually used during regular repairs. Miscellaneous charges are calculated off the amount of labor hours billed, not the amount of miscellaneous items used.

Auto Body Repair Estimates: Flat Fees

Flat fees can be another very tricky area. Flat fees are services, such as an alignment, which don't get broken down into parts, tax and labor. This makes it difficult to determine the real and fair price. On the plus side, most flat fees are competitively priced.

Be warned, however, another term for Flat Fee is called Menu Selling. In other words, you might see Tune-Up: $99.99 or Transmission Flush: $89.99. Follow your manufacturer's recommendations only, not a dealer's or repair shop's menu.

Summary of Auto Body Repair Estimates and Final Invoice Charges

The last part of auto body repair estimates is the summary of proposed costs. It's usually found in the bottom right-hand corner of the auto body repair estimates or invoices. Check it against the charges above to ensure that it all adds up mathematically, as well as logically.

This basic estimate outline may differ from your particular invoice, which may have other categories such as "Sublet" or "HazMat."

A sublet charge is added when your auto body repair shop uses another vendor to fix or repair your vehicle, such as a glass company that replaces your windshield.

A HazMat charge may include waste oil or other disposal fees. Just make sure that the auto body repair estimates and charges are warranted, as again, they are often calculated off the labor time for the auto body repair estimates.

In sum, understanding the actual charges of your auto body repair estimates and invoices, asking the right questions, and breaking down your auto body repair estimates costs is the best way to avoid paying excessive auto body repair costs.