Check a collision repair estimate

What the job usually involves.

A collision repair estimate usually starts from a visual inspection. Once the damaged area is taken apart, the shop may find more damage and write a supplement, an addition to the estimate.

The repair itself can include straightening or replacing panels, measuring and repairing the structure, corrosion protection, paint and blending, and refitting lights and sensors. Many newer vehicles also need scans and calibrations of driver-assistance cameras and radar, and suspension damage usually calls for a wheel alignment. If airbags deployed, the vehicle maker's service information lists which restraint-system parts are replaced.

Each line of the estimate is usually an operation with its labor hours and labor type (body, refinish, frame or mechanical). Common abbreviations are “Repl” (replace), “Rpr” (repair), “R&I” (remove and install, to reach or protect another part), “Refn” (refinish) and “Blnd” (blend). If the estimate comes close to the vehicle's value, an insurer may treat it as a total loss instead; how that is decided depends on your policy and your state.

What a complete written estimate should state.

• Each part, with its type: new from the maker, aftermarket, used or recycled.
• Whether each damaged panel is repaired or replaced.
• Labor hours by operation and type (body, frame, mechanical, refinish), and paint materials.
• Scans and calibrations, and who performs them.
• Whether the vehicle maker's repair procedures are followed, including parts the maker says must not be reused, such as some bolts and clips.
• Sublet work such as alignment, glass or towing.
• Fees, storage and tax.
• How supplements will be handled and the written warranty.

SourcesFederal Trade Commission — Auto Repair Basics ↗ (opens an external site)Federal Trade Commission (eCFR) — 16 CFR Part 20 - Guides for the Rebuilt, Reconditioned, and Other Used Automobile Parts Industry ↗ (opens an external site)

What changes the total.

Scope drives most of the difference: how many parts are replaced rather than repaired, whether the structure is involved, and how many panels are painted or blended.

Parts type, sensors and calibrations, sublet work and the local labor rates for body and paint make up the rest. A published 2023 study of three model-year 2023 vehicles in their highest driver-assistance trim found that fixing those systems can add up to 37.6% to the total repair cost after a crash; three vehicles are not a national average.

SourceAAA (American Automobile Association) — Fixing Advanced Vehicle Systems Makes Up Over One-Third of Repair Costs Following a Crash ↗ (opens an external site)

Parts type and your choice of shop.

Parts on a collision estimate can come from the vehicle maker, from an aftermarket supplier, or from a used or recycled source. Federal guides treat selling a used or rebuilt part without clearly disclosing it, including on invoices, as deceptive. In Florida, a written estimate that uses non-original aftermarket crash parts must clearly identify each such part.

When an insurer is involved, California law says the insurer may not require repair at a specific shop and, once you have chosen one, may not suggest a different shop, with some exceptions. Rules differ in other states.

Calibrations are now common on collision estimates: an industry report published in 2026 found that 28.3% of repairable estimates in the United States include calibrations. That figure counts estimates, not what your vehicle needs; the vehicle maker's service information decides which calibrations apply.

SourcesFederal Trade Commission (eCFR) — 16 CFR Part 20 - Guides for the Rebuilt, Reconditioned, and Other Used Automobile Parts Industry ↗ (opens an external site)Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine) — Florida Statutes § 501.33 Disclosure (aftermarket crash parts) ↗ (opens an external site)California Legislature (leginfo) — Insurance Code § 758.5 ↗ (opens an external site)CCC Intelligent Solutions — CCC Crash Course 2026 Report Finds Higher Severity and Record Total Loss Frequency ↗ (opens an external site)

When a second opinion is worth it.

• The estimate does not say which parts are new, aftermarket or used.
• The vehicle has driver-assistance sensors near the damage and the estimate lists no scan or calibration.
• Airbags deployed and the estimate does not say how the restraint-system parts will be handled.
• Structural parts are replaced or straightened and no before-and-after measurements are listed.
• Work continues on added damage that has not been written down and approved.
• Large groups of work are shown as one amount with no breakdown.

After a collision, if the vehicle pulls, a warning light stays on, a wheel sits at an odd angle or anything rubs a tire, have it inspected before driving. A tow may be the safer choice.