People with little or no knowledge of the automotive industry are frequently shocked at the vastly different estimates they get from body shops. Uniformed clients have a difficult time understanding why some shop’s estimates are a couple of hundred dollars while others shop’s estimates are in the thousands for their collision repair services.
Differences in Auto Repair Estimates
There are a lot of debates going on in the automotive industry at the moment about how to correctly estimate and perform repairs. Most of this is due to the rapid evolution of automotive technology, but the standard hasn’t yet been set. Some shops may perform a more thorough repair that requires them to dismantle your vehicle, some may have state-of-the-art equipment and use sensors, some may base estimates on photographs, and some may rely on insurance company regulations more than others. Some shops may tend to overestimate while others tend to underestimate. It’s always a good idea to ask questions so that you understand exactly how your estimate was done and how it could change as repairs start.
Why do repair estimates vary so dramatically between body shops?
The short answer….Professional body shops are few and expensive while unlicensed and unprofessional shops are plenty and cheap.
Skeptics may still not completely understand the enormous differences between collision repair shops. Simply put, professional auto shops are few and have technicians who have spent hours upon hours honing their craft to near perfection. They apply their years of experience, training, knowledge, and repair techniques. Their standards are high and their output is quality work. But that is just the start, read on to view our list of 15 reasons that explain why some shop estimates are higher than others.
NOT ALL AUTO SHOPS ARE CREATED EQUAL
There are a lot of reasons an estimate may vary from body shop to body shop, and understanding what they are can help you make an educated decision about which auto body shop should repair your vehicle.
Reason #1. ESTIMATES
Inexperienced and newer shops may be desperate for work or don’t know how to properly estimate damages and will underestimate how much it will cost to make a repair. Improperly estimating is also considered bad business practices like we mentioned in our post “How to Find The Best Auto Body Collision Shops”. Dishonest shops will try to sell you unnecessary parts or services. Many times unethical shops will use the old “Bait and Switch” trap. The “bait” is the attractive (low) estimate, to get you in their shop, but then “switch” to a quote (higher) that is not so attractive. Like the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Reason #2. PROFESSIONALISM
Professional body shops employ certified and qualified technicians. Certified technicians have completed formal education from a technical school and have certificates from various auto body and paint training courses. Qualified technicians were most likely apprentices when they began and after putting in the time they now are experienced and working at a professional level. They traditionally have 5+ years of work experience, attend trainings in person or online, and have a vast knowledge in the field of auto body and paint work.
Unprofessional body shops usually employ people who are not certified or have little experience. Individuals who are hobbyists or car enthusiasts are not certified, trained or have an adequate amount of experience who can successfully work on a client’s cars day in and day out.
Professional shops charge higher fees because they employ certified and qualified people who are experts in their profession. Auto body repair is a skilled trade in which people have formal training or have years of professional experience, it’s not a hobby or a side hustle. These people are committed to quality, honesty, and professionalism.
Reason #3. LICENSES AND PERMITS
Auto body shops are required by law in Los Angeles and the state of California to have all the proper business licenses and permits to conduct business. All professional body shops need to have their AQMD permit, which stands for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Under federal and state law, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) is under a legal obligation to enforce air pollution regulations. These regulations are primarily meant to ensure that the surrounding (or ambient) air meets federal and state air quality standards.
Another license required for shops is the BAR license, which stands for the Bureau of Automotive Repair. The California’s Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) regulates and enforces auto repair protocol for consumers. For starters, anyone looking for car repair or bodywork should check for the BAR seal of approval or certificate. Auto shops in California must have a repair dealer license issued by BAR to perform repairs and maintenance.
Reason #4. EXPERIENCE
More experienced and professional shops with loyal customers and an established reputation charge more because they have the track record, reviews, and professional technicians that justify their prices. They also know how to write proper detailed estimates that reflect the appropriate prices for materials, supplies, and the labor required to get the job done right the first time.
You don’t pay for the time it takes them to do a job, you pay for the knowledge acquired to get the job done. Experienced technicians do a skilled job that takes years to master which demand good pay.
Reason #5. LOCATION. LOCATION. LOCATION.
We live in California, the world’s 5th largest economy, and it’s expensive. The cost to live where the summers seem to never end, having the beach, mountains, forests, snow, and deserts all in one state comes at a high price. Of course, we all know that different states have different living costs. The state of California is no different, and well Los Angeles has one of the highest living expenses. Any auto business in Los Angeles county is in an expensive area, with high rent prices, taxes, general overhead for the repair shop, and the cost of hiring employees who can afford to live nearby. Taking your car to a place outside of the more expensive areas of Los Angeles (if there are any) or out-of-state might mean the shop might have lower costs.
Reason #6. EQUIPMENT
Shops that command higher fees work with state-of-the-art equipment. Equipment like the frame machine, welders, computer software, and all types of heavy machinery are expensive to own, repair, and maintain. New expensive technology is constantly being developed and implemented, professional technicians are trained thoroughly to comprehend the use of such equipment.
Reason #7. MATERIALS
The quality of material used can vary. Different shops have access to use different quality supplies and materials like paints, solvents, bonds, etc. The cost of quality and premium materials and supplies are high and constantly getting more expensive as inflation rises each year. Some equipment requires a monthly or yearly software update. Other repair computer system programs require a monthly fee in order to operate.
Reason #8. SPECIALTY
Auto body shop’s who specialize in luxury vehicles, classic cars, modifications, customization, and restorations are vastly different from high-volume body shops. You will have to pay more for personalized results but your car will be properly repaired.
Reason #9. QUALITY
Bottom line, quality work costs more. Should you decide to have a non-professional body shop repair your car, remember you get what you pay for. Body shops that specialize in cheap repairs cannot afford to spend money paying good technicians. Their business model relies on volume. The more vehicles they repair, the more money they make. Therefore, error free or quality body and paint work is not their priority.
Reason #10. CAR WORK SPECS
Here are just a few things a body shop will look for when a car comes in for a repair: The year, make, and model of your vehicle. The size, location, and extent of the damage. The paint color and finish of your car. If body work needs to be done or if parts can be replaced. Methods that will be used for repair and labor hours required to finish.
Reason #11. TAXES
Collision shops in large cities or any place where property, rent, and utilities are high must pay for higher operating costs like the equipment, parts, wages, insurance, etc. State and local taxes included.
Reason #12. PARTS
There are several different options when it comes to materials used for replacement parts, and some are better than others, depending on your vehicle’s needs. The cost of these replacement parts varies too! Usually, your options are OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts, non-OEM parts, or recycled parts.
Ultimately, the cost mostly depends on the make, model, year, warranty, and part availability. Part prices vary greatly from car to car, there is no single price for a certain type of part. The greater the volume and more companies competing, the lower the price. Dealers had a monopoly until aftermarket companies produce the part. The longer a car maker uses the same part on a car or group of cars, the less it will cost. Limited quantities of unique or brand name parts, the more expensive. As you can see, not all replacement parts are created equal.
Reason #13. LABOR
As you have already figured by now, a professional repair technician labor fee is more than the fee of a person with a love for cars. The amount of education, experience, trainings, knowledge, expertise, skill, and work performed is what justifies the labor rate of a professional body shop.
Labor rates in the Los Angeles area are in the range of $60-$120 an hour. Top-notch technicians earn the highest wages. A technician with plenty years of experience can save you money by fixing your car right the first time. Insurance companies and most body shops use estimate software which specify how long a repair will take for any given make and model.
Reason #14. WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND MARKETING
A reputable and trustworthy automotive shop will always invest on a good website with all the contact and services information. A website where you can view pictures of the shop, employees, and before and after pictures of auto repairs. Professional auto body shops should have a robust social media presence as well. It is good to know a business that has an online presence because it is more likely to be easier to reach to answer questions or concerns. These professional body shops are more likely to worry about their online reputation, thus they do a better job than a shop without any online presence or reputation to worry about.
Reason #15. PROFIT
Auto body shops don’t have a fixed price for parts or services. Local part stores add a percentage to their costs, for profit, and body shops do the same to stay in business.
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
A trustworthy shop is worth the extra money, because we all know that the cheaper the price, the poorer quality work, and inferior parts.
Close inspection of work done by inexpensive body shops generally reveal errors and poor quality. They may look like they do good work but the devil is in the details. An auto body shop that is swamped with work because they charge so low will not have the time and resources to thoroughly do a job well done. Now, should you want an almost-looking-like-new repair than the one described above, which most people and businesses do, this will, of course, cost you more.
The price of quality and professional service is high. Inexpensive body shop businesses are forced to cut corners, employ bad business practices, unexperienced or untrained technicians which result in mediocre work. Their auto body repair and paint work is limited to how good the shop is or what their definition is of an acceptable repair job.
Only the professional auto body repair shops know what their services are worth, what their experience, training, equipment, credentials, licenses, expenses, and time are worth. They know the amount of time and work involved pre, during, and post auto body and paint repair stages. As business owners, they know their business expenses including the cost of computer programs, website, equipment, payroll, materials, etc. In other words, the cost of a quality auto body and paint repair is not cheap and that is why the estimates of two shop can very so greatly.
What do you think? Is there something I missed to mention. Let us know in the comments below. As always thank you for reading out thoughts on the automotive industry if you ever need work on your car for body or paint and you live in the greater Los
Angeles area please reach out to me, Jaider Arismendy at 818.793.7728. Take care.
LOS ANGELES MOBILE SERVICE ESTIMATE
For an estimate text your car’s images to Jaider at 818.793.7728. Once we receive your vehicle’s pictures we will provide you with an initial estimate. This quote is a ballpark figure, after we assess your vehicle’s damage in person, then we will review the estimate with you. If you agree to the final estimate, we can begin repairing your car. If you prefer email, fill out the form below to request an estimate or contact us through WhatsApp.
