If you have been involved in an accident, you will want to bring your vehicle to an autobody repair shop. Once at the shop, a representative from the insurance company will likely meet with an auto body shop employee to complete an estimate for damages. This estimate is then used to determine if the repairs should be made or if the insurance company is better off totaling your car, based on the estimated costs for repair. If you have never had an estimate done before, you may be wondering what you can expect. Here is what you can expect when you are having an estimate completed at an auto body repair shop.
Getting a Statement of the Accident Details
When you first bring your vehicle to an auto body repair shop for an estimate, an employee of the company will meet with you to discuss the details of the accident. They will want to hear your version of what happened. It is important to be detailed about what happened, as the details affect what part of the car may have been damaged in the accident and what type of damage may be pre-existing. The employee will then walk around your car with you and have you point out the damage that you feel was caused during the accident.
An Exterior Inspection of Your Vehicle
After leaving your vehicle with an auto body repair shop, they will complete what is known as a shell estimate. They will take a look at the exterior of your vehicle and determine what types of damage they think may be present based on what they can see. They will not be able to see everything that is damaged until they begin to remove parts from the vehicle. They will then have the insurance company approve the work based on the shell estimate.
A Thorough, More Complete Estimate
Once the insurance company, or you, if you are paying out of pocket, have approved the shell estimate, an auto body repair shop will complete a more in-depth estimate. They are know able to do this as they pull off panels or remove damaged parts from the car. A repair shop can then detail exactly what is damaged on the car that may have been hidden and exactly how much repairs to the vehicle will be to get the car back to its pre-existing accident state.
If you have been involved in an accident, you are allowed to bring your vehicle for autobody repair to any auto body repair shop that is licensed in your area. At Certified Collision Center, with offices conveniently located throughout the Central Valley area, we are here to help you with everything from minor dings and dents to major auto body damage. Contact your insurance company to tell them you want to bring your vehicle to us, and then schedule an appointment with us to take a look at your car.